KABUL - The joint regional economic project by Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI), has faced more delays inside Afghanistan due to issues of land acquisition and more, according to the local officials.
The construction work of the mega gas pipeline project began in 2018, with a total length of 1,814 kilometers intended to pass through Afghanistan to Pakistan and India. 816 kilometers of the pipeline will pass through Afghanistan through Herat, Farah, Nimroz, Helmand, and Kandahar provinces.
The Ministry of Mines and Petroleum claims that certain essential documents have not been signed yet to start the project. Therefore, “the construction work of the project will be delayed for another six months or so, said Ibrahim Jafari, member of the Natural Resources Monitoring Network of Afghanistan.
The stakeholders of the TAPI project signed the agreement in 2015, with an estimated cost of $22.5 billion, and the work on Afghanistan’s part was scheduled for 2017.
Abdul Qadir Mutfi, a spokesman for the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, said, “signing MoU with the host country (Turkmenistan) is of paramount importance for us among others. Following that, the construction work of the project will begin in Afghanistan.
Economics experts and critics reiterated that the government should focus more on projects like TAPI because they will have a significant impact on the country’s economy and the creation of employment for the local people.
“The chances of the project failing might increase if there are alternatives for it,” said Qais Mohammadi, an economic commentator, and an Assistant Professor at Kardan University. (KHAAMA PRESS)