The Taliban-run Ministry of Mines signed a $163 million contract with a Turkish company, known as 77 Construction, to operate the Yatitaq Cement Factory in the northern province of Jawzjan on Tuesday.
In remarks at the signing ceremony, Hedayatullah Badri, the Taliban’s minister for mines and petroleum, stated that the factory, once operational, will have the capacity to produce 3,000 tons of cement per day.
The project is expected to create 1,250 jobs, Badri added.
The announcement comes amid ongoing reports from international organizations, including the United Nations, highlighting deepening poverty and an economic crisis in Afghanistan since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.
Some Afghan citizens have expressed skepticism over the Taliban’s management of major national projects, saying that while initiatives are announced and inaugurated, they rarely reach completion. Residents argue that, over the past three years, such projects have not materially improved their living conditions.
Others say they are facing severe economic hardship, with many unable to secure enough food for their families, underscoring the urgency of a solution to Afghanistan’s widespread poverty and food insecurity.
