Integrity Watch Afghanistan (IWA) in a report on Wednesday accused a number of government ministers, members of national assembly, provincial governors and police chiefs of building monopolies in local markets by abusing their authority.

Integrity Watch claimed Afghanistan's economy was controlled by a handful of powerful individuals and groups, which was holding the nation's progress back. The report said the oligarchic system hampered free market activities and penetration into certain industries, especially construction materials, food and fuel.

"Afghanistan's economy has been in the control of powerful elements and the government must end the trend," Executive Director of IWA Yama Torabi said. "These powerful elements are comprised of government ministers, governors, representatives of the national assembly and police chiefs."

Meanwhile, the Afghanistan Investment Supporting Agency (AISA) issued its own criticism of the government's investment policies.

"The control of powerful individuals over the economy poses major harm to the national economy," Naseem Akbar, CEO at Harakat-Afghanistan Investment Climate Facility Organization said. "Government investment policies have been unfair and only supported a small group of people to do all the major investments in the country."

Corruption in Afghanistan is one of the country's leading problems, having been ranked the third most corrupt nation in the world in 2013 by Transparency International. Patronage jobs and contracts are some of the most notorious ways in which political favor is translated into financial success.

"The government should regulate the monopolies," said Ibrahim Hassan, a representative from the Entrepreneurship Center for International Private Enterprise in Afghanistan. "We hope that positive progress is being paved for healthy economic competition and transparency in investments."