Business
Japan assists $63mn to support Afghanistan irrigation system
Japan has contributed over USD 63.654 million to support improvement of irrigation systems and rural access in Afghanistan.
The funding, contributed through the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF), administered by the World Bank, will support the following two on-going projects, which are essential to meet the country’s needs to improve the lives of the people of Afghanistan, and the recurrent cost expenditures of the Afghan government.
1) Irrigation Restoration and Development Project (IRDP) – USD 15,000,000
The assistance from Japan is to co-finance IRDP project to improve the irrigation systems and the broader water resource management in Afghanistan as well as people’s access to services. The contribution will help increase agriculture productivity in the project areas.
2) Afghanistan Rural Access Project (ARAP) – USD 15,000,000
The funding from Japan is also to co-finance ARAP project, which will help rural communities to benefit from all-season road access to basic services and facilities through rehabilitation and maintenance of rural roads and infrastructure.
3) Recurrent Cost Window – USD 33,654,545
Over USD 33 million will be added to the operating budget of the Government of Afghanistan through the Recurrent Cost Window of ARTF, facilitating continuation of the government’s service delivery to the Afghan people.
Japan has been assisting Afghanistan’s nation-building efforts in various fields, ranging from security to economic and social development sectors including agriculture, rural development, infrastructure and human capacity development. The cumulative Japanese assistance to Afghanistan since 2001 amounts to USD 6.131 billion.
Wasdam
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry said Thursday it has signed cooperation agreements with ten institutions to support the development of small and medium-sized enterprises.
Nooruddin Azizi, Acting Minister of Commerce and Industry, said: “In the implementation of projects, we must pay special attention to our activities and actions and try to make useful use of the projects according to the requirements and benefit the beneficiaries.”
These ten institutions are to present their projects, the total value of which is around over $1.1 million. The projects will be carried out in Kabul, Baghlan, Ghor, Herat, Logar, Nangarhar, Balkh, Badakhshan and Jawzjan provinces and provide direct jobs for about 1,000.
To date, the ministry has signed MoUs for 72 projects in total, collectively valued at about $53.6 million.
These agreements have been signed with domestic and foreign companies for the establishment of small and medium-sized businesses.
In accordance with the principles and laws of the Islamic Emirate and prioritizing the implementation of projects for immigrants and returnees and internally displaced people, the ministry said 635,865 people will benefit through jobs directly and over 4.3 million will benefit indirectly in 25 provinces once these projects are implemented.
The National Statistics and Information Authority (NSIA) confirmed Tuesday that in the last month of solar year 1402, (March 2024) Afghanistan’s exports totaled $141.1 million and imports totaled $789.6 million.
This was down from $174 million for exports in the same period in 1401. However, imports increased by $99.2 million in 1402, up from $690.4 million.
Most exports in the last month of 1402 went to Pakistan, India and the United Arab Emirates, while in the last month of 1401 exports went to Pakistan, India and China.
The Ministry of Interior said the governor of Herat province Islam Jar met with Alim Khan Yasin Gildaye, Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Afghanistan, to discuss various issues around trade.
According to the ministry, the two sides discussed the expansion of trade facilities, increasing the volume of trade exchanges between traders of the two countries, reducing customs tariffs, solving the challenges of traders and issuing visas to them.
The Afghanistan-Kazakhstan Chamber of Commerce has been opened in Herat in order to facilitate and increase trade between the two countries.
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