Historical Qazi Garden To Be Restored In Old Kabul

Officials water a tree sapling at Baghe Qazi (Qazi Garden)

On Saturday, June 19th, Afghan and American officials attended a ceremony signifying the start of phase two of the renovation of the Qazi historical garden in old Kabul.

According to a press released issued by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), “Most of the trees in the original 3.5 hectare historical garden were cut down during the Russian occupation and the site was used briefly as a market and later a garbage dump for trash and human waste. Last year the Kabul Municipality decided to restore the garden to its original state and began working with a German NGO to clean up the site and remove the crumbling buildings from the old market.”

Once completed the “restored garden will be the largest green-space in old Kabul and will feature small areas among the trees for family picnics, a football field, and a play area for children.”

June 21, 2010 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Environmental Issues, Reconstruction and Development

DSL rolled out in Mazar-i-Sharif and new police building is opened in Kabul

Afghanistan’s Minister of Telecommunication and Information Technology, Amirzai Sangin, and Balkh Governor, Atta Muhammad Noor inaugurated the Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) in Mazar-i-Sharif earlier this week. Mazar-i-Sharif is one of 6 cities in which the ministry is implementing DSL. With DSL, Afghans will have access to high speed internet access. They will have faster access to the web as well as digital telephone lines. In Mazar-i-Sharif, thousands of people will benefit from the technology. With more people using telecommunications, the ministry is able to collect more revenues and thus further improve the Afghan economy. Amirzai Sangin also stated that his ministry is planning to introduce 3G mobile phone services.

Also this week, a newly-constructed building for the faculty of border police was inaugurated at the Kabul Police Academy. The cost of the building was 6 million euros; financial support for the construction came from Germany and Canada. The building consists of administrative rooms, classrooms, a masjid, a gymnasium and a hotel. The building will be able to provide housing for up to 2,600 cadets.

June 19, 2010 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Afghanistan's Economy, Reconstruction and Development

Two school building reconstructed in Kabul, and new school to be built in Herat

Afghan Minister of Education, Farooq Wardak

Afghan officials led by Minister of Education Farooq Wardak and French officials inaugurated two reconstructed school buildings this week. The construction costs (1.5 million euros) were donated by the French government. The new buildings will be able to accommodate the needs of 10,000 students. Also this week, officials from Herat’s Education Department were joined by Italian officials in a foundation stone laying ceremony for a new primary school. The new school will be built in Shakiban village of Zandajan district. The construction cost is estimated to be 140,000 euros.

June 17, 2010 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Education, Reconstruction and Development

Afghanistan’s Mineral Wealth Much More Than Previously Estimated

Waheed Omar, President Hamid Karzai’s spokesman

New surveys have revealed that the amount of mineral riches in Afghanistan are much more than previously estimated. The New York Times reported today that a new report from the American military and the United States Geological Survey states that nearly $1 trillion worth of untapped minerals such as deposits of iron, copper, gold, semi-precious gems, and valuable industrial metals like lithium and niobium are present in Afghanistan. Lithium is a raw material used in the manufacture of batteries for cell phones and laptops and niobium is a soft metal used in producing superconducting steel. According to the American officials, this could “fundamentally alter” the Afghan economy and transform the country into one of the “most important mining centers in the world.” Waheed Omar, President Hamid Karzai’s spokesman, called the report “the best news we have had over many years in Afghanistan.â€

June 14, 2010 · admin · One Comment
Posted in: Afghanistan's Economy, Reconstruction and Development

5 More School Buildings Inaugurated In Nimroz Province

Nimroz Province, Afghanistan

Thanks to land donated by local Afghan land owners and $350,000 worth of funding from UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund), Afghanistan’s southwestern province of Nimroz now has 5 more school buildings. Many more students in the province will no longer have to study under tents.  Each of the new school buildings have 6 classrooms, a toilet, and a water tank.  Four of the buildings were built in Zaranj city, and one in Chakhansor district. Both girls and boys will be educated in these schools.

June 13, 2010 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Education, Reconstruction and Development

Ancient Monuments To Be Reconstructed in Ghazni

Minister of Information and Culture, Dr. Sayed Makhdoom Raheen

Earlier this week, Afghan officials, led by Minister of Information and Culture, Dr. Sayed Makhdoom Raheen, and foreign officials, attended the launch of a reconstruction project to rebuild 10 ancient monuments in Ghazni province. The cost of rebuilding these ancient monuments will be $850,000 US. Raheen told reporters that he would seek assistance from other Islamic countries so that projects can be implemented to rebuild many other historical places in the province. By 2013, Raheen would like to have 42 historic monuments reconstructed. Ghazni, located in central Afghanistan, was once one of the most beautiful places of the ancient world.

June 10, 2010 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Reconstruction and Development

Afghanistan to get cargo ships to transport goods

ACCI logo

According to an Afghan media report (Quqnoos) yesterday, the Iranian government is planning on allocating two large cargo ships so that Afghan merchandise can be transported to India and various other countries. On top of that, the Iranians have also pledged 50,000 hectares of land for Afghan merchants. 

With this help from Iran, Afghanistan will become less dependent on Pakistan when it comes to exporting goods, and this will further help to boost the Afghan economy. “The export of fresh and dry fruits and vegetables to India, the Gulf and European countries and the import of foreign merchandise through Chabahar harbour can help boost the Afghan economy,” said head of the Afghan Chamber of Commerce and Industries (ACCI), Muhammed Qurban Haqjo.

According to the report, “ACCI officials say Chabahar harbour is 1,000 km closer to Afghanistan than Karachi harbour, and if the Iranian government creates facilities for Afghanistan, then Afghan products will reach the international markets faster and at a lower cost”.

June 9, 2010 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Afghanistan's Economy

Video: Afghan Air Corps provide help to local Afghan citizens

The Afghan National Army Air Corp has performed their first-ever humanitarian assistance distribution mission with support from their Combined Air Power Transition Force mentors.

June 8, 2010 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Human Rights, Security in Afghanistan

Development projects completed in Sar-e Pol Province

Sar-e Pol Province, Afghanistan

Twenty seven wells with water pumps, two water reservoirs, the construction of 18 kilometers of road, 41 small bridges, 500 meters of supportive walls against flash floods, two flour mills and a tailor training program for 19 women were completed recently in the Gusfandi and Sancharak districts of Afghanistan’s northern province of Sar-e Pol. The projects were completed under the National Solidarity Program (NSP), and around 5,000 families will benefit from them.

June 4, 2010 · admin · One Comment
Posted in: Reconstruction and Development

New Inland Customs Depot Warehouses In Kabul Inaugurated

Karl W. Eikenberry, United States Ambassador to Afghanistan

Yesterday, Karl W. Eikenberry, the United States Ambassador to Afghanistan, and Afghan officials from the Finance Ministry, inaugurated new Inland Customs Depot Warehouses in Kabul. 7 warehouses were reconstructed and two new ones were built. Funding for the project was provided by the U.S. government at a cost of $1.2 million.

According to a press release issued by the U.S. government, “The nine additional warehouses will help the Customs Department offload and inspect goods and ensure that the correct duties or tariffs are collected on legal goods crossing Afghanistan’s borders. The warehouses will also help reduce the flow narcotics and other illegal and dangerous goods. These facilities will also assist the Afghan Customs Department to ensure that goods that cross the border comply with Afghan Law.”

June 2, 2010 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Afghanistan's Economy, Reconstruction and Development

New Dam To Meet Water and Power Needs In Eastern Afghanistan

Mohammad Ismael Khan, Afghanistan's Acting Minister of Water and Power

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 will be blocked and the water will reach Jalalabad city. The power dam will be constructed 35 km away.” Once the construction is over, the dam will be able to irrigate over 30,000 hectares of land and provide many residents of Kunar and Nangarhar provinces with power, as it will be able to produce 45 megawatts of electricity. The cost of the construction project will be $420 million.  Ministry of Water and Power officials also told the media that the designing phase of four other dam projects will start soon.

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

Project approved to further improve and modernize Afghan Customs Department

Afghan Customs Department Logo

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 will help finance costs associated with: countrywide computerization of customs clearance operations; installation of executive information systems for customs allowing real-time monitoring of operations; development of possible options for cross-border Customs-to-Customs cooperation; provision of selected customs infrastructure to enable modernized operations; and technical assistance to support the development of a regulatory, administrative, and institutional framework for customs. Through these initiatives the project will continue the World Bank’s efforts to reform and modernize the Afghan customs process.

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Improvements made to Afghanistan’s Customs Department has increased the collection of revenue at the border through out the years. According to a recent UN report, “revenues went from some US$ 50 million in 2003/4 to over US$ 434 million in 2008/9, and in in 2009/10, Customs revenues increased by about 90 percent, accounting for 34.5 percent of total domestic revenues”.

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