KABUL (Pajhwok): The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) started distributing land ownership deeds in industrial zones to 91 various firms on Wednesday.
Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar told a gathering in this regard the distribution of land in industrial zones marked the beginning of a new chapter and would further strengthen the country’s industrial sector.
He added that to regulate industrial zones, promote economic growth and development, attract private investment and ensure effective management and maintenance, the supreme leader of IEA had ratified the Industrial Zones Law.
Baradar explained the law provided the necessary framework and services for industrial activities and investment, thereby creating employment opportunities for citizens and contributing significantly to national economic progress.
He noted the leadership of the caretaker government had issued a directive to allocate land for the development of industrial zones in line with the new law, environmental protection measures, and the national urban master plan.
According to the directive, 1,000 acres of land will be allocated in each of the four directions of Kabul, 10,000 acres each in Nangarhar, Kandahar and Balkh provinces and 5,000 acres in Kunduz province.
The deputy premier added that, where feasible, 500 acres in each of the remaining provinces would be designated for industrial parks, while 5 to 25 acres in each province would be set aside for small industries and enterprises.
He said: “As part of these efforts, today we are witnessing the allocation of land ownership deeds in industrial zones to 91 industrialists to enable them to carry out industrial activities.”
He emphasised that this distribution signals the start of a new era for the country’s industrial sector and urged recipients to utilise the land effectively for production and industrial development.
Baradar also called on Afghan investors living abroad to bring their capital and industries back to Afghanistan and actively contribute to strengthening the nation’s economic foundations, creating employment, and expanding the industrial sector.
Also addressing the gathering, Acting Minister of Industry and Commerce Nooruddin Azizi stressed that the allocated land must lead to increased exports and the domestic production of raw materials.
He encouraged industrialists to request mining rights from the government to source raw materials for their production locally.
Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce Maulvi Zahid announced that 80,000 acres of land had been earmarked for industrialists by the IEA leadership.
He noted that over the past three months, 125 applications had been finalised, and land ownership deeds approved for 91 companies. These companies would receive a combined total of 325 acres of land.
Also speaking at the event, Sherbaz Kaminzada, Head of the Afghanistan Chamber of Mines and Industries, said that 800 factories in Kabul were currently operating in rented premises. He urged the government to prioritise land allocation to these existing industrialists and to investors who have recently returned to the country.
He added that industrialists support the Islamic Emirate and stand alongside it in its efforts to strengthen the national economy.
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