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Showing posts from November, 2017

A former employee of a U.S. government contractor in Afghanistan was sentenced to 21 months in prison for accepting over $250,000 in illegal kickbacks from an Afghan subcontractor in return for his assistance in obtaining subcontracts on U.S. government contracts

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/former-employee-us-government-contractor-afghanistan-sentenced-prison-accepting-250000 Former Employee of U.S. Government Contractor in Afghanistan  Sentenced to Prison for Accepting $250,000 in Kickbacks from Subcontractor A former employee of a U.S. government contractor in Afghanistan was sentenced today [Tuesday, November 28, 2017] to 21 months in prison for accepting over $250,000 in illegal kickbacks from an Afghan subcontractor in return for his assistance in obtaining subcontracts on U.S. government contracts. Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak of the Northern District of Georgia, Special Agent in Charge John Khin of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service’s (DCIS) Southeast Field Office- Atlanta Resident Agency, Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) John F. Sopko and Director Frank Robey of the U.S. Army Criminal

The President of Afghanistan assigned a team to work on ways that could help to enhance the exports of Afghan pine nuts

Pine nuts offer multiple health benefits and are grown in vast areas in eastern Afghanistan – a sector that provides many jobs to local residents. Presiding over a meeting of High Economic Council, the President of Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani assigned a team to work on ways that could help to enhance the exports of Afghan pine nuts, a move which will have significant impacts on boosting local economies particularly in Afghanistan’s urban areas. President Ghani thanked the Governor of Khost, Hukum Habibi, for his efforts to increase the trade of pine nuts in the province, saying government will provide equal opportunities to all provincial governors to boost the sector. In turn, the Khost Governor said his province is unique in terms of having fertile land for agriculture and that it has the right climate for pine nuts. He also said thousands of tons of dry fruit from Khost is exported to various countries every year. Khost is known for its moderate climate, forests, mines and pine nut

Lapis Lazuli nations to form three technical working groups

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will give Afghanistan USD 233 million each year over the next five years

According to ADB officials, the aid will go towards improving agriculture, energy, infrastructure and natural resources in Afghanistan, and its plans aim to provide better living conditions for the people and raise the capacity of the government.  The ADB said that in keeping with the bank's new policy, it will give Afghanistan $233 million each year over the next five years, and the bank's goal is to provide better life opportunities for the people. According to the officials, the bank also supports the private sector in Afghanistan in order to help boost economic growth. One senior official said: “We continue to work on infrastructure, energy, agriculture and natural resources and also on transport sector and the thing we want help the government and the people of Afghanistan to achieve is to provide men and women in Afghanistan with better opportunities.” Meanwhile, a number of economic analysts say the government needs to put in place effective economic solutions to attrac

A multi-million dollar solar power plant generating 20 megawatts will be built in Surobi district of the Afghan Capital Kabul

The project is estimated to cost $44 million which will be provided by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).  The funding agreement was signed by Afghanistan’s Finance Minister Iklil Hakimi, ADB’s country director, Samuel Tumiwa, and Amanullah Ghalib, the CEO of Afghanistan’s national power utility Breshna, in the presidential palace. This is the largest solar power plant project in terms of capacity in Afghanistan, Wahidullah Tawhidi, a spokesman for Breshna, told reporters. The earlier involved a 10 MW solar power plant in southern Kandahar province. Tawhidi said that project is expected to be completed in 18 months after its construction contract is signed. He said that the plant will meet part of electricity needs in Kabul and eastern provinces of Nangarhar and Laghman. >>> READ ORIGINAL ARTICLE on HeartofAsia.af

The Afghanistan National Procurement Commission (NPC) approves 10 contracts worth 1.3 billion Afs

The 125th session of the National Procurement Commission (NPC) were held on Sunday, November 26, 2017, at presidential palace, presided by H.E Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. At this meeting in which the NPC members, ministries, officials of the procuring entities, national and international observers had also participated, 10 new projects with the total value of 1.3 billion Afs were approved, as following: - The Contract for construction of the Cancer Treatment Center at Aliabad Hospital of the Kabul Medical University. - The contract for construction of the Administration and Public Policy faculty of Kabul University. - The contract for Construction of the Balkh University’s Medical Faculty. - The construction contract of Bustan e Kabul road in 17th District of Kabul. - The road construction contract with 10 km long in Shindand district of Herat. - The contract for construction of 100 beds hospital at Jawzjan province. - The rehabi

Asian Development Bank approves about USD 45 million grant to develop Afghanistan’s first 20 megawatts on-grid solar photovoltaic plant

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $44.76 million grant to develop Afghanistan’s first 20 megawatts (MW) on-grid solar photovoltaic plant and boost the country’s renewable energy generation and supply. “The demand for power is rapidly growing across Afghanistan and economic development and income opportunities depend on sufficient energy supplies,” said Samuel Tumiwa, ADB Country Director for Afghanistan. “The new on-grid solar power generation project, which is the largest of its kind in Afghanistan, will not only provide access to a clean and reliable power supply, but also demonstrate the viability of future renewable energy investments through public-private partnerships.” Despite significant progress since 2002, Afghanistan still relies on energy imports from neighboring countries to meet its domestic demand. Only about 32% of the population has access to grid-connected electricity and the demand for electricity in major load centers is growing by 25% annually. Relia

EU International Cooperation & Development - Afghanistan is progressively recovering from more than three decades of conflict

Afghanistan is progressively recovering from more than three decades of conflict. 2014 was a year of complex transition process in Afghanistan with presidential elections and significant draw-down of international security forces that started the 'Decade of Transformation' (2015 to 2024). Today's Afghanistan is in a much better position on its human development than it was in 2001. Access to primary healthcare has increased from 9% of the population to more than 57%. More than 8 million students are enrolled in schools, with 39% of girls. New and rehabilitated highways and roads have cut travel times between the main regional centres by 75%. However, 39% of the population still lives in poverty. Only 26% of the population can read and write. Corruption continues to be a major problem, affecting the everyday life of Afghan citizens and undermining development. The European Union has a long-term partnership with Afghanistan. Since 2002, the European Union has provid

The southern Afghan Province of Kandahar uses the power of technology to improve transparency and credibility of public offices

The use of technology in Afghanistan’s government offices is not yet the norm. However, in the Directorate of Ministry of Finance (Mostofiat) in Kandahar Province, a province associated more with insecurity than with technology, we have used the power of technology to improve transparency and credibility of government offices.  Finance is the backbone of any country’s economy. Therefore, it is very important for it to be transparent and credible so that citizens as well as donors feel committed to the development process. With this in mind, we decided to implement the Afghanistan Financial Management Information System (AFMIS) and Standard Integrated Government Tax Administration System (SIGTAS), with the help of the Public Financial Management Reform (PFMR), a project implemented by the Ministry of Finance (MoF) with support from the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF). SIGTAS was also supported through the ARTF Incentive Program. Since 2007, when we started using AFMIS,

Finally reaching Kabul, Afghanistan

German Government provides over USD 55 million funds to the Afghan State

The Afghan government and the German KfW Development Bank signed a financial agreement in recent days. As per the agreement Germany provides AFN 6.44 billion funds to the Afghan state. The budget will be allocated to the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF), administered by the World Bank. Since the fund’s creation in 2002, Germany has contributed almost AFN 47 billion. “Helping the Afghan people to overcome poverty and to strengthen their self-reliance is of genuine interest to German Cooperation. We are looking forward to a continuous collaboration with the ARTF to achieve these goals,” the Head of the German Cooperation at the German Embassy in Kabul, Uwe Gehlen said. Afghan Minister of Finance said Germany’s contribution to the ARTF help Afghanistan move towards self-sustainability and efficiency. The program seeks to assist with stabilizing lising the Afghan state and thereby contribute to reducing poverty. By providing financial support, it intends to help ensure the prop

Afghan Government collected more than 1.4 billion Afghanis (about USD 21,000,000) from 'Cigarette Tax'

Figures from Central Statistics Office show that Afghanistan imports cigarettes from 10 countries and exports part of it to Central Asian nations. The Ministry of Finance of Afghanistan says more than 1.4 billion AFs (over USD 20.7 million) has been collected from tobacco tax since the beginning of this fiscal year, December 2016 to December 2017. Figures from Central Statistics Office indicate that Afghan investors have spent more than USD 54 million on cigarette imports in the past six months while this amount was up to USD 50 million last year. “We had 963 million AFs – over USD 13.9 million (from tobacco tax) in 1395 (Persian year) but in the past 11 months, we have collected 1.430 billion AFs as the tobacco tax revenue. This is an income source for Afghan government,” said an official at the Ministry of Finance. Earlier this year, the Lower House of Afghan Parliament decided to increase the tobacco tax by 100%. However, the decision was rejected by Meshrano Jirga, the Upper Hou

How do local investors expand business in Afghanistan?

Closed three years ago, a major Pakistan-Afghanistan trade route will be reopened next month, says a senior Pakistani military commander

The Ghulam Khan trade route in North Waziristan Agency was shut in 2014 when a major military offensive against insurgents was launched in the region. The reopening of the border check-post would create jobs for area residents, hoped General Officer Commanding (GOC) Maj. Gen. Azhar Iqbal Abbasi. Speaking to Utmanzai Wazir tribe elders on Sunday, Abbasi said work on several reconstruction and development projects was underway in the region. He promised restoring peace in the area to ensure economic progress. People had immensely suffered due to militancy and lawlessness, the commander added. >>> SOURCE

The Afghanistan’s economic growth is projected to increase slightly to 2.6% in 2017 from 2.2% in 2016 as the Country’s deteriorating security situation weighs on the economy

The Afghanistan’s economic growth is projected to increase slightly to 2.6 percent in 2017 from 2.2 percent in 2016 as the country’s deteriorating security weighs on the economy, The World Bank (WB) says in the latest Afghanistan Development Update series released recent days. Security environment continued to deteriorate, with the increased crime and conflict holding back business and consumer confidence from recovering fully from the impact of the security transition in 2014 that saw large numbers of foreign troops left. Economic growth has increased moderately from 2014–2015, when growth was the lowest since 2003, the WB statement said. Proxy data for the first half of 2017, however, indicated that economic activity continued to languish, while business sentiment, gauged from the quarterly business perception surveys, has improved slightly between the first and second quarters of 2017, though it remained lower than in the second quarter of 2016. Because of government’s improved tax

The only Italian Consulting Engineering firm registered in Afghanistan, launches new corporate logo

A delegation of the European Union got impressed by the level of standard of certain sectors of the food industry in Iran

Members of a visiting delegation from the European Union said they were impressed by the level of standard of certain sectors of the food industry in Iran, hailing the country’s advances despite foreign sanctions. A 70-strong delegation from the European Union, led by the EU’s Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Phil Hogan, travel to Iran to visit a number of agricultural and industrial sites and hold talks on the bilateral relations. After a visit to a cooking oil factory, some members of the EU delegation admitted that some of the sectors in Iran’s industry meet very high standards. Stressing the need for Iranian producers to look for export opportunities, the delegation likened the sanctions imposed on Iran to Europe’s economic situation in the 1970s, which they said resulted in EU development. Iran and the European Union members have signed several agricultural agreements since the removal of nuclear-related sanctions on Iran under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of A

Irrigation networks being built in eight provinces of Afghanistan

Thirty-two modern irrigation networks are being established in eight provinces to cover about 7,000 hectares of land, officials said. Eng. Nasir Ahmad Durani, the acting minister for agriculture, irrigation and livestock, signed contracts with 19 construction companies in Kabul for the 32 irrigation project worth 313 million Afghanis. The minister said the USAID-funded irrigation projects would be implemented in Balkh, Samangan, Baghlan, Parwan, Herat, Kunar and Laghman provinces and would be finished in the next nine months. He said the irrigation networks would benefit as many as 44,000 people. Durani said the networks construction would create job opportunities and their completion would prevent 40 percent of water from wasting and increase agriculture production by 20 percent. Aqa Mohammad, in-charge of a construction company in Baghlan, assured of high quality work on the irrigation networks, saying the facilities would be put into service ahead of the stipulated time of one year

Diva of Afghan music, Aryana Sayed, won at DAF BAMA Music Awards 2017

The diva of Afghan music, Aryana Sayed won at the DAF BAMA Music Awards 2017 which was held in Hamburg, Germany on Nov 17. Aryana Sayed received the Afghan Icon Award and the Best Afghan Female 2017 Award.  The DAF BAMA MUSIC AWARDS is an international multicultural music award show presented by Daf Entertainment based in Hamburg, Germany. It has been created to honor artists from all over the world and at the same time unite the world with something as beautiful as music.

World Bank Group Youth Summit 2016 winners build two computer labs in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan

This time last year, more than 400 excited youth filled the Preston Auditorium for the World Bank Group Youth Summit 2016: Rethinking Education for the New Millennium.  After receiving 875 submissions from young entrepreneurs, the Youth Summit Organizing Committee (YSOC) chose six finalists to pitch their ideas in front of a live audience and expert jury. ROYA Mentorship Program was one of two winners who received the grand prize to attend the International Council for Small Business 2017 World Conference in Argentina, funded by the World Bank’s Information and Technology Solutions (ITS)-Global Telecom unit. The yearly conference brings together the world’s foremost specialists and thought leaders in entrepreneurial research to support management education for small businesses. ROYA is a mentorship program that supports underprivileged Afghan students in learning the English language and basic computer skills. Students receive computer training by volunteer instructors. While in be

Afghanistan - Helping women farmers in central Bamyan province

At least 150 greenhouses have been established for women farmers in central Bamyan province, an official says. Aimed at ensuring food security and strengthening livelihoods for famers, the greenhouses were built at a cost of 4,500,000 afghanis provided from the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL). Abdul Wahab Mohammadi, the agriculture director, hoped the conservatories in Bamyan city, the provincial capital, and Yakawlang district would help increase the growth of non-seasonal vegetables. He said the female growers also received production supplies and equipment and vegetable seeds. All farmers and beneficiaries of the initiative are women and their families. Governor Mohammad Tahir Zahir expressed happiness over the program, calling it useful for job creation as well as helping women. Salima, one of the beneficiaries, told Pajhwok Afghan News all women in Bamyan were unemployed and creating greenhouses would enable them to contribute to their families’ financial

Afghanistan Procurement Law

You can download Afghanistan Procurement Law English version,  by clicking National Procurement Authority (NPA) website following link: http://www.npa.gov.af/en/procurement-law

Afghanistan - Is the US really making a war on terror?

>>> ARTICLE by The Heart Of Asia: Analysts: US aid to Pakistan means aiding supporter of terrorists A number of political and military analysts describe the fresh US assistance to Pakistan as sponsorship of terrorism, believing that Washington’s warning to Islamabad is intended to deceive Afghan people and the world. Contrary to what was expected, the US has not yet taken any action against Pakistan, they assert, adding that American officials make harsh statements against Pakistan from time to time in order to continue the game. Lately, Gen. John W. Nicholson, the top commander of NATO-led troops in Afghanistan, has also said Pakistan has not changed its behavior even following the Trump’s announcement of the new US strategy; however, the US Congress approved $700 million for Pakistan last week, half of which will be given to Pakistan now. The Voice of America (VoA) Deewa Radio has said in a report that the fund was approved after US Defense Secretary James Mattis confir

In northern Afghanistan farmers learn to grow more crops

Balkh Province, North of Afghanistan - A gas lamp emits a dull glow in the otherwise dark, gray room. The room is humid and climate-controlled, heavy plastic bags hang from ropes dangling from the ceiling in neatly ordered, straight lines. Zakia, 24, wearing a special mask, is examining the bags and notices mushrooms sprouting in some of them. Carefully, she makes tiny holes in the plastic to take the mushrooms out.  “This dark room has brought light to my life, it has given me the opportunity to earn a living,” Zakia says. She is one of thousands of beneficiaries of the kitchen gardening scheme under the National Horticulture and Livestock Project (NHLP). “I was without a job and dependent on others, but NHLP helped me and many other women in our village to become financially independent and self-sufficient,” says Zakia, who had recently established her mushroom production unit with NHLP support. Zakia, who supports her family of seven, lives in Ulmarab village, Nahr-e-Shahi dis

Political and business leaders from over 40 countries to discuss economic development of Afghanistan in the Turkmen capital Ashghabat

Business and political leaders from Afghanistan in Ashgabat Tuesday reiterated their call to regional countries for help in attracting investment from private sector in order to rebuild the country after decades of violent conflict. The 7th Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan, also known as RECCA VII, began in the capital where delegations from more than 40 countries were participating to discuss economic cooperation and ways to attract private investment in Afghanistan. Cabinet of Ministers’ Deputy Chairman Orazmyrat Gurbannazarov launched the conference that was being held under the theme "Deepening Connectivity and Expanding Trade through Investment Infrastructure and Improving Synergy". Gurbannazarow said the completion of regional connectivity projects is important for all countries in the region. “The economic future of the region depends on trade, transit and the expansion of the energy sector and extraction of mineral deposits," he said. Whil

Former Afghan President Karzai says US colluded with ISIL in Afghanistan

Hamid Karzai, the former president of Afghanistan, has accused the US of working with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group in his country. In an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera's UpFront aired on Friday, Karzai said the US government had allowed ISIL, also known as ISIS, to flourish inside Afghanistan. "In my view under the full presence, surveillance, military, political, intelligence, Daesh [ISIL] has emerged," he said. "And for two years the Afghan people came, cried loud about their suffering, of violations. Nothing was done." Karzai said the US administration of President Donald Trump used ISIL as an excuse to drop a massive bomb on Afghanistan in April 2017. "And the next day, Daesh takes the next district in Afghanistan," he said referring to the Arabic name of the armed group. "That proves to us that there is a hand in it and that hand can be no one else but them [the US] in Afghanistan." GBU-43, the larg

Pomegranates to be exported from Kandahar-Afghanistan to the UAE by air

Kandahar POMEGRANATES are considered the BEST QUALITY in the world Afghan traders sent two tons of pomegranates to the UAE from Kandahar airport, a statement from the Presidential Economic Advisory Office said. The statement added that the number of cargo flights from Kandahar City to Dubai International Airport will increase to three in a week. This comes after Afghanistan sent off its 33rd flight, carrying 20 tons of goods, to India last week. India’s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Foreign Minister of Afghanistan Salahuddin Rabbani and Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif flagged off the first shipment from Afghanistan to India through the Chabahar port on Oct 29, 2017. This was the first shipment going to Afghanistan though the Chabahar port, bypassing Pakistan, after a trilateral agreement on Establishment of International Transport and Transit Corridor was signed between India, Afghanistan and Iran in May 2016. This development operationalized the Chabahar port, whi

Any contribution at any time is a big contribution for human dignity and human prosperity. The printing and distribution of the textbooks is a major contribution and support for Afghanistan: NGU CE Dr. Abdullah Abdullah

U.S. Embassy Special Chargé d’Affaires Ambassador Hugo Llorens and Chief Executive Officer Abdullah, launched the Second Textbook Printing and Distribution Project, a statement from the U.S. diplomatic mission said. The project is a United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded program for the Afghan Ministry of Education (MoE). USAID will provide $75 million to the MoE to print and distribute 135 million approved textbooks and teacher’s guides for grades 1-12 to all public schools in Afghanistan, says the statement. This new effort is a follow-on to the Textbook Printing and Distribution Project from 2011-2016, when USAID partnered with the Afghan government and other donors to procure and distribute appropriate MoE-approved textbooks in Pashto, Dari, and English for the primary and lower secondary levels. “This is indeed an extremely important partnership between the United States and the Government of Afghanistan,” said Ambassador Llorens. “Our teams will be wor
09/11/17 in a street of #Kabul , the 5th fastest growing City in the World. #ForeignCurrency #ExchangeRates #EUR #USD #AFN Afghanis

Afghanistan has become Iran’s fifth largest trade market for Iranian goods

The Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) has said that given the ease of trade with Iran, the trade volume between Afghanistan and its neighbor continues to increase. The Deputy Director of ACCI Khanjan Alkozai, said it is possible that in future Iran could become Afghanistan's largest trading partner - especially once Chabahar port is fully operational. According to officials, Afghanistan has in the past seven months become Iran’s fifth largest trade market for Iranian goods. Officials at the ACCI said that currently, due to problems along Pakistan's roads, most Afghan businessmen are trying to reroute imports and exports through Iran and India. “Our business with Iran is expanding, with the facilities that exist, and also with the Chabahar seaport on the verge of opening to Afghanistan's commercial and transit goods most of the businessmen are trying to boost their business through Chabahar port,” Alkozai said. Similarly, officials from the Iranian custom

Afghanistan - Bamyan Cultural Center to open next summer

The Cultural Center of Bamyan-Afghanistan is scheduled to open in the summer of 2018, three years after its design was approved. At the beginning of 2015, an Argentina-based Team of Architects was selected among hundreds firms and architects from more than 100 countries for designing the Bamyan Cultural Center. Led by Carlos Nahuel Recabarren alongside Manuel Alberto Martinez Catalan and Franco Morero, the selected scheme is entitled Descriptive Memory: The Eternal Presence of Absence.

Afghanistan Dari News.07.11.2017 خبرهای افغانستان

Kabul New City - Real Estate’s Next BIG THING

Kabul New City (KNC) will resolve population density in the Afghan capital by developing approx. 600,000 #housing units for 3 Million People.

Why a billionaire tech entrepreneur invested in an Afghan saffron start-up

Mark Cuban is a Dallas-based tech entrepreneur who is obsessed with basketball, so a Chicago-based start-up selling saffron produced in Afghanistan may seem outside his investment sweet spot.  Yet the billionaire made a deal with precisely that on a "Shark Tank" episode that aired recently. And, he did so despite some pretty aggressive criticism of from other Shark investors. Rumi Spice appeared on "Shark Tank" seeking a $250,000 investment for five percent equity. The three co-founders — Emily Miller, Kim Jung and Keith Alaniz — all served in the military in Afghanistan. They learned that the war-torn country is covered with the purple flowers that make saffron, one of the most expensive spices in the world. They also learned that Afghani saffron is some of the best quality saffron in the world. To bring more business and more money to the farmers in Afghanistan, Rumi Spice built an infrastructure to sell saffron harvested in Afghanistan to consumers in the Unit

Taking a walk on the streets of Kabul, Afghanistan in the 1970s

After decades of conflicts and wars, Afghanistan continues to face a severe infrastructure deficit that holds back economic growth

INFRASTRUCTURE DRIVES ADB STRATEGY IN AFGHANISTAN Creating jobs, enabling private sector investment, and building a self-reliant country are among Afghanistan’s central development objectives. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is committed to supporting each of these goals. After decades of conflict, Afghanistan continues to face a severe infrastructure deficit that holds back economic growth. Only about 32% of the population has access to grid-connected electricity. More than 70% of the interprovincial and interdistrict roads are in a poor state. Only 10% of irrigated land has formal irrigation systems. The poverty rate is close to 40%. Afghanistan and ADB recently agreed a country partnership strategy for 2017-2021. ADB is expected to provide $887 million in grants to Afghanistan through 2020 with a focus on energy, transport, and agriculture and natural resources. To date, ADB has provided over $4.9 billion in grants and loans to the country. But Samuel Tumiwa, ADB Country Directo

“Women Weekend Market“ in Kabul, Afghanistan

The “Women Weekend Market“, a three-day business exhibition for women, has kicked off in Kabul University. Organized and funded by the Afghan-German Cooperation’s program for Sustainable Economic Development and Employment Promotion (SEDEP), the show provides a platform to more than 40 women to sell their products and to do business in Afghanistan. The event also aims at connecting academics and professionals. Ten female students of Kabul University’s Faculty of Economics mentor the businesswomen to help to improve their sales. When opening the exhibition, the Deputy Minister of Commerce and Industries Feroz Khan Masjidi said: “We want to increase the connection between the academic sector and governmental organizations to improve coordination between both.” Meanwhile, Director of Kabul University Farooqi added: “The Women Bazar at Kabul University will provide a great opportunity for students to learn about the market and products sales.” Women-owned businesses are less present at lo