Taliban officials at a ceremony in the western city of Herat on Thursday announced the launch and completion of a series of major power projects worth about 3.98 billion afghanis ($60 million).
Addressing the ceremony, Taliban deputy chief minister Abdul Ghani Baradar said work had begun on four large electricity projects, while five others were put into operation as part of efforts to expand and stabilise power supply in the province.
Baradar said the projects would provide 24-hour electricity to all industrial parks in Herat and extend supply to commercial centres, residential neighbourhoods and rural areas, supporting industrial and economic growth.
He said the projects would help Afghanistan secure a more stable domestic electricity supply.
Baradar also announced incentives for investors in cold storage facilities, saying such projects would be exempt from taxes for five years and guaranteed continuous electricity supply by the state power utility, Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat.
He urged domestic and foreign investors to take advantage of the incentives and called on countries to pursue engagement with their administration rather than “restrictive policies”, citing what he described as improved security conditions.
According to the Taliban statement, projects completed on Thursday included a 130-kilometre extension of a 220-kilovolt transmission line from Turkmenistan and the construction of four substations in the districts of Karokh, Pashtun Zarghun, Obeh and Chishti Sharif, supplying electricity to about 40,000 households.
Newly launched projects include construction of the Pul-e-Hashemi substation, expansion of the 24 Hoot Martyrs substation, installation of a new power line at the Noor-ul-Jihad substation, and transmission links connecting the Pul-e-Hashemi, Noor-ul-Jihad and 24 Hoot Martyrs substations.
Only about 40% of Afghanistan’s population currently has access to electricity, according to the national power utility.
The country relies heavily on imported power from neighbouring states, particularly Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, to meet the bulk of its electricity needs.
Despite efforts to revive infrastructure and industry, Afghanistan continues to face deep economic challenges. The United Nations has said restrictions imposed by the Taliban on women’s employment and education are costing the Afghan economy more than $1 billion a year, limiting workforce participation and reducing productivity.
Investors also face persistent obstacles, including high taxes, limited access to banking and international finance, weak legal protections, and uncertainty over regulations, business owners and analysts say. International sanctions, restrictions on dollar transactions and Afghanistan’s heavy reliance on imported electricity further complicate large-scale investment.
