Turkish firm to set up cement plant in Jawzjan

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Ministry of Mines and Petroleum (MoMP) has inked a contract worth 163,000 US dollars with a Turkish firm on construction of a cement factory in Yatim Taq area of northern Jawzjan province.

The contract was signed between Acting Minister of Mines and Petroleum Mullah Hedayatullah Badri and Suleyman Ciliv, the head of Turkish  77 firm at the Government Media and Information Centre today (Tuesday).

Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar was also present at the signing ceremony.

Badri told the signing ceremony the contract was signed for 30 years with Turkish 77 Company.

He said as per the contract, the company will invest $163,000 in exploration, extraction, production of cement and social services.

He said the firm will also provide job opportunities to 50 people in the survey phase of the project and to 1,200 people during execution.

He announced the company would also set up a cement production plant in Yatim Taq area of the province.

He explained the plant would have the capacity to produce 3,000 tonnes of cement on a daily basis.

He added his ministry had previously signed contracts for Jabalus Saraj, Kandahar and Herat cement projects worth 476,000 US dollars with domestic and international companies in order the country could reach self-sufficient in cement production.

Last month, MoMP inked a contract worth one billion US dollars with an Uzbek firm on exploration and extraction of natural gas in the Toti Maidan gas field of the same province.

According to the agreement, the company will invest $100 million in the first year and $900 million over the next nine years.

kk/ma