Officials from the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing announced today (Monday) in a program detailing their annual achievements that 57 urban development plans were approved over the past year.

Hamdullah Nomani, the acting Minister of Urban Development and Housing, said that identifying more than 3,100 urban violations and monitoring 443 construction projects were among the ministry's most significant achievements over the past year.

In this program, Nomani mentioned that the work on the Qatari Township project in the Khushal Khan area, the Nile Bagh project in Darulaman, and the Kabul project are currently underway. 

According to him, these projects will be operational soon.

Hamdullah Nomani said: "We have started five projects in the center and provinces, and their construction work is ongoing. I have previously mentioned that our ministry is policy-making."

Madar Ali Karimi Bamyani, the deputy minister of Urban Development and Housing, said in this program: "One of the plans completed by the Ministry of Urban Development and currently being implemented is the master plan for Kabul's road networks. This is a unique and historic move in planning."

The acting Minister of Urban Development and Housing added that there are over 660 townships across the country, with nearly 400 registered by this ministry.

Hamdullah Nomani added about the townships in the country: "There are 662 townships in the center and provinces, of which 399 are registered with the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing, and the rest will be registered in the future. Among these are private townships and some from other ministries, totaling 662 townships."

According to information from the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing, more than 3,100 urban violations have been identified nationwide, and efforts are underway to address them.

Officials from this ministry added in the program that so far, Qatar and China have been actively involved in construction in Afghanistan, and this ministry has also asked the World Bank and other countries to invest in Afghanistan.

Kamal Afghan, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing, added: "Meetings have been held with ambassadors from some countries, asking them to encourage their investors to invest in urban development, infrastructure, housing, and other sectors in Afghanistan and to provide training opportunities for our staff."

Earlier, the acting Minister of Urban Development and Housing, in an exclusive interview with TOLOnews, said that due to corruption from the past, work on 800 projects in the country has been halted.