From a total of 835 construction projects granted to the Operation and Support Office of the President for National Development (OSOPND) over the past two years, works have been completed on 720 of them.
 
The government argues that speed and quality are two important qualities of the OSOPND, but the OSOPND has confirmed that it had completed the work only on only 113 projects over the past two years.
 
“One of the projects is the administrative complex in Darulaman and a 600-bed hospital, which takes time, but other mini projects like gymnasiums, they will not take much time once there is suitable weather for the work,” said Hujatullah Mojadedi, head of the media department of OSOPND.
 
“Qasr-e-Shahi, the tomb of Ghazi Amanullah Khan and the 1000-bed hospital have not been completed on time as they had pledged to complete these projects by a specific timeline,” said Israrullah Murad, member of the Nangarhar provincial council.
 
“There are a few people who manage these projects and they get these projects. Because of this, these projects are not built with good quality,” said Majid Akhundzada, member of the Helmand provincial council.
 
But a report published on the website of the National Procurement Authority (NPA) indicates that the work on at least five projects for the construction of 10 school buildings and mosque and some other projects were extended.
 
“If these projects were completed on time, there was no need for an extension of the work. These projects exist in the center of the provinces, they have access to them, they have got financial capability, but, despite that, the deadlines of these projects are extended,” said Sibghatullah Tamim, the technical deputy of Afghanistan Builders Association.
 
“Initially they had no financial issue, secondly, they were not present in the free competition, third, they had no procedure required for the bidding process,” said Mohammad Anwar, an architect.
 
Although OSOPND says that it had given a role for private firms on the projects, on January 16, the Afghanistan Builders Association (ABA) strongly criticized the Afghan government--particularly the Operation and Support Office of the President for National Development (OSOPND)--for applying a ‘double standard' to the private sector in Afghanistan in the bidding process for contracts. The union said the move has had a negative impact on the activities of the private sector in the country.
 
ABA blamed the current situation on the National Unity Government (NUG) because following its inception in 2014 there has been a massive reduction in the number of construction companies. ABA says numbers went "from 1,200 down to 600" since 2014.