Omar: 40pc of Afghanistan’s population enjoy electricity

KABUL (Pajhwok): Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS) Chief Executive Officer Dr. Abdul Bari Omar says eighty percent of Afghanistan’s electricity is imported from neighboring countries and currently 40 percent of the country’s population has access to electricity— a figure expected to increase significantly within the next two years.

He said this during the ongoing programme outlining the annual achievements of government institutions at the Government Media and Information Centre today (Tuesday).

He said DABS was handed over to the Islamic Emirate in a ‘damaged and loss-making state’ but, fortunately, the company stabilised over the past year and was now operating at a profit, amounting to billions of afghanis.

He added: “Based on population statistics, 40 percent of Afghanistan’s population currently has access to electricity. As previously stated, this year, from DABS’s budget, 50 districts will be electrified, and through investment, an additional 80 districts will be connected. God willing, these districts will have electricity by the end of the year.”

Acknowledging the shortage of power, he said that 80 percent of the country’s electricity was imported. Parts of Kabul and some eastern and southern provinces receive electricity from Tajikistan. However, Tajik authorities have also reported shortages in their own power supply.

He stated: “We must strive for self-sufficiency in the power sector.”

Omar stressed that DABS has already launched several electricity generation projects, and others are in the contract phase, which will take time and effort to implement.

The CEO expressed hope that in one to two years, the current electricity situation will improve by 80 percent, and DABS’s network will be capable of fully supplying the country’s energy needs.

He explained that some areas are still without electricity, and the national grid is being expanded daily. One of the main reasons for the shortage is that imported power is inconsistent and limited, while domestic production is also insufficient.

At the same time, Abdul Bari Omar said that in the past ten months, DABS s initiated work on eight power generation projects with a combined capacity of 1,000 megawatts, and work on another eight projects will soon begin.

He noted that the contracts for these projects—worth nearly 70 billion afghanis—have been signed with both domestic and international companies.

kk/ma