KABUL, May 19 (Xinhua) -- Construction has commenced on a landmark 200-million-U.S.-dollar iron smelting plant in eastern Afghanistan's Logar province, marking a significant stride toward the country's economic independence, the official Bakhtar News Agency reported on Tuesday.
At the inauguration ceremony, Mawlawi Ahmadullah Zahid, deputy minister of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, highlighted the initiative as a key pillar in the country's push for self-sufficiency.
He noted that the Afghan government has allocated 100,000 acres of land for industrial townships over the past year, an unprecedented move compared to previous decades, aimed at fostering large-scale investment and domestic production capacity, said the report.
The privately funded facility is expected to generate 1,000 direct jobs and create indirect employment opportunities for an additional 10,000 people. Officials anticipate completion of the facility within the next four years.
According to official data, Afghanistan has achieved full self-sufficiency in iron smelting, with 45 major iron-smelting plants currently operational across the country. The sector has attracted more than 500 million dollars in investment, representing a significant milestone in the nation's industrial development and economic independence. ■
