Ivo Toniut Services Afghanistan

After a break of 20 years, Afghanistan's first cement factory is once more clanking noisily in the countryside near Kabul as crushed-up limestone rocks rattle along a battered conveyor belt to the newly restored kiln. In an area desperately short of industry and jobs, workers hope the relaunch of the plant, built by Czech engineers in 1957 and shut by the Taliban in 1995, heralds the revival of an industry shattered by decades of war and destruction. "By selling our products and improving the factory's production, we can avoid having our young generation go abroad," said Amir Mohammad. "If there are job possibilities, they can stay with their families and look after their children." But the outdated state-owned plant 75 km (47 miles) outside Kabul also shows how far there is to go before that promise can be achieved and there are serious questions whether the plant has a viable future unless it is thoroughly modernized. Jabal Saraj, which now employs 150 wo...

The Minister of Higher Education Dr. Farida Momand announced a new advanced degree program at Kabul Medical University that will develop and support health sector technicians for the country. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), through its University Support and Workforce Development Program (USWDP), supports the establishment and development of the Associate Degree in Biomedical Equipment Technology at Kabul Medical University. USWDP partnered with Community Colleges of Spokane to develop the degree to meet international standards. The first cohort started in April 2016 with 40 students, 12 of whom are women. The new degree will produce biomedical equipment technicians, and prepare them to become leaders in the field. A cadre of skilled biomedical equipment technicians will contribute to the development and improvement of the health sector throughout Afghanistan. Unlike traditional teaching method, students in this new program will acquire knowledge and s...

Author: Rohan Joshi On May 21, 2016, the United States conducted a drone attack along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border that killed the leader of the Taliban, Mullah Akhtar Mansour. The attack represented the first time the U.S. has targeted a Taliban chief since the U.S.-led coalition began pressing for talks between Afghanistan and the Taliban. U.S. officials confirmed that they informed Pakistan and Afghanistan of the drone strike after it had occurred. In response, Pakistan predictably protested the “violation” of its “sovereignty.” Pakistan’s Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali accused the U.S. of “sabotaging the [Afghanistan-Taliban] dialog process.” So how much of a forewarning, if any, did Pakistan have of the drone attack that killed Mullah Mansour? There are effectively two schools of thought on the subject: the first believes that the U.S. kept the Pakistanis in the dark, a la the killing of Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad in 2011. The argument goes that the U.S., e...

Dar-ul-Aman palace in Kabul today The President of Afghanistan Dr Ashraf Ghani inaugurated the historic Dar-ul-Aman palace in Kabul yesterday May 30, 2016. The reconstruction work of the palace will be carried out by the Ministry of Urban Development Affairs of Afghanistan. Ghani gave his approval for restoration of the edifice three months ago.  “Shattered Dar-ul-Aman Palace is a reminder of our darkest days. Thus, I’ve approved its restoration work today,” wrote the President on March 9, 2016 on Twitter.  President Ghani delivered remarks at the inauguration of the project by participating in the first meeting of High Commission of Urban Development. Dar-ul-Aman palace in Kabul before being destroyed The Darul Aman Palace, literally “The Abode of Peace”, is a western-style palace built by the King Amanullah Khan in the southwest of Kabul. It was intended to serve as a parliament building within his new capital, but opposition to the King’s reform efforts prevente...

Afghans thinking about launching their own company had the chance to hear from seasoned entrepreneurs, now running profitable companies and working full time for their own companies, who addressed the topic of transitioning from working for someone else to working for yourself. The event, Making The Leap: From Employee to Entrepreneur, was held on Thursday at Sufi Restaurant in Kabul, by Founders Institute (FI). The speakers included: Suleman Fatimie, Managing Partner, Afghanistan Center of Excellence (ACE); Danish Karokhel, Director & Editor-in-Chief, Pajhwok Afghan News; and Amina Shahabi, a high school student who founded a woodwork company in Kabul after her idea won an entrepreneurship competition. In addition to the presentation, guests also had the chance to ask the presenters questions about their experience, and to learn more about FI’s upcoming program in Kabul, and to network before and after the event. “In contrast to the popular perception, Kabul has a small but vibr...

A politician from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region of Pakistan calls for Islamabad to include the Afghanistan-Pakistan Highway in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project. Addressing a public rally in Charsadda district, Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) Chairperson, Mr Ahmad Khan Sherpao, argued such a move would boost the economies of both neighbours. He said that “Only strong communication networks can boost the country’s weak economy. The highway should be included in the USD 46 billion project. Linking the Pak-Afghan Highway to CPEC will provide traders easy access to Central Asian markets.”   Also a former minister of interior, Ahmad Khan Sherpao asked the Federal Government to begin work on the western route of CPEC on a priority basis. "Industrial zones should be established. Other projects should also be initiated in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa as per the agreement.”

The Afghan President Dr Ashraf Ghani has issued a new decree regarding the implementation of the TUTAP power transmission project after receiving new findings from the Review Commission. According to the decree, the 220kV (double circuit) power transmission line having a capacity of 300MW will pass through Doshi to central provinces of Afghanistan. Work on the 220kV transmission line will kick off in June and must be concluded by solar year 1398. The decree adds that substation will be installed in central Bamiyan province start of June and must be concluded during the solar year 1398. A power distribution network, supplying electricity to at least 20,000 families in Bamiyan, must be constructed. Work on the distribution network begins in June of this year and must be completed by 1398. As per the decree, Afghan Finance Ministry is responsible to include the budget for the project in its mid-year budget for the year 1395 review and present to the parliament. Relevant institutions are ...

TAPI, CASA-1000 and CHABAHAR SEAPORT boosting the economy of I.R. Afghanistan High level Officials of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Afghanistan have stated that TAPI, CASA-1000 and Iranian CHABAHAR SEAPORT projects will boost the economy of Afghan Nation and they could be counted as the achievement of the National Unity Government.  They have also expressed their deep concerns over the security of the following projects inside Afghanistan, but high Officials at the Government have promised that there will be no issues once these projects are being implemented within Afghan soil. The Spokesman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Afghanistan, Mr Saim Persarlai, said that ”The Government should ensure good security for the following projects which will boost the economy of Afghanistan.” “The following projects will save Afghanistan from economy crisis, we want the government to ensure safety and security for the projects”   said a wellknown Afghan businessm...

The Attorney General of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Mr. Farid Hamidi, announced that a serious and speedy campaign against corruption will be launched in the near future. The Attorney General was speaking during a press conference in Kabul where he promised that the government will accelerate fight against graft in the country. Afghanistan will witness an anti-corruption machine launch to start a major fight against the growing corruption in the country, he said at the press conference. These remarks by the Attorney General come a day after has been announced that 40 attorney generals were replaced or newly appointed in over 15 provinces of Afghanistan. >>> read original article It should be noted that corruption in Afghanistan has begun to take shape as a national plague since US advisers, inspectors and economic strategists began to work within almost all Afghanistan's state institutions. This also explains why the majority of international tenders relating ...

The development and maintenance of the essential public infrastructure is an important ingredient for sustained economic growth and poverty reduction in a developing country such as Afghanistan. Infrastructure investment can lift economic growth and support social objectives. Health, education, and efficient water and sanitation services help lay the groundwork for a more productive, healthy population capable of contributing to sustained economic growth. Policy Framework The Afghan Government support for the infrastructure development focuses on: Improving poor people's access to essential infrastructure services such as water supply, Sanitation, transportation, and energy. The creation of more than half a million jobs in the New City. Assisting the creation of enabling environments for both private and public financing and management of infrastructure. Supporting human resources development, institutional strengthening and capacity building in the infrastructure sector....

Kabul New City Real Estate’s next BIG THING Afghanistan’s Reconstruction efforts in the past years have been temporary and lacking future providences. Afghanistan is mountainous country with a pleasant climate for living and agriculture. The country’s mountains are home for majority of poor where muddy huts are built despite precious resources inside those mountains. So far, the urban development projects in Afghanistan have not been sustainable. The vision behind those projects has been majorly concentrated towards provision of shelter and quick revenues in the short term. No proper consideration has been given towards development of standard infrastructure and public facilities. These projects in principal have failed to create a change in the economic, social and cultural environment of the country. But now the time has reached to divert the efforts towards planning and implementation of sustainable projects. Implementation of Kabul New City in the next 30 years will not only...

Afghanistan, a fast growing emerging market of strategic importance, is located at the crossroads of the famous east-west trading corridor of the Silk Road and the modern north-south corridor of great economic opportunities.  These corridors link some of the largest and fastest-growing economies of the world, including China, India, Pakistan and Turkey, Russia, Iran and UAE. They involve massive energy resources of Central Asia, Afghan mineral riches worth trillions of dollars, busy South-Asian markets and major sea ports of international trading in Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf. The Afghan capital Kabul, symbolizing the spirits of all Afghans and international cooperation, sets at the heart of this highly resourceful region, with great potential to turn into a business hub for all.

Shahrbanoo Sadat was named the youngest filmmaker at ‪‎Cannes‬ Festival this year.  Sadat’s film, “Wolf and Sheep”, which was inspired by her own life experiences living in a remote village in central ‪‎Afghanistan‬, won Art Cinema Award at Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight section.

Disagreements over distribution of the waters  of the Helmand River erupted as southeastern  regions of Iran and southwestern regions of  Afghanistan have been affected by severe  drought over the past several years. Iranian Supreme Leader has called for resolving an issue over sharing the waters of the Helmand River between Iran and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. At a meeting with the President of Afghanistan Dr. Ashraf Ghani in Tehran, Ayatollah Khamenei pointed to common cultural areas that the both countries share, and said that such issues should not led to dispute between the countries. In turn, the President of Afghanistan said that over the next few weeks an expert-level meeting will discuss the issues about sharing waters along border areas between Afghanistan and Iran. President Ghani further expressed hope that the questions would be properly solved. Earlier the Ambassador of Afghanistan to Iran said that Kabul is committed to an ...

  Please Click   Here In the webpage of the of the National Procurement Authority of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan you can find the information about the Bidding Opportunities in procuring entities of Afghanistan Government. 

The Ministry of Urban Development Affairs of Afghanistan (MUDA) said Thursday that the construction work of Phase-I of Khwajah Rawash residential project will be completed in 90 days.  According to MUDA, an agreement was signed on Thursday between the Ministry of Urban Development Affairs, Afghanistan Urban Water Supply Corporation, Da Breshna Sherkat, and the heads of contractor of Khwajah Rawash. A statement by MUDA said the agreement was signed in the presence of representatives of owners of the apartments. The statement further added that the Phase-I construction work of the project will conclude in 90 days with the Breshna Sherkat to provide electricity and the Afghanistan Urban Water Supply Corporation to work on the water supply of the project. The remaining works of the project will be carried out by the other contractors, including clearance of the apartments and creation of landscapes for the project, MUDA said. MUDA earlier said the Phase-I of the housing project in Kh...

Завод по производству удобрений в северной афганской провинции Балх  Россия готова оказать помощь Афганистану в восстановлении завода по производству удобрений в северной провинции Балх. Недавно в Балхе состоялась встреча между местными властями и генеральным консулом РФ в Мазари Шарифе Д.Кабаевым, в ходе которой стороны обсудили возможную помощь России в восстановлении предприятия. На встрече глава провинциального совета Афзаль Хадид подчеркнул, что жители Балха хотели бы, чтобы ремонтом предприятия занялась российская сторона. Он также добавил, что восстановление завода позволит создать новые рабочие места. В свою очередь, Кабаев отметил готовность России оказать помощь Афганистану. "Россия готова поделиться опытом и произвести ремонт и модернизацию завода, но мы должны получить предложение от афганского правительства" , заявил российский дипломат. Предприятие было построено при помощи СССР около 50 лет назад. Завод производил более 100 тысяч тонн удобрений в год, а ег...

Fereshteh Forough is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Code to Inspire. Fereshteh is from Herat, Afghanistan. She received her bachelor’s degree in computer science from Herat University and a Master’s degree from Technical University of Berlin in Germany.   She taught as a professor in the Computer Science Faculty of Herat University for three years. Fereshteh was a 2013 TED Talks speaker on digital literacy and communication without borders. Her goal with Code To Inspire is to spread the message of peace and empower women everywhere. She is an advocate of using Bitcoin and the first to formally promote its use in Afghanistan. Afghanistan’s first female-only code school in Herat, Code to Inspire, became one of the 28 organizations from 16 countries to receive the Google RISE award in 2016. Code to Inspire is a non-profit that is committed to educating female students in Afghanistan and improving their technical literacy by teaching them how to code so they can find futu...

The Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani met with the Emir and Prime Minister of Qatar during his official visit to Doha. President Ghani met with the Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and the two sides discussed boosting bilateral ties and cooperation between the two nations, specifically expanding trading ties. The two sides also emphasized on expediting efforts to attract more investments besides expanding cooperation among the governmens of the two nations. Meanwhile, the leaders of Qatar emphasized on the importance of peace and its impact on the region and beyond the region, reaffirming the country’s support for a peaceful and developed Afghanistan. President Ghani arrived to Doha at the official invitation of Emir of Qatar on Saturday to meet with the country’s officials during his two-day state visit. The National Security Adviser Mohammad Hanif Atmar, Minister of Urban Development Affairs Syed Sadat Mansoor Naderi, Minister of Agriculture Asadullah Zamir, Senior Pres...

В провинции Бамиан начались работы по прокладке на север Афганистана оптического интернет-кабеля. Стоимость работ составит 1,46 млн. долларов США. По территории провинции будет проложено более 180 километров кабеля. В течение полугода кабель будет протянут из Бамиана в Саманган. Проект финансируется Всемирным Банком. В обозримом будущем планируется также завершить исследование по проекту подключения к скоростному интернету провинций Гор и Дайкунди, заявил глава департамента связи провинции Бамиан. Благодаря оптическому кабелю население сможет получить доступ к высокоскоростному интернету, телевидению и радиовещанию по низким ценам. Напомним, что интернет является одной из наиболее динамично развивающихся в Афганистане сфер жизни, однако до сих пор доступ к нему в большинстве провинций осуществлялся в основном посредством устройств мобильной связи.

В офисе государственного холдинга Туркменгаз в Ашхабаде-Туркменистан прошли переговоры представителей ИБР и Саудовского фонда развития с руководящим комитетом по проекту ТАПИ (Туркменистан-Афганистан-Пакистан-Индия). Согласно пресс-релизу, Исламский Банк Развития (ИБР) и Саудовский фонд развития примут участие в обеспечении проекта необходимым оборудованием и трубами, а также предоставят инвестиционные кредиты, в том числе с перспективой освоения большого газового месторождения Туркменистана Галкыныш.

Selection of Consulting Services for Feasibility study and preparation of DPR Khak E Jabar to Azra district of Logar Province of Afghanistan - Total Length 52KM. Project : Asphalt of 52 km Road from Khaki Jabar to Azra district of Logar province. Procurement Title: Feasibility Studies of survey and design from Khak Jabar to Azra district of Logar Province. Type of procurement: Quality and cost based selection (QCBS) Cont. Ref No: MPW/001/GOV/QCBS Address: Consultancy Services Office, Procurement Department Ministry of Public Works of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. All qualified national and international Engineering and Consultancy Companies can get REOI and more details from Consultancy Services Office of the Procurement Department of MoPW. All qualified national and international companies should submit their EOI till June 8, 2016, 10:00 AM (Kabul local time) to the Ministry of Public Works, Procurement Department, Kabul Afghanistan.  Interested companies should s...

The agreement to develop Phase-I of Chabahar port, will be inked during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two-day visit to Tehran. The development of Chabahar port, located just over 70 km from Gwadar, will allow India to circumvent Pakistan and open up an alternative land-sea route for its trade with Afghanistan. India has already spent $100 million in building the 220-km Zaranj-Delaram highway in Afghanistan, also known as Route 606, which connects to Chabahar. The trilateral agreement on Monday between Iran, India and Afghanistan will be inked in the presence of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani who would attend a ceremony to break the ground to develop Chabahar port infrastructure. Chabahar is the closest port to Afghanistan. It is connected to the city of Zaranj in Afghanistan's south-western province of Nimruz. An agreement for Exim Bank to provide $50 million line of credit for the development of Chabahar port ...

Afghanistan, Iran and India ready to sign the Chabahar seaport agreement to establish an international transport and transit corridor. The agreement is expected to be signed on May 23, 2016 by the leaders of the three countries as the Indian Prime Minister and President of Afghanistan are due to visit Tehran. “Afghanistan, India & Iran will sign the Chabahar Agreement on Establishment of the International Transport & Transit Corridor tomorrow,” the President of Afghanistan twitted. Meanwhile, a Twitter post by the Indian Prime Narendra Modi, stated “I am looking forward to my visit to Iran today & tomorrow, at the invitation of President Rouhani.” Modi further added “My meetings with President Rouhani and Honorable Supreme Leader of Iran will provide an opportunity to advance our strategic partnership. I also look forward to the conclusion of the Chahbahar Agreement during my visit.” The draft agreement for Chabahar port was finalized during a meeting organized in Minist...

President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani expressed optimism regarding efforts to empower the Afghan women, emphasizing that the women are moving forward in making progress equally and should to shoulder with the men. Ghani further added that the women in the country are now capable to independently represent themselves. The Afghan women suffered the most during the past several decades and were deprived of their key rights including the right to have access to education and other social affairs. President Ghani was speaking during the Third International Symposium on Empowerment and role of Women in Afghanistan. Reiterating the government of national unity’s support to take further steps in empowerment of Afghan women, President Ghani said the government is mainly focused on changing the wrong culture, insisting that the extremist notions should not return to the country. He called on the Afghan families to allow their daughters to participate in different social affairs and urged the privat...

Recently has been arrested a lecturer at Kabul University having ties to the criminal-terrorist group ISIS (Daesh) Kabul University, one of the renowned universities in Afghanistan, is launching its Master of Business Administration (MBA) program in collaboration with the USAID’s Support and Workforce Development Program. The MBA of Kabul University MBA has been designed to target the essential managerial, strategic and analytical needs of public and private sector entities in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.The program’s primary objective is to prepare students to acquire knowledge, skills, and abilities to maximize their effectiveness as managers and leaders in a globally competitive business environment. The new MBA program will provide a rigorous and demanding academic experience in graduate management education, and will involve two years of evening study.

Afghanistan is hopeful that Chabahar seaport would soon become a done deal after finalizing last issues with India and Iran by the next few weeks. "After years of negotiations, we can definitely say it’s a done deal. This is a project not just for the development and prosperity of Afghanistan, but the whole region,”   said the Afghan Ambassador to India. Last month in New Delhi, representatives of India, Afghanistan and Iran finalized the text of the agreement to set up a transit-transport corridor with Chabahar seaport and also agreed to set up a sub-committee to frame transit, port, customs and consular protocols within six month. The Afghan government authorities highlighted that lifting of sanctions against Iran has enabled more companies to invest in Chabahar seaport development without a fear of being blacklisted again. There still are concerns over the security of the Zaranj-Delaram highway, a crucial road built with Indian assistance to serve as a link to Chabahar seap...

EU taxpayers continue to hope that their money is being used to help the people of Afghanistan The European Union reaffirmed €200 million in annual to Afghanistan until 2020 as Finance Minister Eklil Hakimi signed a new agreement worth €125 million in the framework of mutual accountability. The reaffirmed commitment and announcement of fresh aid were announced during Hakimi’s visit to Brussels on 12th May, the Ministry of Finance said. “ H.E. Eklil Hakimi during his trip to Brussels met EU HRVP Ms. Federica Mogherini and the ministers of Foreign Affairs and Development of the 28 EU Member States during the EU Foreign Affairs Committee’s session on May 12th 2016,”   MoF said in a statement. The statement further added Mr. Hakimi briefed the session on the upcoming Brussels Conference on Afghanistan (4-5 October), presented the new Afghan National Development Framework and talked about the recent economic achievements of the National Unity Government. “At the end of the session...

В свете последних банковских и финансовых реформ в Афганистане Международный Валютный Фонд (МВФ) принял решение предоставить стране кредит на сумму 323,000,000 долларов США. За последний год правительство ИРА достигло всех поставленных перед собой целей в макроэкономике: контроль инфляции, повышение ВВП, сохранение золотовалютных резервов страны.

Tрёхстороннее соглашение об использовании иранского торгового порта Чабахар планируется подписать в мае-июне текущего года. С 2003 года страны пытаются договориться о совместном использовании данного торгового порта, однако ранее реализация проекта откладывалась из-за наложенных на Иран санкций. Этот проект крайне важен не только для развития и процветания Афганистана, но и для экономики всего региона в целом.

Prominent Mujahideen leaders have warned of a possible violence as a mass demonstration is due for Kabul on Monday. The High Council of Jihaid parties gathered in Kabul today to discuss the latest upheavals in the country as well as a mass demonstration due for Kabul against the TUTAP power project. The Jihadi leaders expressed concerns regarding the protest and called on the organizers of the demonstration to prevent from the rally. They also called on the government not to take any step towards the implementation of the project until the issue is resolved. LEARN MORE: ENERGY SITUATION IN AFGHANISTAN; TUTAP & CASA-1000 PROJECTS A number of the prominent former Jihadi leaders and religious leaders were among the participants of the meeting which included Sebghatullah Mojadedi, Pir Syed Ahmad Gilani, Mohammad Karim Khalili, Syed Mansoor Naderi, Syed Hussain Anwari, Mawlavi Abdul Hakim Munib, Wahidulah Sabawoon, Qutbuddin Helal, Gen. Din Mohammad Jurat, Zemarialai Ahadi, ...

The newly appointed deputy foreign minister for economic affairs, Ms Adela Raz, officially assumed office after she was introduced to the staff on yesterday Saturday 14 May.   The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said Saturday that Ms Raz was introduced during a ceremony attended by Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani, Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Hekmat Khalil Karzai, Deputy Administrative and Finance Dr. Nasir Ahmad Andisha, Deput director for Administrative Office of the Preside y Ms Kamila Sediqi, and other directors and officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Ms Sediqi initially read the presidential decree regarding the appointment of Ms Raz as Deputy Foreign Minister for Economic Affairs, MoFA said. In his turn, Foreign Minister Rabbani congratulated Ms Raz for assuming charge as Deputy Foreign Minister for Economic Affairs and said the Ministry of Affairs plays a key role being a diplomatic platform of the country, insisting that Foreign Affairs Mi...

Афганская компания Afghanistan Beverage Industries Ltd , специализирующаяся на производстве минеральной воды и безалкогольных напитков, заключила контракт на производство и продажу в Афганистане напитков из ассортимента PepsiCo .   На торжественной церемонии подписании контракта в Дубае присутствовали афганские бизнесмены и представители консульства Афганистана. "Этот контракт важен не только для нашей компании, но и для Афганистана… Мы решили заключить контракт с ведущим афганским производителем, поскольку хотим расширять сотрудничество на международном уровне" ,  сказал топ-менеджер PepsiCo   в азиатско-африканском регионе. Новый проект не только укрепит экономику страны и обеспечит население разнообразными и доступными безалкогольными напитками, но и создаст до 2000 новых рабочих мест.