Wednesday August 24, 2016
Kabul (BNA) Recently, the World Bank (WB) officials have announced to assist $70 million to help Afghanistan in reconstruction of water supply system and development sectors.
The WB representative to Afghanistan, Toro Konishi said he hopes with implementation of the new projects, the ground is paved to control the waters and floods and to mechanize the country’s agriculture sector. Meanwhile, welcoming WB assistance to Afghanistan, officials of the ministry for energy and water stressing that part of the money will be spent on controlling of waters and some on access of people to drinking water in the future. Ali Osmani, Minister of Foreign Affairs told media that water supply system will be constructed in all provinces of the country, adding 222 water supply networks have been recently established, through which 21,000 hectares of lands will be irrigated. The ministry expects that by utilizing of the projects, almost, 400,000 families will access potable water, and job opportunities will be paved for thousands, Osmani added. The ministry is making effort to apply the second development program of the Mohammad Dawoud Khan era, and many water and power dams’ agreements are expected to be signed in the future.
In the meantime, a number of lawmakers, experts and citizens while welcoming the WB assistance to Afghanistan, told that the amount should be fairly spent in all provinces. Herat people representative, Saljouqi in the parliament believes that controlling of the country’ waters can pave better way to farmers, because, Afghanistan is a country where most of its waters are being used by the neighboring countries, particularly Iran. Therefore, if investment is made on controlling of waters, Afghanistan will face economy growth in the future, Saljouqi further said. Head of international relations of the chambers of commerce and industries, Azrakhsh Hafizi said, ‘this is the responsibility of the government to further pay attention to construction of power and water dams, bridges, railways and other public utility facilities.’ Unfortunately, despite billions of dollars aids to Afghanistan, the country has not considerably got improved in infrastructural projects, Hafizi further said.
To better practice its economy programs, the government should propose a comprehensive proposal to donor countries, particularly the World Bank which is the biggest donor to Afghanistan so further attention is paid in infrastructural sector. A Kabul university lecturer at the economy faculty, Saifudin Saihoun said, ‘there is no doubt that the infrastructural projects play important role in economy growth of the countries.’ A number of citizens believe that the government of Afghanistan should propose better developing programs to donor countries to attract their further cooperation with the country. Mohammad Reza expects the assistances to be transparently spent on infrastructural programs, because, Afghanistan is among the countries which need more commitments and aids of the donor countries. Temor Shah said, ‘the government should spend the assistances on infrastructural fields, because, despite pouring billions of dollars to Afghanistan, still the country is faced with many challenges in infrastructural projects.’ This is while that over the last fourteen years, the government of Afghanistan has paid less attention to private sector, improving infrastructures, establishment of railways and using resources and mines of the country.
Suraya Raiszada
