Afghanistan to reach oil self-sufficiency in 3 years: Official

SAR-I-PUL (Pajhwok): With the beginning of oil extraction from Qashqari oilfields in northern Sar-i-Pul province, Afghanistan will reach self-sufficiency in oil production in next three years.

Sar-i-Pul deputy governor Damla Mohammad Nader Haqju in a meeting with elders and religious scholars said that currently the revenue from Qasqari oilfields was more than $200,000 per day.

“320 cubic meters of oil is extracted daily by the contractor and this figure will increase in the coming months,” he added.

He also said: “In the next three years, Afghanistan will reach self-sufficiency in terms of oil production, something everyone should be thankful to and appreciate the Islamic Emirate.”

He said the current system was more focused on the country’s self-sufficiency in various sectors and people were witness to the launch of infrastructure projects in various provinces and with their implementation, Afghanistan would have a bright future.

Zabihullah Mujahid, Islamic Emirate spokesman, also said in a tweet a few days ago: “Afghanistan will soon become the owner of its own oil, our country is rich in every area and has great capacities, it just needs work and effort.”

A resident of Sar-i-Pul city, Ali Mohammad, said in the past 20 years, no attention was paid to the infrastructure of the country and mostly temporary projects were implemented.

He added: “We ask the Islamic Emirate to work on projects that can improve people’s lives and future, such as the Qush Tepa canal project, develop mines and oil fields in Sar-i-Pul, and also implement other promising reconstruction projects.”

Nasim Khan, a resident of Syedabad district, said that the only way to save the people of Afghanistan from starvation was economic self-sufficiency, which the current government had realized and had started vital projects.

Inaugurating extraction of oil from one of Qashqari oilfields in Sar-i-Pul, acting Mines and Petroleum Minister Shahabuddin Dilawar had called the oil fields as an important source of revenue that would be spent on the reconstruction of Afghanistan.

Dilawar promised that priority would be given to the employment of local technical and non-technical workers. Sar-i-Pul’s reconstruction would be a priority in utilisation of the revenue from the oilfields.

sa/ma