Ivo Toniut Services Afghanistan

The first leather production firm started work in the western Herat province of Afghanistan with an aim to curb import of leather products from outside the country worth almost USD 350 million on annual basis. The factory was inaugurated on Tuesday in the presence of the provincial governor Mohammad Asif Rahimi in Herat Industrial park. The factory has been built with an investment amounting to USD 6,300,000. Local officials say that the opening of the factory will provide work opportunities for hundreds of the residents of Herat province. Mr Hotak, a representative of the factory, said this is the first leather processing factory launched in Afghanistan which will use raw materials from the domestic market. He said around USD 350 million flow out of Afghanistan on annual basis for the import of leather products. Provincial governor Rahimi hailed the private sector for the investment to launch the factory and said the first leather processing factory starting work in Afghanistan is a ...

A total of 3 million dollars have been spent on historical Darul Aman Palace in Kabul that is under restoration. The Palace’s restoration was launched with hope that the site can become the center of a new government quarter and a tourist attraction. The first phase of the restoration which involved cleaning of the war-ruined Palace has been completed and the site is ready for the major work. Officials said that the second phase of the project would be launched in coming days and a tender is being announced. The restoration of Darul Aman Palace is expected to cost USD 20 million. It is funded through government budget and the project is planned to be completed within the next two years. Visiting the site, Mansoor Naderi, the Minister of Urban Development and Housing of Afghanistan echoed President Ashraf Ghani’s statement that Afghanistan’s 100 years of independence in 2019 should be celebrated in Darul Aman Palace.

CoST Afghanistan launched its Scoping Study, exploring the opportunities for and challenges to infrastructure transparency. With strong representation across government, industry and civil society, and live streamed across various media channels, the launch event highlights the strong demand for infrastructure transparency development at a national level. The Scoping Study identified that the most significant challenges to public infrastructure procurement remain around project delivery and completion. From consultation across stakeholders, key concerns included political influence on contract awards, beneficial ownership of contracting firms and insufficient or overlapping monitoring. The Scoping Study comprises analysis of Afghanistan’s current framework for transparency and accountability, in addition to primary research on the transparency baseline for 20 public infrastructure project. Comprising works at both the national and provincial level, the projects cover pivotal secto...

BY IZABELA LEAO CO-AUTHOR: ABDUL QADEER JAWAD >>> READ ORIGINAL POST Also available in:   دری  |  پښتو “I was a completely broken person before, a person who was not able to confront the hardship of life,” says Pashtuna, a 32-year-old poultry farmer who lives in the Herat province with her husband and five children. A beneficiary of the National Horticulture and Livestock Project she decided to attend the Farmers Field School. Upon completion of her training, she received 100 laying hens and access to equipment, feed, and animal vaccines. Pashtuna was able to maintain 80 laying hens and generated a AFN 560 income, half of which she kept to buy poultry food. “Thanks to the poultry farm and the grace of God, I can afford my life and I have a bright vision for my family future,” she says. Revitalizing agriculture and creating agriculture jobs is a priority for the Government of Afghanistan and the World Bank Group as the sector can play an important role in...

Representatives from more than 20 nations have been invited to a meeting on peace which will be hosted in Kabul on June 6. The Kabul process meeting is expected to consolidate efforts on peace and that Afghanistan takes the lead in the process. “Any efforts on Afghan peace should be made at the initiative, ownership and leadership of the Afghan government,” Dr Abdullah’s deputy spokesman, said. Countries that have been invited to the meeting include Saudi Arabia, India, Iran, Pakistan, China, Norway and United Kingdom. Representatives from the EU and UN are also expected to attend the meeting. The Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan has repeatedly called on Taliban insurgents to join the peace process, but the group has always refused to accept the offer. The last multi-nation meeting on Afghan peace was held last month in the Russian Federation, which, according to Kremlin, was meant to coordinate regional efforts to promote national reconciliation in Afghanistan.

Афганская компания 'Roshan' объявила, что начнёт предоставлять услуги связи формата 4G.  Компания намерена выйти на лидерские позиции в предоставлении услуг связи по новому протоколу, что послужит развитию экономики как в частном, так и в государственном секторе. В 2013 году компания 'Roshan', ведущий афганский провайдер, вложила в развитие связи стандарта 3G около 100 млн. долларов США. Протокол 4G позволяет существенно ускорить передачу данных по интернету, вплоть до 400 мегабит в секунду.

The Stand Integrated Government Tax Administration System (SIGTAS) was formally launched in southern Kandahar province of Afghanistan amid optimisms by the local officials that the system will help in transparent and better collection of taxes. Provincial deputy governor for finance and administrative affairs Abdul HananMunib said the activation of SIGTAS in the provincial Revenue Department is vital and helpful step which will help in the collection of taxes in a modern manner besides helping the Revenue Department to expedite its work. He said the government is committed to provide further facilities for the traders and investors and sideline the available challenges. The head of the systems department in the Revenue Department of the Ministry of Finance NoorullahHabib said SIGTAS has been activated with an aim to provide better and easy facilities for the taxpayers. Habib further added that the system will help the government to control the taxes in a transparent and standard way an...

The Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline is a purely economic project, the Ambassador of Turkmenistan to India said.  Sputnik , a Russian news outlet, quoted the diplomat as saying: "Our idea is to make India even closer to us connected through the pipeline which is a vital ingredient of the economic cooperation." Conceived in the 1990s, the project has been delayed repeatedly due to conflicts and political instability in the region. In 2015, the ground-breaking ceremony for it was finally held in Turkmenistan. The 1,800 kilometers pipeline, accounting for billions of dollars, will carry natural gas deposits in Turkmenistan through Afghanistan and Pakistan into India.

The Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan intends to identify and verify high caliber and competent national and international construction and consultancy firms as potential future bidders on large infrastructure projects. To meet this objective, the government aims to introduce the Vendor Registration System for those companies and firms involved or interested in executing various types of Works Contracts in Afghanistan. For more information, please go to Afghanistan National Procurement Authority (NPA) website: www.npa.gov.af

A three-day parliamentarian natural resource management forum lead by the Afghanistan Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (AEITI) was held in Delhi, India on May 17-May 19.  The event was organized by the Afghan-German Cooperation program for the promotion of good governance in Afghanistan’s extractive sector. The participants included 13 members of the Afghan parliament’s Natural Resource Committee (NRC) and 2 representatives of the Economic Committee as well as national and international experts. They discussed ways of reducing corruption and illegal mining in Afghanistan’s extractive sector as well as improving transparent revenue generation. Geologists have determined that the  mineral  deposits in Afghanistan are worth nearly USD 1 trillion NRC’s Chair and Member of Parliament, Ramazan Jumazada, said: “It is shocking to see the amount of the government’s revenue loss due to unpaid fees, taxes and illegal mining”. According to an internal review, 2...

The construction was expected to be completed in 2013 when Ghazni was declared as the Asian capital of Islamic culture by the Morocco-based Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. The building was officially inaugurated by the Afghan Minister of Urban Development and its control was handed over to Higher Education Ministry. Apart from the Islamic Culture Centre, have also been inaugurated several other recently completed projects, including renovated Hakim Sanayee tomb, land transportation terminal, 50-bed clinic to treat heroin addicts and two hostels. The provincial governor, said that works on nine projects including reconstruction of Bala Hisar of Ghazni, will also begin very soon.

The TAPI project has been launched by Turkmenistan since the 1990s. But starting works on the pipeline has been delayed reportedly because of the problem of crossing Afghanistan, and its construction work re-begun by Turkmenistan in 2015. The Ministry of Mines and Petroleum of Afghanistan said that preparation is ongoing for the construction of the project. “Work on survey and design of the project is underway. International firms from TAPI Ltd led by Turkmenistan have been hired and based on our schedule it will be completed within next six months,” said an official of TAPI project in Afghanistan. The 1,735 kilometers pipeline will run more than 700 km across Afghanistan on its way to Pakistan and India.

"Мы нуждаемся в том, чтобы Россия подключилась к региональному консенсусу ради стабильного Афганистана, – заявил глава государства. – В 2002 году у нас был непосредственный региональный консенсус, и теперь он также должен существовать"

Zan TV or ‘Women’s TV’, Afghanistan’s first-ever TV channel dedicated to women, begins broadcasting. 😄 This novelty comes as Afghan media industry continues to be dominated by men and women journalists are persistently criticized, threatened or killed for working in media. “Since I began working in media, I have received many threats. Even my family members oppose my job and my relatives, my uncles and cousins, say it is not right for a girl to work at a TV station, but I ignore them so that I can achieve my goals,” Channels TV quotes Shamela Rasooli, 22-year-old Afghan female television presenter for Zan TV. According to the producers of the channel, the TV station represents women and works to raise the voice of women to defend their rights. Hamid Samar, the founder of Zan TV, said he launched the TV station after noticing the high number of women applying for an anchor job despite the cultural taboo. 😞 “Sometimes, you know, you need to actually make the opportunity for th...

Mr Yama Yari, General Director of the National Procurement Authority of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, has paid a visit to the International Training Centre of the ILO in Italy on 16-19 May. Over the course of his visit, Mr Yari has met with the ITCILO Director, Mr Yanguo Liu, and with Programme Managers from the Centre’s many units. The visit is particularly important in the context of the project “Promoting Rural Youth Employment in Afghanistan through Entrepreneurship Education and Vocational Training” and it is hoped that, as a result of this visit, the fruitful collaboration between the Centre and the Government of Afghanistan will continue to bring successful results. In addition, Mr Yari has participated in a round of discussion with representatives of the Employment Policy and Analysis Programme (EPAP) and Sustainable Development Programme (SDP), to explore concrete areas for future collaboration between the International Training Centre and the National Procureme...

The Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Angelino Alfano, said: "A training course addressed to Afghan magistrates and prosecutors on countering corruption started today in Rome. The course is organized by LUISS, Libera Università Internazionale degli Studi Sociali Guido Carli, with the contribution by the Farnesina and in conjunction with the National Anti-Corruption Authority (ANAC).The training course, which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, MAECI, has actively promoted, is meant to strengthen the capacity of Afghan judicial authorities and police forces to counter corruption in the Country. It represents one of Kabul's highest priorities and it is in line with the cooperation strategy developed by the Italo-Afghan Joint Committee, that met in Kabul in April 2016."  The capacity-building initiative, which will run until 31 May 2017, will take place at the premises of LUISS School of Law and ANAC. The cours...

The Afghan-German Cooperation’s program for basic education (BEPA) and the Teacher Education Directorate (TED) jointly conducted a one-week training on gender and human rights for lecturers of Teacher Training Centers (TTC) in Afghanistan. The training introduced modern teaching methods to the participants and focused on a learner-Centered approach. More than 14,000 students will benefit from improved teaching methods. Participants came from the TTC’s in the provinces Balkh, Samangan, Imam Saheb, Herat, Badakhshan, Takhar, Kandahar, Bameyan, Nangarhar and Laghman. The TTC in Mazar-e Sharif hosted the training. One participant, Shahrbanoo from Bamyan TTC, said: ”I think this subject should be compulsory for all students in TTC. Because for now we just teach the Human Rights course in 3 departments (English, Social studies and Islamic studies).” At the training, participants learned how to apply more learner-Centerd methods and how to develop innovative and modern timetables for gender a...

Afghan industry leaders, small business owners and public sector representatives on 18 May 2017 met in the northern Afghan City of Mazar-e-Sharif to explore provincial trade challenges and solutions that can feed into the ongoing design of the country’s National Export Strategy (NES).   A National Export Strategy will provide a blueprint for competitiveness and development of the country’s export sector and strengthen links between export development and socio-economic growth. The event was jointly organized by Afghanistan’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI) and the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), with the technical support of the International Trade Centre (ITC). Further technical and logistical support was provided by the GIZ Facility for Agricultural and Rural Market Development (EU FARM), in particular with the provision of a meeting venue. The provincial consultation follows the first NES stakeholders’ consultation held in Kabul on 20 and 21 Febr...

Afghanistan and China on 15 May 2017 signed an agreement on customs cooperation on the sidelines of the "One Belt, One Road” economic cooperation forum in Beijing. The Ministry of Finance said Ahmad Reshad Popal, director-general of customs, and China's Minister of General Administration of Custom Yu Guangzhou the accord, enabling the neighbours to work together on simplifying custom processes. A statement from the ministry said the two nations would also cooperate on mental medicine and chemical raw materials, common fight against drug, information-sharing and an exchange of experiences. "The government of Afghanistan appreciates this agreement and sees it as a new step in Sino-Afghan relations. Implementation of this agreement will facilitate trade relations between Afghanistan and China and play a positive role in national revenue increment" hoped Afghan Finance Minister. “This agreement will benefit both countries,” said Popal, called it a major step toward incr...

Speaking in the One Belt, One Road forum in China on May 15, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said that China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan-Afghanistan railway line might be integrated in a One Belt, One Road transport corridor network, the President's press service said. "We are looking forward to implementation of large projects in the spheres of transport, trade, investment, energy and technology in our region, which has the richest natural, industrial and human resources," he said. The head of state during the roundtable discussion also stressed the need to develop a complex program of cooperation actions in creation of transport and logistics routes linking Central Asia with the Southern, South-Western Asia and the European countries via China and Russia. Mirziyoyev expressed confidence that the initiative of President Xi Jinping on holding the international forum will allow to form the "active platform of exchanging views and practical cooperation in the framework ...

There has been a considerable spike in Tehran-Kabul economic relations within the past three years particularly after the nuclear deal between Tehran and major world powers, says the spokesman for Afghan Ministry of Commerce and Industries. “The level of trade exchanges between Iran and Afghanistan reached two billion dollars over the past year Iranian Calendar (starting at March 21, 2016), Musafer Qoqandi said. According to Qoqandi, this shows a twofold rise in the volume of trade exchanges between the two neighboring nations. “The volume of non-official trade between the two countries is more than the mentioned figure; however,” he said. Iran-Afghanistan ties in other areas have also seen a considerable rise in the past three years, he said, referring to the construction of Khaf-Herat railway project. The development of transit and transport between the two sides is undeniable and Iran and Afghanistan Presidents have made ceaseless efforts to improve bilateral ties in these spheres ...

A year has gone since its membership, Afghanistan still has no representative at the World Trade Organization (WTO). The Afghan government invested USD 100mn over the last 10 years in order to meet the requirements for the WTO membership. As a member, Afghanistan pays USD 46,000 annually. Yet, no work has been started on sending a team to the WTO. According to the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), a technical and professional team should be sent to the WTO to help Afghanistan benefit from the opportunity and the various structures WTO offers. Officials from the Ministry of Commerce and Industries (MoCI) cited lack of human resources as one of the main reasons behind the absence of Afghanistan at WTO. “The lack of human resources, capabilities, is a challenge, but we hope that in cooperation with government institutions we can fulfill our commitments at the WTO,” said Mr. Qurban Haqjo, the former CEO of Afghanistan Investment Support Agency (AISA). Afghanistan officially became ...

В министерстве сельского хозяйства, ирригации и животноводства Афганистана объявили о намерении построить более 200 новых овощехранилищ в ближайшие два года. Общая стоимость проекта составит около 40,000,000 долларов США, которые будут выделены из бюджета развития. Совокупная ёмкость составит около 50.000 тонн.

The announcement came during the opening of a two-day summit on the project in China, attended by leaders and top officials from around the world. “We should build an open platform of cooperation and uphold and grow an open world economy,” Chinese President Xi Jinping told the gathering. He added that the world must create conditions that promote open development and encourage the building of systems of “fair, reasonable and transparent global trade and investment rules.” And amid claims of China’s ambition for empire-building, Xi called for abandonment of old models based on rivalry and diplomatic power. “China is willing to share its development experience with all countries. We will not interfere in other countries’ internal affairs. We will not export our system of society and development model, and even more will not impose our views on others,” he said. At the event in Beijing participated also the Ministry of Commerce and Industries of Afghanistan and a senior adviser of the ...

The transit road between the districts of Baharak and Ishkashim covers 108 kilometers and is estimated to cost $98 million. The project, financed by the Asian Development Bank, is expected to be completed in four years. During the inauguration ceremony the Minister of Public Works, Mahmud Baleegh, said that this year, 400 kilometer road projects will be launched in Badakhshan province. He added that the construction of railway between Wakhan and China will also begin this year.

Diplomatic relations between Italy and Afghanistan were officially established on June 3, 1921 when the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Count Carlo Sforza, and the Afghan Extraordinary Ambassador, Mohammed Wali Khan, signed in Rome “The Agreement between Italy and Afghanistan for the exchange of permanent diplomatic missions” (In addition to it, an “Agreement between Italy and Afghanistan to send a Trade mission and the signing of a Treaty of Commerce” was signed simultaneously): after the so-called “Third Anglo-Afghan war” and the signing of the Treaty of Rawalpindi in August 8, 1919 when the British Protectorate on Afghanistan was officially abolished, Italy was the first western country to recognize the Afghan independence.  Establishing diplomatic relations between the two countries was requested by the Afghan delegation sent to Europe by Prince Amanullah to break the international isolation imposed by London’s government on Afghanistan. On the Italian level, Minister Sfor...

The Afghanistan National Procurement Authority (NPA) said it has saved almost 18 billion AFs by following the correct procedures which resulted in the approval of over 2,000 contracts. With the implementation of a transparent system in the procurement process regarding contracts, officials were able to weed out over 900 incomplete and illegal contracts and bids during the past two years. But officials from the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industries (ACCI) and almost all international bidders, said that the time it takes to process contracts and bids creates a lot of problems for contractors and investors. “Currently there are a lot of problems, because today many companies which had signed contracts for mines are facing financial crisis because of issues related to the contracts,” said ACCI spokesman. The Director of NPA, Yama Yari, said that over the past two years they had approved contracts worth 345 billion Afs. He also said the lack of proper management in government ins...

Kabul 'Ghost Hotel' shows troubling lack of oversight A recent investigation by the Office of the Special Inspector general for Afghanistan Reconstruction uncovered millions of wasted taxpayers' dollars on security for an abandoned Marriott hotel adjacent to the US Embassy in Kabul.

Officials from the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation of Afghanistan yesterday 10 May 2017, during the 3rd Transport International Routine (TIR) National Conference, said Afghanistan will review the TIR agreements it signed with other countries that aim to find a long term solution to the road transport problems with other nations . The Deputy Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation (MoTCA) for policy, Mr Sayed Wali Sultan, said that the government plans to review the TIR agreements to find a solution to the challenges facing the Afghan business community. “There are certain countries which do not issue visas for our drivers and do not allow our businessmen to transfer their products, therefore the ministry of transport and civil aviation plans to review the TIR agreements,” he said. MoTCA officials said that the ministry also plans to implement more programs in this sector in view of opportunities that have opened up for Afghanistan through the Word Trade Organization (WTO). “...

The agriculture and rural development sector is one of the priorities of the Government of Afghanistan, supported by the major donors of the international community. The agriculture and food security interventions play a significant role in favor of the rural population and the poorest, who live mainly from subsistence agriculture. An estimated 75% of the population of Afghanistan live in rural areas, where agriculture is the primary living and economic source. The agriculture sector contributes about half of the country’s GDP (excluding the Opium economy), although only 12% of the country’s 65 million hectares of land is arable and only 40% of agricultural land is irrigated. Agriculture is therefore fundamental for the growth and development of the rural economy in Afghanistan as well as for its contribution to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (MDGs), set by the UN in 2015, to be achieved by 2030.

Speaking at a press conference in Kabul on 10 May 2017, the Director of the Afghanistan National Procurement Authority (NPA) said that the firms were targeted for faking documents and providing wrong information about themselves. The firms had been referred to prosecution, he added. >>> READ ORIGINAL ARTICLE Read also: Bankrupt firm wins share in multimillion Afghan contract  http://1tvnews.af/en/news/afghanistan/29026-bankrupt-firm-wins-share-in-multimillion-afghan-contract A bankrupt Turkish firm is among winners of $79 million contract from the Afghan government over a major dam project in the southwest of the country. Pimatek is suffering from financial problems and it has shared the issue with the court of the relevant country, according to officials documents obtained by 1TV. In an official letter to the National Procurement Authority, the Ministry of Economy has made it clear that Pimatek has officially claimed bankruptcy to a Turkish court. The contract...

During the almost 4 years I spent in the World Bank office in Kabul, I experienced frequent earthquake tremors and saw the results of the significant reduction in winter snow, which severely impacts the water available for agriculture during spring and summer. While limited in scope, my first-hand experience with natural disasters adds to the long list of recurring hazards afflicting Afghanistan. This list is unfortunately long and its impact destructive. Flooding, historically the most frequent natural hazard, has caused an average $54 million in annual damages. Earthquakes have produced the most fatalities with 12,000 people killed since 1980, and droughts have affected at least 6.5 million people since 2000. Climate change will only increase these risks and hazards may become more frequent and natural resources more scarce. Compounded with high levels of poverty and inadequate infrastructure, the Afghan population will likely become more vulnerable to disasters. Risk information i...

Italy, with a contribution of over than 277 Million Euros for the infrastructure sector, has supported the Afghan Government to develop this specific sector for the last 10 years. The infrastructure works, implemented with the Italian support, are located mainly in the Western Region of the country and benefit a current commitment of 170 million Euros. They are mainly focused on the rehabilitation of the East-West Corridor (aimed at the connection between Herat and Kabul cities), and represents a great opportunity for the economic and social development of the Country. Italy is financing the upgrading of two major road routes, 136 km connecting road between Kabul and Bamyan, Grant worth approximately 99.6 Million Euros, inaugurated in August 2016 and 155 km connecting road between Herat and Chishti-e-Sharif with a Soft Loan worth approximately 92.3 Million Euros and 2.0 Million Euros as a Grant to UNOPS for technical assistance, the Intergovernmental Agreement has been signed on Apr...

According to the 1395  (*)   statistical yearbook by the Central Statistics Organization (CSO), Afghanistan’s population has reached 29.2 million. The estimate shows 14.2 million of the population are women. 6.9 million people are living in urban centers and 20.8 million in rural areas. (*) To convert the Solar year into the equivalent Gregorian year, add 621 or 622 years depending on whether the Solar year has or has not begun.

In a meeting with sports officials and athletes in his office, the President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani, promised that he would enact first sports law. “I have decided to rescue the country’s sports,” Ghani said vowing to set up a high committee of sports next week to resolve the problems of atheletes. The Afghan president said that facilities in the area of sports in Afghanistan were not adequate and “I will instruct for the budget for sports to be increased.” According to the president, the current structure of sports institution is not responsive and there is need to review the structure of National Olympic Committee and Directorate of Sports and Physical Education.

La Cooperazione italiana allo sviluppo è presente in Afghanistan da oltre un decennio. Inizialmente ha focalizzato l’attezione sugli aiuti umanitari e il settore emergenza nel suo complesso, attraverso l’operato di numerose ONG attive sul territorio che hanno distribuito migliaia di kit di vestiario e alimentari. Successivamente sono stati eseguiti numerosi interventi infrastrutturali, che hanno permesso a migliaia di villaggi di uscire dall’isolamento (ad esempio con la manutenzione di strade, la realizzazione di argini di fiume, piccoli ponti, canalizzazioni) e sviluppare un’agricoltura che andasse al di la’ della semplice sussistenza, facilitando la commercializzazione dei prodotti, e facendo cosi’ crescere l’economia locale. Un altro settore su cui da subito l’Italia ha apportato il suo contributo è quello sanitario, con la distribuzione di medicinali, la creazione di strutture sanitarie di base anche in aree remote, per permettere a migliaia di persone di poter usufruire di serviz...

Since 2002 the Italian Cooperation has been supporting the Afghan Justice Institutions (Supreme Court, Attorney General Office and Ministry of Justice, including the Elimination of Violence Against Women Units and the Juvenile Rehabilitation Centres) and other relevant actors of the justice sector (e.g.the Afghan Independent Bar Association and the Faculties of Law and Shari’a) in strengthening the Rule of Law and the access to justice for Afghan people and vulnerable categories, as well as in rebuilding and refurbishing judiciary and penitentiary infrastructures, with a special focus on Kabul and Herat. Italy was “Lead Country” for the Justice sector from 2003 to 2005 (when an ad hoc “Italian Justice Program Office” was established) and one of the “Key Partners” from 2006 to 2007, but the rehabilitation of the Afghan Justice system always remained among the top priorities of the Italian commitment in Afghanistan: around 90 million Euros Italian funds have been disbursed so far, throu...

The Italian University of Florence provides technical support to the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in the framework of a project funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation. This initiative aims at improving territorial governance in the urban areas of Herat and Bamyan to promote local economic development of the city of Herat and to contribute to the preservation of historical heritage in Bamyan.

The Afghan Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL) plans to build 248 cold storage facilities worth USD 40 million across Afghanistan in the next two years. Funded by the ministry’s development budget, the cold storage facilities have up to 50,000 tons storing capacity. Eight of these facilities would be built in Kabul, Kandahar, Kunduz, Balkh, Herat and Nangarhar. According to MAIL, USD 700 million is needed to establish cold storage facilities with a total storing capacity of 260,000 in order to meet the countrywide need for these facilities. Meanwhile, members of the Academy of Sciences of Afghanistan called on the government to build the facilities according to international standards. The institution claimed that the 250 cold storage facilities built recently in Bamyan did not have controlled moisture, temperature and air-flow regulators. >>> READ ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Afghanistan and Qatar have agreed to launch direct flights between the two countries by October of this year, according to a statement from the Afghanistan Civil Aviation Authority (ACAA). The agreement was made at the meeting between a delegation of the ACAA, led by the deputy head Dr. Mohammad Qasim Wafayee, with Qatar Civil Aviation Authority in Doha. The two parties conferred on direct flights, amendments to the air service agreement and Qatar’s cooperation on enhancing civil aviation security in Afghanistan. According to a statement from ACAA, a total of 14 flights will be operated every week between Afghanistan and Qatar as per the agreement. Afghanistan is expected to present a list of its civil aviation needs with Qatar, adds the statement. >>> READ ORIGINAL ARTICLE

The dichotomy between American words and actions in the war on terror.  >>> read original article on Heart of Asia at: http://www.heartofasia.af/index.php/editorial/item/3892-the-dichotomy-between-american-words-and-actions-in-the-war-on-terror No one can turn a blind eye to the difference between the words and actions of the United States in Afghanistan anymore.It will be very difficult for Afghans to trust current American slogans in the fight against terrorism without practical changes, because terrorist groups are increasingly gaining momentum under American presence, and also the actions the United States undertake under the war on terror backfire. One recent example of such actions was the use of largest non-nuclear bomb nicknamed as the mother of all bombs, against Daesh (ISIS) positions in eastern Nangarhar province. Following the dropping of GBU-43/Bbomb, also known as Massive Ordinance Air Blast (MOAB), in Achin district, the United States clearly said it wa...

The AIR (Afghanistan-Italy-Romania) NETWORK is an international partnership of professionals in the architecture and construction industries. It was formed in 2014 by the will of Ivo Toniut, CEO of Jalil Holding - a European company founded in 2013 by a young and successful Afghan businesswoman. The main goals were to enhance internationalization and competitiveness of Afghan entrepreneurship and to encourage Afghan businesswomen on European level by strengthening commercial ties and developing cultural relationships between Afghanistan, Italy and Romania; to build an innovative international partnership capable to contribute significantly in the process of reconstruction of Afghanistan, in particularly focusing on the importance that the construction industry may have in the economic growth and development of this Country. During its first years of activity, AIR NETWORK has launched several initiatives that have led to positive results. AIR NETWORK now boasts among its partners, pres...

The Integrity Watch Afghanistan (IWA) has once again flagged corruption as the biggest problem in Afghanistan’s mining sector. In their report the IWA members have highlighted some massive loopholes and inconsistencies in the figures provided by the government to Afghanistan’s 5th Reconciliation Report prepared by the Afghanistan’s Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI).  “The 5th AEITI report highlights major issues of weak oversight and mismanagement of revenue collection by the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum and the Ministry of Finance,” said Sayed Ikram Afzali, Executive Director of Integrity Watch Afghanistan. “The government seems unable to consistently provide even the most basic data, showing what contracts are active, how much production they have had, and what revenues they have produced. And it is behind this wall of ignorance that our country’s resources are being looted.” In one specific instance, the Northern Coal Enterprise revenue was initially repor...

Learn more about electricity meters on   ABB website  Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS), Afghanistan’s national electricity company, plans to launch monthly electricity billing system. DABS said that would hire more employees in order to successfully implement the new plan. The residents of Kabul have welcomed the initiative of DABS but have urged the government to reduce the cost. At present the consumers are charged 2.5 Afghanis for each kilowatt if more than 200kw is consumed. The rate increases to 3.5 Afghanis per kilowatt if more than 400kw is used. Moreover, there is a lot of confusion in the current billing system, as bills do not clearly indicate consumed electricity as well as not specifying the address of the consumer. Consumers also have no possibility of checking the amounts charged by DABS as there are no electricity meters in the homes or offices.

Hekmatyar with Afghan leaders Afghan presidential palace on Thursday 4 May 2017 hosted Hizb-i-Islami leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar who returned to Kabul after 20 years following a peace deal with the government.  The ceremony, broadcast live on national TV channel, showed Hekmatyar walking and sitting with Afghan unity government leaders and other politicians. “We have come together to approve and support peace,” Hekmatyar said in the full packed hall in the palace. He said that his group had accepted the constitution, but claimed that some laws needed amendment. “The Constitution has clearly mentioned that no laws in Afghanistan should be against Islamic laws,” he said without detailing which articles needed amendment. The present Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan was agreed upon by more than 500 delegates representing Afghan men and women from across the country at the Constitutional Loya Jirga (December 13, 2003 – January 4, 2004). The Constitution was ...