Agreements for projects worth 4 billion afghanis signed in Kabul

KABUL (Pajhwok): The ministries of finance, water and power, the power utility and the private sector have signed agreements for four projects worth around four billion afghanis.

Maulvi Ahmadzia Khalid, Director of Investment Facilitation, told a press conference at the Government Information and Media Center today that the government would allot land to the private sector under the agreements to implement some projects concerning the electricity sector.

He said the land belonging to the Ministry of Finance in the Mirwais Maidan (Kota Sangi) area of Kabul city was given to a private company under a contract. The private company will invest 326 million afghanis, with 40 percent share going to the government.

He said it had been decided to construct a commercial market and residential flats on this land.

Acting Water and Power minister Mullah Abdul Latif Mansour on the occasion said his ministry’s land in Lashkargah, the capital of southern Helmand province, was given to Navi Omari Company under a contract worth 367 million afghanis to construct a commercial and stock market.

He said a 40 percent share will be given to the Islamic Emirate against the land leased to the company for 17 years.

Engineer Faridullah Sharfmal, Director of Investment Coordination at Afghanistan Bareshna Shirtkat, said contract for a solar power plant project to produce 23 megawatts of electricity in Sarobi district of Kabul province was awarded to 77 Turkish and Zorlistan Afghani companies against $18 million.

He added that the solar power project will take one year to complete.

Zorza Afghanistan and Kabul National companies were awarded the contract to construct the Hashmi bridge substation in Herat province and two other satellite substations and extend the 220KV power line from Nurul Jahan substation to the Hashmi bridge substation for about 24 million dollars.

The contracts were signed by officials of the ministries of water and power, finance and the Bareshna Shirkat in the presence of deputy prime minister for economic affairs Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar.

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