Electricity Projects in Ghazni Funded by Residents Amid Government Gaps

Authorities at Ghazni Electricity Directorate have announced that over the past four years, nearly all electricity development projects in the province have been carried out at the personal expense of the residents. This trend indicates that citizens have been forced to pay out of pocket to access basic services.

According to provided information, in the central areas of Ghazni alone, residents have spent over 149 million and 374 thousand Afghanis to transfer electricity to their locations. During this period, in addition to purchasing 31 transformers, hundreds of electricity poles, transmission lines, and technical equipment were also procured by the residents themselves.

Statistics show that the number of electricity subscribers in the province has increased from around 15,000 to more than 26,500; a growth largely attributed to direct investments made by the people.

Ghulam Rasoul, a resident of Ghazni city, said that after failing to use solar panels and batteries which lasted less than seven months, local elders collected money from people and purchased 82 electricity poles to resolve their area’s power issue. Sabghatullah Soltani, another resident, also mentioned that despite their proximity to the city, their area had been without electricity for about ten years, and eventually the people themselves took action.

However, some residents of central areas emphasize that many regions still lack electricity and many families cannot afford the cost of poles and electrical lines.

Meanwhile, officials from Ghazni Electricity Directorate have promised that this year the implementation of nine electrification projects with a total capacity of 7,725 kilovolt-amperes and a cost nearing 146 million Afghanis will begin. According to Ezzatullah Wahdat, the operational deputy of the directorate, the budget for these projects is provided by the General Directorate of Electricity and includes development projects and the completion of half-finished projects in underprivileged areas of Ghazni city.

Officials also stated that the process of extending electricity to the districts of Qarabagh, Maqur, and Gelan has started, and if completed, more than 20,000 families will benefit in the initial phase; a promise that residents hope will be fulfilled this time without imposing additional costs on the people.