Construction Begins on $3 Million Commercial Complex in Zabul
Construction has officially started on a large commercial complex worth 250 million Afghanis in the Shajoy district of Zabul province by a private investor. The project will be developed on a 300-jerib (approximately 60 hectares) plot of land and is expected to be completed within the next one and a half years, according to officials.
According to Taliban administration officials, this complex will not only support commercial activities but also provide investment opportunities in agriculture and livestock sectors. Ataullah Amiri, acting Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock for the Taliban administration, stated during the inauguration that land is being distributed for traders in the industrial and agricultural sectors across 34 provinces. Anyone interested in investing can receive land.
Mullah Sher Mohammad Sharif, the Taliban-appointed governor of Zabul, described this project as the first complex on a 300-jerib scale in the province and urged traders to invest in Zabul to create job opportunities for residents. However, details regarding oversight, transparency in land distribution, and guarantees for sustainable employment were not provided, issues that have long been concerns for residents and economic activists.
The project’s investor, Delawar Kochi, said that 100 million Afghanis will be invested in the initial phase. He added that out of the total 300 jeribs, 150 jeribs are allocated for agriculture and 150 jeribs for commercial activities.
The plan includes agricultural land for crop cultivation, 20 processing and sales centers for fresh and dried fruits, a transportation system, a mosque, and other facilities. Additionally, 200 shops, a fuel station, a hotel, and a hospital are also part of the project.
Taliban officials expressed hope that upon completion, the complex will boost commerce in Zabul and create numerous employment opportunities for the province’s residents, which has faced economic challenges and a lack of investment in recent years.
