Afghanistan pledged $82m aid for road projects Pajhwok Afghan News Mohammad Asif Ahmadzai 13 August 2013 Kabul -- The World Bank (WB) on Tuesday pledged $82 million in aid to Afghanistan through a UN agency which will be spent on blacktopping and reconstructing roads in the country’s rural areas. An agreement to the effect was signed between Afghan Public Works Minister Najibullah Auodjan and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) country director in Afghanistan Mikko Lainejoki in Kabul. After signing the agreement, Auodjan said the assistance would be used under the public works ministry’s programme aimed at improving road conditions in rural areas. He said 1,250 kilometres of roads would be blacktopped and 1000 metres of bridges would be constructed and another 1000km of second grade roads preserved with the assistance. He explained $68 millions of the grant would be spent on construction works and $3.9 million on operation costs and 10.5 million on salaries and facilities to UNOPS employees. He said under the agreement, the UNOPS was bound to train 88 Afghan workers in road designing, administrative and financial affairs. The minister said nearly 1.9 million people would directly and indirectly benefit from the project that would provide job opportunities to more than 100,000 individuals. Lainejoki said the UNOPS would provide technical assistance in designing roads and would cooperate with the Public Works Ministry in financial affairs and improving the capacity of its workers under the agreement. He said Afghanistan had so far received $500m in foreign assistance through the UNOPS.
Posted on: Wed, 14 Aug 2013 04:45:16 +0000
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