The head of the Green Industrial Park project in Parwan province, Mohsin Amiri, said on Monday the first phase of the project will be inaugurated by government and the private sector in less than six months.

Amiri said 70 percent of the initial infrastructure, including roads and electricity, has been installed and once land has been distributed to industry owners, the first phase will be inaugurated.

He said the development of the park has been broken up into seven phases.

According to Amiri, the first phase of the park will have the capacity to accommodate 300 factories. 

He stated that over a ten-year period, nearly $4 billion USD will eventually be invested in the Green Industrial Park by the private sector and jobs for about 100,000 people will be created.

“All the international standards have been considered in establishing the park and all the facilities that an industrial park needs, are there. You will (eventually) see a hospital, health centers, and accommodation for workers,” said Amiri.

But a number of factory owners were not so optimistic and said that because of the poor security situation in the country, investors were wary of buying into industrial parks.  

“Government should maintain security of the park. It is true that it has security, but for an investor, it must be 100 percent safe. The second problem is that electricity pylons and electricity cables have been established, but there is no power network in the area and the cables are not connected to a power source,” Abdul Karim Arefi, a member of the industrial union said.

The Green Industrial Park will be established in Barikab area in Parwan province and cover a 3,000 acre area. It will accommodate 1,500 small and medium factories once completed. 

According to the head of the project, Afghan investors who are willing to return from Pakistan will be given land in the park.