US$200m cement plant to be established in Balkh

Local officials in Balkh province (Afghanistan) have announced that Afghan and Chinese companies are planning to establish a cement factory in the region at an estimated cost of US$200m. Malawi Noorulhadi Abo-Edris, deputy governor of Balkh, told a Bather Agency reporter that these companies are set to invest in the construction of a cement factory in the province, valued at US$200m. 

He further explained that the factory will be built on 1,214,000m² (300 acres) of land, with a production capacity of 1Mta of cement. The project will not only meet the cement needs of Afghanistan, particularly in the northern provinces, but will also create employment for 1,000 individuals. It is hoped that the establishment of this factory will educe the import of cement from neighbouring countries and is a significant step towards self-sufficiency for Afghanistan.