ISAF Joint Command - Afghanistan
2010-12-D-101
For Immediate Release
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KABUL, Afghanistan (Dec. 9) – Afghan ministry officials, international aid representatives, and International Security Assistance Forces had a meeting at a local flour mill in an industrial park in Mazar-e Sharif to discuss operating the mill more efficiently.

 The U.S. Agency for International Development built the industrial park in 2005 to provide a location for industrial businesses to operate. Most of the plots of land have been purchased by local Afghan businessmen.

 One of the few drawbacks of the industrial park is that it does not have a power source, so businesses provide their own through the purchasing of generators. Recently, the flour mill had to install a new outside generator, cutting into the business’ profit margins.

 “The only concerns with the clients who own property in the park is if there is no generator installed, they cannot compete with other people at the market,” said Satar Baqi, owner of the flower mill. “So it is only a problem of electricity. We work around the clock when the power is on to produce the amount of flour we need to sell.”

 During the meeting, the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and ISAF discussed the possibility of routing power from a nearby generator or building a new one for the industrial park. During the shura, it was determined that a ten megawatt generator would supply the park with all the power it needs.