Optimism & Hopes For Inauguration of TAPI Project
Monday, February 19, 2018
Kabul (BNA) Implementation work on Turkmenistan – Afghanistan – Pakistan – India (TAPI) gas pipeline will start in six days in Herat where optimism and hopes have increased among local officials and residents for inauguration of the project. A spokesperson to Herat governor Jailani Farhad told media: “Afghanistan will soon host an extraordinary ceremony in which high-ranking officials of TAPI member countries will participate.”
Jailani stressed that the project would have big economic b
enefits to TAPI member countries, adding that Afghanistan hoped that the member countries would act on their commitments for successfully implementing the project.
“We will witness the inauguration of work on the implementation of TAPI project in Herat at the end of this week – all preparations in procurement and security affairs have been taken and the province will host the high-level guests of the TAPI member countries,” Jailani added.
Construction on the project started and was opened by leaders of TAPI member countries and President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani in Turkmenistan in Dec 2015.
The pipeline will be 1,735 kilometers long and have the capacity of transferring 33 billion cubic meters of gas from Turkmenistan to Pakistan and India through Herat, Farah, Helmand and Nimroz provinces of Afghanistan.
Afghanistan is expected to get $500 million in transit duty annually from the project.
A number of Afghan economists and experts have said that implementation of TAPI project besides other big development projects would change Afghanistan as key transit and economic corridor in the region.
Related to importance of the project, Shir Ali Tazri, Head of Social Center of Afghanistan Sciences Academy told The Kabul Times correspondent: “Undoubtedly, TAPI project is one of the most important and biggest projects that can economically connect four countries in the region.”
“Fortunately, we will witness the inauguration of work on TAPI project in Herat within a week and it will be a new chapter in our relations with countries in the region as work on the project has already started,” Tazri said, adding that by implementation of the project work opportunities will be provided to thousands of Afghans in the country.
Meanwhile, Herat residents have held happiness ceremonies and festivals to welcome the inauguration of the work on the TAPI pipeline project. They hoped that the TAPI project could help maintain peace and stability in Afghanistan.
On the other hand, Khanjan Alokozay, Deputy of Afghanistan Chambers of Commerce, says currently most of investors are ready to invest millions of dollars in various sections of the project. He said that the project was also very important for private sector of Afghanistan. “The TAPI pipeline project has key and principal capacity as most of the project’s sections need investment and Afghanistan private sector is ready to invest in this sector and wants to jointly work with the government,” Alokozay said. He stressed that further attention should be paid to maintaining security of the project, adding that by implementation of the project railway, optic fiber and electricity would be also extended from Central Asia to South AsIa
shuja-Mohammadi