KABUL (SW): Masharano Jirga (upper house) was briefed on Sunday about latest security measures for the TAPI gas pipeline project and the transit trade agreement with Pakistan.
Officials associated with the ministries of trade, commerce, and mining and petroleum were called by the house to answer the queries by the lawmakers and enlighten the members about the matters.
Dawood Shah Saba, Minister for Mines and Petroleum said on the occasion that soon the plan for demining the route and improving security would be implemented for the Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India (TAPI) gas pipeline project.
He added that by April next year, the route for the pipeline inside Afghanistan would be completely cleared-off mines. According to the Minister, the project would provide jobs for thousands of Afghans. Saba informed that the route would be completely surveyed via air and ground.
This multi-billion dollar project is likely to be completed in the next three years. The pipeline passing through south west of Afghanistan would see Turkmenistan supply 90 million standard cubic metres a day (mmscmd) gas for a 30-year period.
India and Pakistan would get 38 mmscmd each, while the remaining 14 mmscmd will be supplied to Afghanistan.
Afghanistan would also earn $ 400 million a year as transit fee.
Separately, the Ministry for Trade and Commerce informed WJ that it would only renew the Afghanistan Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA) once Islamabad addresses Kabul’s concerns in this regard.
Muzamil Shinwari, the Deputy Minister told the house that Islamabad has been barring Afghanistan bilateral trade access to India.
He hoped that the entry of Afghanistan in the World Trade Organization (WTO) would help remove issues related to transit trade with Pakistan. On December 17, WTO accepted Afghanistan as a new member of this global trade body.
Shinwari told the WJ that counties like the U.S, Canada, China and Japan have promised to assist Afghanistan in improving customs and transport infrastructures.
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