Finance Minister Eklil Hakimi on Monday signed a $415 million USD agreement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to expand electrification in the country.

Part of the money will be provided by donor countries and some international organizations and the remaining will be paid out by ADB.

Hakimi said through this money a sub-station will be built in Pul-e-Khumri city in Baghlan province from where it will route Turkmenistan-imported power to the central provinces as well as distributing locally generated power to provinces.

The sub-station to be built in Pul-e-Khumri city will have the capacity to transfer 500 megawatts of electricity and will connect the new 500 megawatt power line of Turkmenistan imported power and the extended 500 megawatt power-line to Kabul city. 

According to the agreement, a power line with the capacity of transferring 220 megawatt electricity will be linked to Bamiyan province from Dushi district of Baghlan province and then it will be extended to eight other provinces.

Hakimi said if the project is implemented, nearly 150,000 people will get electricity.

“Government is committed to provide electricity for Afghanistan citizens and that by implementing this project, the problem of lack of electricity will be solved,” he said.

He also said that since the start of the new fiscal year, the Ministry of Finance (MoF) has collected more than 160 billion Afs in national revenue.

“Government’s income increased in the new year than the last year and that it shows government is committed to bring reforms in economic sector,” he said.

Thomas Panella, head of ADB meanwhile said the lack of electricity in the country has affected economic growth negatively and that by implementing the project lots of challenges will be resolved.

“This will bring urgently needed power to Afghanistan that will eventually reach Kandahar once the southern line is finished by USAID,” he said.

ADB has provided more than $2 billion USD to Afghanistan to make electricity available to Afghan people and said it will continue its support in this sector.