The Chinese government has pledged approximately $300m for the construction of 10,000 apartments in Afghanistan, with a contract to build the first tranche signed by officials last week.
Afghanistan’s Minister of Urban Development and Housing, Sayed Saadat Mansour Naderi, and the Chinese Ambassador to Afghanistan, Yao Jing, signed a contract on 16 March for construction to start on 1,400 apartments in the capital, Kabul.
China will fund construction of 10,000 apartments in total with the initial phase totalling 1,400, said Naderi during the signing ceremony, reports Afghanistan’s Tolo News.
This first phase is expected to take two years, Tolo News reported, with work expected to start within two months.
The Chinese government has pledged to provide $300m for the entire project, which sees more apartments built in Kabul and also in the provinces of Afghanistan, which is reported to have a housing deficit of 2 million units.
"The technical team at the ministry of urban development and housing has completed the planning and design of the project, the location has also been certified including the checking of the land," said Naderi.
Ambassador Yao Jing said: "If this project is accepted by the people and the government of Afghanistan, I believe that the Chinese government will continue its cooperation in this sphere … China is also dreaming of economic development and improvements in the lives of Afghan people."
Image: View of Kabul (Joe Burger/Creative Commons)
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