A statement was issued by MoF saying, the grants are allocated for two projects: USD 45mn for the On-Farm Water Management Project (OFWMP) and USD 83mn for the Naghlu Hydropower Rehabilitation Project (NHRP).
The Memorandum of Understanding was signed between Aklil Hakimi, the minister of fiancé and Bob Sam, head of the World Bank in Kabul Sunday afternoon.
According to the statement, the FWMP provides farmers with improved, reliable, and equitable distribution of irrigation water to increase agricultural productivity. While primary and secondary conveyance infrastructure is being restored and rehabilitated under various other projects, physical improvements of tertiary irrigation facilities are equally important to complement effectiveness of the upstream developments. The latter is thus crucial for enhancing farm incomes and improving food security.
“The FWMP will continue to support efforts to improve agricultural productivity by enhancing the efficiency of water use through the rehabilitation of small-scale irrigation schemes, and helping farmers adopt new agricultural practices,” the statement reads.
The (NHRP) aims to improve dam safety and to increase the supply of electricity at the Naghlu Hydropower Plant, says the statement.
According to Finance Ministry the project will help enhance the reliability of the electric power system and benefit both households and industries, thereby stimulating economic development and growth.
“Both these projects outline the government’s position to improve on water usage in Afghanistan and utilize them for the economic and social development of the Afghan people,” said Eklil Hakimi, “They are also intended to improve irrigation, improve access to electricity, boost jobs creation and provide more opportunities for employment in the agriculture sector in rural areas. In this context, the Afghan government values its partnership with the World Bank and our international partners contributing generously to the ARTF; we look forward to continued cooperation in the various sectors in the years ahead to boost economic development in Afghanistan.”
The overall responsibility for the implementation of the hydropower rehabilitation project will accomplish by the Ministry of Energy and Water and Afghanistan’s power utility, Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS) and the Ministry of Agriculture will also be responsible for the implementation on Farm Water Management Project.
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