BAGRAMI INDUSTRIAL PARK PLOTS SALE

Thirty-four plots of the first ever built industrial park in Afghanistan were sold to local businesses on November 29 at the Afghanistan Investment Support Agency (AISA) in Kabul.

The event was organized by the Industrial Parks Development Authority (IPDA), a division of AISA, which is facilitating the construction and sale of a series of industrial parks throughout Afghanistan.  The first phase of the project includes the development of industrial parks in Kabul, Mazar-e-Sharif and Kandahar, and is financed by a 10 million USD grant from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

93 local entrepreneurs, short-listed among more than 200 applicants, took part in the sale.  The President of AISA, Mr. Noorollah Delawari, and Industrial Park Advisor, Mr. Malik Mortaza, opened the event and illustrated the characteristics of the Bagrami park in Kabul.  Ranging from 1000 to 4500 sq. meters, the 34 plots were assigned to the Afghan investors through an anonymous and random drawing procedure.  Over 1.6 million USD were generated by the sale.

Mr. Malik Mortaza, Industrial Parks Advisor, announcing the new owners of the Bagrami park plots

The Bagrami park, located 7 km southeast of Kabul, will provide businesses a combination of high quality infrastructure and services, unavailable elsewhere in Afghanistan, including professional management, reduced financial risk, clean land title, reliable electrical power supply, 24 hour security, paved roads, and central water and sewage system.

Launch of first Business Advice Center
in Afghanistan

In Kabul, Afghanistan the Signage of Memorandum of Understanding ceremony was held on the 21.October.2004 between the UNDP and the Ministry of Commerce to establish the first Business Advice Center in Afghanistan.

This will be the first full service advice centre in Afghanistan. It is being set up under the Ministry of Commerce/UNDP Partnerships for Private Sector Development project. The delivery of high quality and relevant business development services to Afghan businesses is a key component of the project.

Planned to be opened throughout the country in the future, Business Advice Centers will deliver a range of business education and development services to Afghan businesses to access finance and penetrate new markets and create international partnerships. The services to be delivered include assistance with:

•  Business plan writing, bank facility proposals and investment proposals

•  Business skills, marketing, distributions, accountancy, operational management, information technology and human resource management

•  Train the trainer courses to support a sustainable business support service in Afghanistan

The first BAC will be opened in Kabul, with consultancy capacity and training sessions in November 2004 and a full range of services will be available in April 2005.

For more information about this Business Advice Center visit their website at: www.afghanbusinesscentre.com

Industrial Park Conference

A conference on Industrial Parks was held in Sadarat Gul Khana palace on 14. September 2004, and was participated by a considerable number of national investors. During the conference detailed explanations were given concerning the methodology of land distribution in Bagrami Industrial Parks being constructed with a 10 million dollar assistance provided by the USAID. 

This park is going to be constructed on 24 hectares land area and its electricity, water supply, communications, canalization and maintenance works will be funded from the same source. He said: Until now a great number of investors have submitted their applications for obtaining lands in Bagrami Industrial Park, which will be reviewed by AISA’s High Commission. In view of manufacturing capacities of their respective factories and companies land plots from 1000 to 4500 m2 will be distributed to them.

 Afterwards Mr. Amin Karimi, President, Kabul Chamber of Commerce & Industry, on behalf of traders and manufacturers said: Until now various sources such as the ministry of light industries, Kabul municipality and the AISA are working on land provision and distribution, which has caused a headache for the traders and investors. He also said that land plots in the industrial park have been provided to the investors and manufacturers against fair prices and on the basis of long-term installments, therefore, in order to coordinate the process a joint commission should be set up regarding distribution and valuation of plots in the industrial parks.

Following Mr. Amin Karimi, Mr. Obaidollah Ramin, President, International Chamber of Commerce of Afghanistan, said: International Chambers of Commerce of Afghanistan will provide opportunities for the growth of private sector as well as for international commerce on the basis of free market principles. Touching upon problems faced by the national traders, he continued: the present situation of ambiguous and vague regulations has been reckoned as the main obstacle for the growth of national and international commerce. We hope that the government would devout full attention to this issue. Afterwards Mr. Greg Polk and Mr. Malik Mortaza, advisors to the Industrial Park Organization, talked about the role of the industrial parks in the growth of national economy.

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