Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund Lays the Foundation Stone for a New Gulbahar Cement Factory

The Deputy PM for Economic Affairs, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund, today, Sunday, August 9, 2026, laid the foundation stone for the new Gulbahar Cement production factory in Herat Province.
The Deputy PM for Economic Affairs described manufacturing plants as important for meeting domestic needs, increasing exports, generating national revenues, and promoting the country’s economic growth. He described the construction of this factory for cement production as an important step toward self-sufficiency and said that it would reduce reliance on imported cement, create employment opportunities for citizens, and contribute to the expansion of construction activities.
Deputy PM Mullah Baradar Akhund added that Afghanistan is a country rich in natural resources and that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is making efforts to utilize the available resources to develop the country’s economic infrastructure. 
The Deputy PM said: “From the perspective of modern economic relations, we view the political and economic geography of our country as an economic and commercial gateway. We have transformed our geographical borders into centers of trade and commercial relations and have reduced the level of border-related risks to zero. We have never sought to link trade with political issues; rather, we have always sought to maintain regional and international relations through appropriate economic diplomacy.”
Deputy PM Mullah Baradar Akhund said that tax reductions, exemptions, and other necessary facilities have been provided to support investors, adding that the Islamic Emirate is making further efforts to mitigate the effects of financial and banking restrictions and find appropriate solutions to existing challenges.
The Deputy PM further stated: “Afghans are one nation; they share one another’s pain, sorrow, and happiness. No one here is separate from another. Our people are vigilant and have learned from bitter experiences. On the one hand, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is capable of maintaining the current peaceful situation across the country’s entire territory, while on the other hand, our people themselves no longer allow troublemaking groups to operate on their soil.”
At the end, Deputy PM Mullah Baradar Akhund called on the relevant authorities and the factory’s technical team to complete the construction of the factory on schedule and to ensure that the work is carried out to a high standard of quality.