KABUL, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- A fully automated steel rod production factory has been completed in Afghanistan's northern Balkh province with an investment of 30 million U.S. dollars and is expected to begin operations within a month, local media TOLOnews reported on Wednesday.
The factory is the first fully automated steel rod production facility in the province, according to the report.
The establishment of the factory is expected to increase the country's domestic steel production and reduce reliance on imported steel products, the report said.
The project comes as Afghanistan has been seeking to expand domestic manufacturing and promote investment in the industrial sector. ■