Speeches Shim
The Asia Foundation-Afghanistan, with the support of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), launched the 15th annual Survey of the Afghan People (the Survey). First launched in 2004, this year the Survey gathered the opinions of more than 129,800 Afghans across the country on elections, corruption, security, women’s rights, service delivery, the economy, migration, and peace and reconciliation. It is the broadest and longest-running nationwide survey of Afghan attitudes and opinions.
All over the world, there are obstacles blocking women’s progress in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). In Afghanistan, USAID is trying to address this though our Promote Women Scholarship Program. Promote Scholars enrol in post-graduate degree programs in India followed by internships in Afghanistan.
Salang Tunnel, which is the only access in the eastern Afghanistan for commercial route, linking Afghanistan to Central Asia. The tunnel is a strategic asset through which over 80 percent of Afghanistan’s north-south commerce passes.
The 25 megawatt (MW) Herat Wind Farm will demonstrate the commercial viability of generating affordable, reliable, and accessible power from wind resources in northwest Afghanistan. The private sector Independent Power Producer (IPP), 77 Construction, will design, build, own, operate, and maintain the 25 MW Wind Farm in Herat for 20 years under a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS), the Afghan national electric utility. As part of USAID’s effort to create opportunities to support private sector investment, USAID will cost-share the project with the IPP, contributing $23 million of the $43 million project cost. The power produced by the wind farm will help meet the residential and commercial energy needs of up to 300,000 Afghan citizens and businesses.
The 10 megawatt (MW) Kandahar Photovoltaic Power Plant is the first-ever private-sector investment in Afghanistan’s renewable energy sector and began commercial operation on October 16, 2019. USAID provided $10 million in incentive funds, by employing an innovative reverse auction platform, to select an Independent Power Producer (IPP) to build, own, and operate the plant.
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