Today, in the presence of senior officials from the Islamic Emirate, the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum formalized an agreement with Turkey's 77 Company to begin cement extraction and production in the Yateem Taq area of Jawzjan province.

Acting Minister of Mines and Petroleum, Hedayatullah Badri, announced that Turkey's 77 Company would invest $163 million to establish a cement production plant in the region. During the signing ceremony, the minister highlighted that the new facility would have the capacity to produce 3,000 tons of cement daily, directly creating over 1,200 jobs and fostering economic growth in the area.

“This company will invest 163 million USD in this factory, and it will have the capacity to produce 3,000 tons of cement per day.” Hedayatullah Badri added.

According to Badri, the contract for cement production in Yateem Taq, Jawzjan, with this company is for a period of 30 years.

Meanwhile, Turkish ambassador to Kabul, Cenk Ünal, said at the ceremony that signing this project contract is significant and impactful for Afghans.

Cenk Unal said, “I am pleased that Turkish investors are investing in Afghanistan and are interested in this field. We will follow this project closely because it is vital for Afghans. The signing of this project will encourage other Turkish investors to invest in Afghanistan as well.”

Süleyman Ciliv, president of Turkey’s 77 Company, said: “Annually, we will produce approximately 1.5 million tons of cement. In the first year, we will complete our assessments, and in the second year, we will begin the pure production of cement for Afghans.”

Previously, the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, aiming to make the country self-sufficient in cement production, had signed contracts valued at approximately $476 million with several domestic and international companies for the cement projects of Jabal Saraj, Kandahar, and Herat.