Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the deputy prime minister for economic affairs, visited Ghor province on Thursday to provide support to citizens affected by recent floods, the deputy PM’s office said in a statement.

During his visit, Baradar met with provincial officials and assured them of the necessary cooperation in addressing the damage caused by the floods.

He emphasized the importance of efficiently managing relief efforts and urged officials to serve the vulnerable citizens with utmost honesty and dedication.

He reiterated that the officials of the Islamic Emirate are committed to promptly addressing the needs and problems of the affected countrymen wherever they occur.

At least fifty people were killed after heavy rains and flooding swept through Ghor in Afghanistan last month.

At the time, Islamic Emirate officials said that 2,000 homes had been completely destroyed and up to 4,000 partially destroyed by the rain in the province.

Hundreds of hectares of agricultural land, hundreds of bridges, culverts, dams, hundreds of thousands of productive and non-productive trees were destroyed, and thousands of cattle were destroyed, officials added.

At a regular Economic Commission meeting this week, discussions centered around a number of key projects including the construction of a second Surobi Dam in Kabul province and the production of 300 megawatts of electricity from natural gas in Jawzjan province.

According to a statement issued by the office of Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the deputy prime minister for economic affairs, a draft proposal for construction materials for the ministry of mines and petroleum was also discussed.

Chaired by Baradar, the meeting involved comprehensive discussions on these critical issues, the statement read.

The ministry of water and energy was tasked with conducting technical discussions with various companies regarding the construction of the second Surobi Dam.

The ministry was also urged to consider the Economic Commission’s opinions and present its findings in a report to the commission.

Technical discussions with the company proposing the 300-megawatt gas-fired electricity project in Jawzjan province set to take place

Additionally, the ministry of water and energy was instructed to engage in technical discussions with the company proposing the 300-megawatt gas-fired electricity project in Jawzjan province.

These discussions will involve representatives from the ministry of mines and petroleum, who will submit a detailed report to the Economic Commission on the project’s feasibility and on technical aspects, the statement read.

The commission also addressed a draft proposal from the ministry of mines and petroleum concerning construction materials, including sand, gravel, and bricks.

The Economic Commission, chaired by Mullah Baradar, met this week in Kabul

After a thorough evaluation of the draft proposal, the task of finalizing the proposal was assigned to a committee led by the ministry of mines and petroleum.

Once the proposal has been finalized it will be sent to the office of the Islamic Emirate’s supreme leader for approval.

Powering Afghanistan

Energy production is a priority for the Islamic Emirate government as currently it relies on neighboring countries to supply it with over 50 percent of its current electricity needs.

While hydroelectric dam projects are high on the priority list for the government, gas-fired power generating projects are also being carefully considered – especially as Afghanistan has an estimated reserve of about 15 billion cubic feet of natural gas.

Currently, there are gas fields in nine areas of Jawzjan province and the IEA continues to encourage investment in the natural gas to electricity sector.

This process in the country is not however new, as one trailblazer has been successfully supplying electricity to hundreds of thousands of people for the past few years.

The company is Bayat Power, Afghanistan’s largest, Afghan-owned and operated power production company – which boasts the region’s most technologically advanced gas fired electric power plant.

Launched in 2019, this commercial operation provides reliable and affordable electric power to hundreds of thousands of people in the country.

Located in Sheberghan, in gas-rich Jawzjan province, Bayat Power has steadfastly aimed to provide essential power for Afghanistan’s economic growth.

Bayat Power’s Siemens SGT-A45 ‘Fast Power’ turbine is the world’s most advanced mobile gas to energy power solution

Powered by a Siemens SGT-A45 ‘Fast Power’ turbine, the world’s most advanced mobile gas to energy power solution, phase one of Bayat Power-1’s operations generates up to 44 megawatts of power for Afghan homes and businesses.

To date, Bayat Power has delivered well over one billion kilowatts of domestic power to the Afghan grid.

However, Bayat Power hopes to eventually roll out three phases in total that will generate more than 200 megawatts of electricity – enough to serve millions of Afghan residential and commercial clients.

Since its launch five years ago, the power plan has generated significant tax revenues for the government, created thousands of direct and indirect job opportunities for Afghans, contributed to the nation’s economic condition and fostered new technical skill sets amongst talented citizens.

In recognition of Bayat Power’s commitment to the country and its people, the company was awarded the prestigious Asian Gas Power Award 2023 last year.

Bayat Power awarded the prestigious Asian Gas Power Award 2023

At the time, Bayat Power’s CEO Ali Kasemi said it was an honor and a privilege for the company to receive the accolade. He also said the award was an acknowledgement of the hard work and tenacity of Afghans in their quest for energy security and self-sufficiency in the power sector.

“Bayat Power is extremely proud that the Asian Power Awards have recognized our project as the Gas Power Project of the Year in Afghanistan. But we are even prouder of our continued efforts to improve the lives of Afghans across the country, enabling students to study at night, allowing health workers to provide critical services 24/7, supporting factory production, and lighting up cities, streets, mosques, schools and homes nationwide,” said Kasemi.

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Today marks 1,000 days since Afghan girls were banned from attending secondary schools – a ruling imposed by the Islamic Emirate in December 2021.

In a statement marking the day, UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said: ““Today marks a sad and sobering milestone: 1,000 days since the announcement banning girls in Afghanistan from attending secondary schools.

“1,000 days out-of-school amounts to 3 billion learning hours lost.

“For 1.5 million girls, this systematic exclusion is not only a blatant violation of their right to education, but also results in dwindling opportunities and deteriorating mental health.”

She said the rights of children, especially girls, “cannot be held hostage to politics” and that their lives, futures, hopes and dreams are hanging in the balance.

Russell also stated that the ban impacts the humanitarian crisis and has serious ramifications for Afghanistan’s economy and development trajectory.

“Education doesn’t just provide opportunities. It protects girls from early marriage, malnutrition and other health problems, and bolsters their resilience to disasters like the floods, drought, and earthquakes that frequently plague Afghanistan.”

She called on the Islamic Emirate to allow all children to resume learning immediately.
The UN has not however been the only organization to repeatedly call on the Islamic Emirate to lift the ban on girls’s education.

Just last month, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) called on the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) to respect Afghan girls and women’s right to education and work.

In a declaration issued after the OIC summit in Gambia, the organization described the right to education and work as the fundamental rights of Afghan girls and women, and called for more communication with the IEA authorities on these issues.

The Islamic Emirate has however stated in the past that the issue of education of girls and women is an internal matter and countries should not interfere in it.

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