Taliban authorities on Thursday launched a $120 million aluminium can manufacturing project in the western province of Herat, in what they described as the country’s first facility of its kind.
Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban’s deputy chief minister for economic affairs, laid the foundation stone for the Pamir Aluminium Cans Manufacturing Company at an industrial park in Herat, according to a Taliban statement.
The factory will be built on 16 jeribs of land, equivalent to about eight acres, and is expected to create around 1,700 jobs once operational, the statement said.
Taliban officials said the project would be fully financed by private investment and aims to reduce Afghanistan’s reliance on imported aluminium packaging.
Since returning to power in 2021, the Taliban have sought to attract domestic and foreign investment despite international sanctions, banking restrictions and limited diplomatic recognition, which continue to weigh on Afghanistan’s economy. But according to UN agencies, the Taliban’s continued restrictions on women would leave a $1 billion loss annually to the country’s economy.
Herat, a key commercial hub near the Iranian border, has been a focal point for industrial and infrastructure projects promoted by the Taliban as part of efforts to revive manufacturing and employment.
