Taliban administration approves construction of commercial market in central Kabul

The Taliban administration said the National Procurement Commission, chaired by Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the economic deputy of the administration’s prime minister’s office, has approved a plan to build a commercial market in the Mandawee area of Kabul’s District 1.

According to a statement from the Taliban administration’s prime minister’s office, the market will be built on land belonging to the Ministry of Finance. The administration said the building will have eight floors and around 162 million afghanis have been allocated for its construction.

The statement said the market will have 560 shops. The Taliban administration did not provide further details on when work will begin or when the project will be completed.

The Taliban administration’s prime minister’s office also said a special committee has been assigned to separate the activities of cargo companies and postal services in line with the administration’s rules and international standards, and to submit its report to the Economic Commission.

Mandawee is one of the old and busy commercial areas in central Kabul, where a large share of wholesale trade takes place.