In brief
Kandahar province hosted the inauguration of Afghanistan's first large‑scale cement plant, operated by the Kandahar Chamber of Mines and Industries. The 100‑acre, $113 million facility currently produces 1,500 tons of cement daily with plans to expand to 5,000 tons, and employs about a thousand people. Deputy Prime Minister Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar urged further investment, and another plant has already begun construction in Parwan province.
Afghanistan opened its first large-scale cement plant in the southern province of Kandahar on Thursday evening, according to Xinhua. The 100‑acre facility, built at a cost of $113 million, is the country's first cement factory with an initial production capacity of 1,500 tons per day and a target of 5,000 tons in the future.
Xinhua reports the plant employs roughly 1,000 workers, a number that is expected to rise as production increases. The inauguration was attended by head of the Kandahar Chamber of Mines and Industries Sayed Sarwar Amani, who highlighted the plant's role in boosting local industry.
Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar also spoke at the ceremony and pledged governmental support for investment, calling on industrialists and investment companies to support Afghanistan's industrial sector.
Xinhua also stated that the Afghan government has already begun construction of another cement plant in the Jabal Saraj district of eastern Parwan province, a move aimed at achieving self‑sufficiency in cement production.
Government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid further said the administration would continue building more cement factories nationwide despite the country's ongoing challenges.
