Ghani okays contracts for projects worth 3.6b Afghanis

Monitoring Desk

KABUL: President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani has approved the contracts for ten new contracts during the last meeting of the National Procurement Commission (NPC).

The Office of the President, ARG Palace, in a statement said the contracts for the new projects worth around 3.6 billion Afghanis and were approved for the implementation during the NPC meeting chaired by President Ghani.

The contracts approved during the meeting include procurement of 121 ambulances from Uzbekistan, procurement of an apartment and a villa for two fallen members of the security forces, and procurement of 29,000 cubic meters of asphalt material for Kabul municipality.

Other contracts approved during the meeting include construction of a 175 meter bridge in Taloqan city of Takhar, procurement of 22 meter boxes for the State-owned electricity firm, and reactivation of pilons factory in Hutkhel of Kabul.

The National Procurement Commission also approved contracts for 500kV substation project in Arghandi of Kabul, repair work of Naghlo hydropower systems, procurement of 15 vehicles for the central statistics department, and procurement of a vehicle for the administrative office of the president.

Ghani approves Takhar ex-governor as deputy for National Security Council: President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani has approved the appointment of the former governor of Takhar province Major General Mohammad Yasin Zia as the deputy for the national Security Council.

The Office of the Chief of Staff of the President in a statement said Maj. General Zia’s appointment as the deputy of the national security for the armed forces was proposed to President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani.

The statement further added that the proposal of the national Security Council regarding Maj. General Zia’s appointment has been approved by President Ghani.

According to Office of the Chief of Staff of the President, recommendations regarding the promotion of Zia’s rank from Major General to Lieutenant General has been also been approved.

Gen. Zia has worked in various government fields during the past several years including as the provincial governor in some provinces.

He also served as the deputy head of the Afghan intelligence, national directorate of security in the past.

His last post in the government was in northeastern Takhar province where he was serving as the provincial governor of the province.

Zia was appointed for the post by the government in the year 2015 but due to unknown reasons he stepped down from the post.