KABUL, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The Afghan government has initiated multiple major electricity transmission and distribution projects across three northern provinces with a significant push to address chronic power shortages, the country's Ministry of Energy and Water said in a statement on Tuesday.
The projects, covering Faryab, Jawzjan, and Sari Pul provinces, include the expansion of transmission lines, construction of new substations, electricity distribution networks, and installation of transformers, according to the statement.
Valued at 3.886 billion afghanis (more than 62 million U.S. dollars), the initiatives are fully funded by the Afghan government and will be executed by private sector companies. They are expected to be completed within three years.
Once operational, the projects are designed to substantially reduce electricity shortages and deliver reliable power to thousands of households in the region, it said.
Afghanistan has long suffered from severe and persistent energy deficits, relying heavily on electricity imports from neighboring countries, including Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Iran, and Uzbekistan. ■