Archive for May, 2010

New Dam To Meet Water and Power Needs In Eastern Afghanistan

Mohammad Ismael Khan, Acting Minister of Water and Power announced yesterday that his ministry has finalized a contract with an Iranian firm to design the new Gambery dam which will be built in eastern Afghanistan.  The Acting Minister told Afghan media that, “Over the Kunar River in the Shigai area, the flow of the water […]

May 31, 2010 · admin · 4 Comments
Posted in: Afghanistan's Economy, Reconstruction and Development

Project approved to further improve and modernize Afghan Customs Department

The World Bank this week approved a $50.48 million grant so Afghanistan can continue to modernize its Customs Department, thus further reducing corruption, and increasing revenue collection.   Project description (from the World Bank): The objective of the project is to improve the release of legitimate goods in a fair and efficient manner. The grant […]

May 28, 2010 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Afghanistan's Economy, Reconstruction and Development

Video: Afghan Doctors Complete Training Course

A group of Afghan doctors have a completed an internal medicine training course at Bagram Airfield. More than 200 medical professionals have graduated from the program over the last three years.

May 27, 2010 · admin · One Comment
Posted in: Health News

Modern farming equipment given to Afghan farmers

In an effort to encourage Afghan farmers to stop growing opium, and instead focus on alternative crops such as wheat, officials from the Afghan government, a British Battalion and a Relief agency held a ceremony, and provided modern farming equipment to Afghan farmers in the Nad-e Ali district of Helmand province. The farmers were given […]

May 26, 2010 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Afghanistan's Economy, Reconstruction and Development

Hairatan – Mazar-e-Sharif railway to be completed soon

Afghanistan’s Ministry of Finance announced to the media today that a key railroad project, the construction of the Hairatan – Mazar-e-Sharif railway, will be completed in 4 months. In a press release issued today, the Ministry stated that “the new railway line will connect Mazar-e-Sharif to Hairatan, on the northern border with Uzbekistan, removing bottlenecks, […]

May 25, 2010 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Afghanistan's Economy, Reconstruction and Development

Americans Restore Historic Masjid

The Goldasta Masjid in Kabul was built a long time ago, some sources claim about 800 years ago. While some of it was destroyed during the 1990s, its main structure withstood the decades of fierce fighting in Afghanistan. Last week, On May 19th, Minister of Information and Cultural Affairs Sayed Makhdoom Raheen, Minister of Religious […]

May 23, 2010 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Reconstruction and Development

Revenue collection swells in eastern Afghanistan

Customs houses in eastern Afghanistan are making extraordinary progress in collecting revenues, far above the set target, thanks to new technologies put in place and the simplification of Customs procedures. According to data made available to United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) by the Customs officials in the eastern regional hub of Jalalabad, the […]

May 21, 2010 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Afghanistan's Economy

The World Bank’s Economic Update On Afghanistan

Here’s what the World Bank is reporting in it’s most recent economic update on Afghanistan: Economic Expanision GDP growth between 2009 and 2010 is estimated to have reached 22.5%, a record since 2003-4. A strong rebound in agriculture (53%), helped mainly by ample and well-distributed rainfall is behind the surge in growth. Wheat production nearly […]

May 19, 2010 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Afghanistan's Economy

Afghan cricket team raising funds to build schools

Afghanistan’s national cricket team has set up a website that sells cricket jerseys,  and the money they raise from the selling of these jerseys will go towards building a school in the village of each player. The idea to raise money to build schools was first introduced by one of the team’s star players, Mohammad […]

May 18, 2010 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Afghan Sports News, Education, Reconstruction and Development

More now have access to electricity in Faryab and a new school in Uruzgan inaugurated

Afghan media reported earlier this week that around 6000 families in the Shirin Tagab district of Afghanistan’s northern province of Faryab now have electricity. They are no longer dependent on the use of lamps to light their houses at night. Faryab Governor’s spokesman, Ahamd Jawed Bidar, told reporters that 11 electricity centers have been established in […]

May 13, 2010 · admin · One Comment
Posted in: Education, Reconstruction and Development

New School Building And Masjid Inaugurated In Balkh Province

Last week, On May 4th, Afghan officials, led by Balkh Governor, Atta Mohammad, and officials from NATO inaugurated a new school building for the Ali Chapan School in Mazar-e-Sharif. The new school building has enough classrooms to meet the educational needs of 1,340 pupils.  According to a NATO press release, “the building cost €80,000 and […]

May 11, 2010 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Education, Reconstruction and Development

Four Afghans win gold in the Asian Powerlifting Championships

On Saturday, May 8th, Pajhwok Afghan News reported that four Afghan weightlifters competing in the recently held seven-day Asian Powerlifting Championships have won gold medals. Moreover, Ali Raza Rafezada, a 28 year old from Herat province, won the gold in the 270kg category, thus becoming Asia’s “number one weightlifter”. The second place went to Iran […]

May 11, 2010 · admin · One Comment
Posted in: Afghan Sports News