The Ministry of Mines and Petroleum has announced that work on the TAPI (Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India) project is set to begin in Afghanistan tomorrow (Wednesday), with senior officials from the Islamic Emirate and Turkmenistan in attendance.
According to ministry spokesperson Homayoon Afghan, all preparations for the TAPI project have been finalized. Once work begins, the project is expected to create both direct and indirect job opportunities for thousands of people.
“It is expected that tomorrow, Wednesday, the work on the TAPI project will officially begin in Afghanistan with a ceremony. With the start of this project, thousands of Afghans will find employment opportunities, and Afghanistan will gain access to affordable and sustainable energy,” Homayoon Afghan said.
The TAPI project, a significant economic venture for Afghanistan and the region, has completed 214 kilometers of its pipeline on Turkmenistan soil. This pipeline will annually transport 33 billion cubic meters of Turkmenistan gas to Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India.
The Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI) also views the implementation of the TAPI project as crucial for enhancing Afghanistan’s political and economic relations with regional countries.
ACCI board member Khan Jan Alokozay said: “We hope that there will be no further delays and that the project will start. The importance of this project is immense. With the start of this new work, we believe that a significant change will come to our economy.”
Shakir Yaqoubi, an economic expert, emphasized the project’s importance, saying: “With the implementation of the TAPI project, we expect to earn close to $400 million, more or less, in transit fees and gain access to sufficient gas resources. It will also enhance large-scale economic cooperation and interactions between Afghanistan and regional countries, boost Afghanistan’s transit position more than ever, and secure a favorable and prominent place for Afghanistan in the new economic order.”
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the implementation of the TAPI project will provide Afghanistan with nearly $450 million annually in transit fees.
