CASA-1000 project stalled due to Afghan situation

KABUL (TOLOnews): The CASA-1000 project to build a power line between Central Asia and South Asia has been stalled by turmoil in Afghanistan, Reuters reported, quoting an official privy to the issue.
The project to allow Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, former Soviet republics with an extensive network of hydroelectric power plants, to sell excess energy to Pakistan and Afghanistan in the summer months.
The head of the Tajik project implementation office, Faizali Samiyev, said work on the project, originally scheduled to be completed next year, continued in three countries, but not in Afghanistan.
“(We hope that) contacts will be established with the Afghan side and ways to implement the project will be worked out,” he said as quoted by Reuters.
The Ministry of Economy said that the Islamic Emirate is ready to implement the CASA-1000 project.
“The security is prepared currently for implementation of these projects in Afghanistan and any kind of statement about the turmoil situation in Afghanistan is untrue,” said Abdul Latif Nazari, deputy Minister of Economy.
“With the implementation of this project, Afghanistan will not only receive money for the transmission of power but it will provide the electricity for the country less expensively” said Seyar Qureshi, an economist.
According to some former government officials, Afghanistan will earn an average of $50 million annually.
“In addition to the 300 megawatts of electricity, Afghanistan will earn $50 million in revenue from project,” said Amanullah Ghalib, head of Da Afghanistan Breshna Shirkat (DABS).