_Under the auspices of the deputy prime minister for economic affairs, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund,_ _a contract has been signed between the ministry of mines and petroleum and the Turkish firm, 77 company, to establish a substantial cement production facility in the Yatim Taq area of Jawzjan Province._
_Pursuant to the agreement, the contracted firm is committed to a $163 million investment for the facility’s development, designed with a production capacity of 3,000 tons of cement per day. ministry of mines and petroleum officials have clarified that this contract grants the Turkish company rights to explore, extract, and produce cement, along with obligations to provide social services, over a 30-year duration._
_The inception of this cement production facility is anticipated to generate_ _approximately 1,200 direct employment opportunities for local residents._
_Prior to this initiative, the ministry of mines and petroleum secured contracts valued at roughly $476 million with various domestic and international firms for cement projects in Jabal al-Saraj, Kandahar, and Herat, with the objective of advancing the country’s self-reliance in the cement industry._
