The contract for the Shur Andam cement project was awarded to a private company.

Addressing the inauguration ceremony of the project, the acting head of the Mines and Petroleum Department of Kandahar, Abdul Hanan Hamid, said that $100 million is invested in the project and it will produce 1 million tons of cement per year.

“The production in the first phase will be at a scale to meet the needs of the people,” Hamid said. “It will increase based on the demand of the market.”

Officials of the company said the practical work on producing cement will be kicked off within one year.

“The production will be low initially but eventually, around 5,000 people will be employed here,” Abdul Rahim, head of the company.

Meanwhile, the deputy governor of Kandahar, Hayatullah Mubarak, called on Afghan investors to invest in businesses in Afghanistan.

“Investors and all of those who can help our nation, we call on them to come and serve here,” he said.

Kandahar residents praised the inauguration of the project and urged national investors to invest in such projects.

“This is a good step. This will provide job opportunities for the youth,” said Sulaiman Shah Lalai, a resident of Kandahar.

Kandahar has one of the biggest resources of minerals in the country used for the production of cement.