Construction of a new cement production plant, with an investment of $143 million, has officially begun in Herat province in western Afghanistan, officials said.
The groundbreaking ceremony was held on Sunday, August 9, in Herat, with the participation of Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs; Abdul Salam Hanafi, Deputy Prime Minister for Administrative Affairs; several government officials, Herat’s provincial governor, and a number of traders and investors.
Homayoun Afghan, spokesperson for the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, told Khate-Nakhost that construction of the project is expected to be completed within two years.
According to Afghan, the plant will initially have a capacity of 5,000 metric tons of cement per day once operational.
He added that the project is expected to create employment opportunities for around 5,000 people, both directly and indirectly.
The cement plant is being constructed in Zindajan district of Herat province, near the site of the province’s old cement factory.
The project is expected to contribute to domestic cement production and increase local industrial capacity in Herat.
