KABUL (Pajhwok): Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, has laid the foundation stone for the new Gulbahar Cement Factory in Zinda Jan district of western Herat province.
According to reports, the factory will be built by the private sector at a cost of $143 million. It will have a production capacity of 3,000 tons of cement per day and is expected to create employment for around 5,000 people, directly and indirectly.
In a statement, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs said Baradar described the construction of the factory as an important step toward achieving self-sufficiency in cement production.
He said the factory would reduce Afghanistan’s dependence on imported cement, create job opportunities for Afghans and contribute to the expansion of construction activities.
Baradar said manufacturing plants were essential for meeting domestic demand, increasing exports, boosting national revenues and promoting economic growth.
He said Afghanistan was rich in natural resources and that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), by utilizing the country’s available resources, was working to rebuild its economic infrastructure.
“From the perspective of contemporary economic relations, we view our country’s geopolitical and economic position as an economic and trade gateway. We have transformed our geographical borders into centers of trade and commercial relations and reduced the level of border-related risks to zero. We have never sought to link trade with political issues; rather, we have always sought to maintain regional and international relations through appropriate economic diplomacy,” he said.
According to Baradar, tax reductions, exemptions and other necessary facilities have been provided to support investors.
He added that the IEA was making greater efforts to mitigate the impact of financial and banking restrictions and find appropriate solutions to existing challenges.
The Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs also said: “Afghans are one nation; they share one another’s pain, sorrow and happiness. No one here is separate from another. Our nation is vigilant and has learned from its bitter experiences. On the one hand, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan can maintain the current stability across the country, and on the other hand, our people no longer allow circles engaged in wrongdoing to operate on their soil.”
He called on relevant officials and the factory’s technical team to complete the construction work within the stipulated timeframe and ensure that it meets high quality standards.
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