Taliban Administration Says Nearly $2 Billion Invested in Herat
The Taliban administration has claimed that nearly $2 billion in investment has been attracted to Herat province over the past five years in the economic, production, services and infrastructure sectors. Officials from the administration made the claim without providing independent details on how the investment was distributed or what practical results it has produced.
Mufti Yusuf Saeedi, the spokesman for the Herat governor’s office, said the investments came alongside the launch of new companies in Herat’s industrial park, and that a number of large projects have also been started in the province. He said the process has played a role in boosting economic activity and creating job opportunities.
He also claimed that major economic and infrastructure projects have been launched in Herat in recent years, and some of them have already been brought into operation. According to Saeedi, these projects have created conditions for change in various sectors of the province’s economy.
The spokesman for the Herat governor’s office cited the Herat cement project, plans to generate electricity from solar and wind energy, the Herat master plan, the TAPI project and several other infrastructure schemes as examples. He said implementation of these projects has put Herat on the path to development.
He said work is also continuing on a number of other projects, including an international terminal in southern Herat city, the Pul-e-Hashimi substation, and the expansion and construction of several urban and intercity roads. Saeedi added that creating conditions for further investment, supporting domestic production and developing economic infrastructure are among the Taliban administration’s priorities in Herat.
Herat is considered one of Afghanistan’s key economic provinces. Because it borders Iran and Turkmenistan and lies along important transit routes, it is regarded as one of the main commercial and industrial centres in the west of the country.
