KABUL, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) -- Afghan authorities have initiated construction on a major trading center for petroleum and gas dealers in northern Balkh province, the official media outlet Bakhtar News Agency reported on Sunday.
The 5-acre complex, sited in Mazar-e-Sharif, the provincial capital, is being built at 15 million U.S. dollars. Sayed Karim Hashemi, head of the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment, said the government has created a secure and favorable environment for investment, adding that businessmen are partnering with authorities to drive the country's economic growth, according to the report.
Many petroleum and liquefied gas traders hailed the new center as a significant step toward regulating the market, improving services, and boosting national economic development.
Balkh is considered one of the key provinces that plays a crucial role in oil and gas refining, as well as exports and imports with Central Asian countries, owing to its control over the strategic Hairatan port. ■