KABUL - President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani said his country offered attractive investment opportunities, predicting Afghanistan would be a major iron and copper exporting country in next ten years.
The president expressed these views in his meeting with Chinese delegation, a statement from the Presidential Palace stated on Wednesday.
Referring to Afghanistan’s geographical location and rich mineral resources, Ghani strategy was being mulled to offer more investment opportunities to both local and foreign investors.
“Afghanistan is geographically located in a region which can connect central, northern and eastern Asian states but we need to focus on infrastructure development,” he remarked.
His government has focused on railway track, gas pipeline, construction of roads, developing modern agricultural and irrigation system and creating opportunities for youth.
He asked the Chinese delegation to connect Wakhan to China through railway line.
Afghanistan has vast water resources which have not been properly used due to old irrigation system, the president said, adding that at 26,000 megawatt electricity could be produced had “we used the modern technology which would not be only sufficient for Afghanistan but could also be exported to neighboring states like India and Pakistan.”
According to a new survey, some of the areas had wind for around 250 days of the year which could produce sufficient amount of electricity whereas Afghanistan could also produce 80,000 megawatts to 150,000 megawatts of electricity from solar energy.
Afghanistan is an agricultural country yet depended on export of agricultural items, he said, adding that Afghanistan should find a crop which could replace opium cultivation.
He said that his government main focus was on transit therefore the government was planning to convert the northern and central provinces into main transit centers.
He said around 33 percent of natural resources of Afghanistan had been uncovered which cost trillions of dollars and would turn Afghanistan as major country of iron and copper exporter in next ten years.
“Historically Afghanistan focuses on trade therefore we also focus on expansion of our cities and construct residential buildings according to modern ways,” he suggested.
The president ensured that education curriculum would be changed in order to enhance professionalism among new generation and monitoring from grassroots level up to ministry levels.
The president showed interest to follow China model in a reconstruction therefore an Afghan delegation would be sent to China to sign contracts in sectors where Chinese investors were interested to invest in Afghanistan.
The statement stated Chinese delegation ensured that China would evaluate Afghan president’s demands and would look into sectors where China could invest. (Pajhwok)