The National Procurement Commission (NPC) has approved a total of 25 projects, collectively valued at approximately 6 billion afghanis. In a routine session convened Sunday at Marmarin Palace and presided over by the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund, the NPC scrutinized and deliberated on the projects outlined in the agenda. During this session, a total of 28 projects were tabled for discussion while 25 of these projects received the green light for execution, underscoring the significant progress in this regard. Regrettably, one contract was scrapped while two others were recommended for thorough reevaluation.

The approved projects span various sectors, including but not limited to the Prime Minister’s Protection Department, the Ministries of National Defense, Higher Education, Public Works, Rural Rehabilitation and Development, the Afghan Millie Bank, and Kabul Municipality.

Cumulatively, these ventures represent an estimated value of approximately 6 billion AFN. At the end of the session, pertinent directives were issued to the respective sector ministries and agencies. These directives emphasized the need for timely submission of future projects for consideration and endorsement by the National Procurement Commission.

Kabul residents have expressed their concern over the increase in fuel and gas prices, saying that a liter of gasoline has jumped to 80 afghanis and that a liter of gas to 60.

If industry and commerce ministry does not control the prices, people will face many problems, they said.

The residents meanwhile say these days the price of fuel increases day by day, calling on the Islamic Emirate to take measures to prevent the private sector from raising the prices.

The drivers also complain about the high price of fuel and gas in Kabul city.

“The price of petrol has reached 80 afghanis, and the price of diesel has almost reached to 80 afghanis, and with these prices we cannot even meet our expenses, and we ask the Islamic Emirate to control the prices as soon as possible and prevent the traders because they raised the prices by 20 afghanis per liter and this is an injustice to the people,” said Azizullah, a taxi driver in Kabul.

“The dollar has dropped a lot, but the price of fuel, on the contrary, has increased. The price of fuel should also drop because those who drive taxis cannot cover their expenses with these fuel prices,” said Siraj Ahmad, another taxi driver.

A number of fuel stations authorities in Kabul, however, say the closure of Salang pass has caused the price of fuel to increase.

“The price of fuel has gone up in the world because of the war between Russia and Ukraine, and the second reason is the closure of the Salang pass, which is under construction,” said Zamarai, fuel seller in Kabul.

In the meantime, Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI) Deputy Khairuddin Mayel also say the reason for the high price of fuel in the country is due to the increase in prices in the global markets.

“The rise in global oil prices has caused the price of fuel to rise in the country, and this has a direct effect on the Afghan markets as well. Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment requests all traders who import fuel to pay serious attention to the prices so that our compatriots can afford it,” said Mayel.

Russia is ready to intensify the expansion of Eurasian transport routes, including those to Afghanistan and South Asia, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said.

“Further steps towards the development of the North-South international corridor are a priority. As we have said before, this project can compete with the Suez Canal in terms of cargo transportation, and its implementation will boost trade and economic cooperation between all project participants,” Mishustin said at a meeting with Uzbek Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov, Interfax news agency reported on Monday.

“In this area, we are ready to focus on the expansion of all transport routes on the common Eurasian space, including those to Afghanistan and South Asia,” he said.

Drafting a comprehensive cooperation program to develop rail transport in Uzbekistan was a key objective, Mishustin said while speaking of greater transport connection between Russia and Uzbekistan, as well as the Eurasian space in general. “Russian investors are ready to help upgrade airport infrastructure,” he said.

Uzbekistan’s Aripov said, in turn, that the development of new international transport corridors would allow access to promising markets.

“We support the development of a key transport corridor on the Eurasian continent, the North-South international corridor. We are interested in the joint launch of a new multimodal transport corridor between Belarus, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan. An important aspect of this initiative is the construction of a railroad in the trans-Afghan corridor,” he said.