The ceremony was attended by esteemed individuals including Mawlawi Abdul Salam Hanafi, the Administrative Deputy of the Prime Minister; Alhaj Mawlawi Najibullah Haqqani, the Acting Director of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology; Alhaj Mullah Abdul Nasser, the Acting Director of the Ministry of Finance; and the Honorable Sheikh Al-Hadith Mawlawi Noor Mohammad Saqib, the Acting Director of the Ministry of Hajj, Awqaf, Irshad and Dawat. Also present were Mawlawi Hamdullah Nomani, the Acting Chairman of the Ministry of Urban Development; Sheikh Noorul Haq Anwar, the Chairman of the Affairs Agency; as well as several ministers and heads of various institutions.
The ceremony, held at ARG, included the reading of a message from the Prime Minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Alhaj Mulla Mohammad Hassan Akhund.
Mawlawi Najibullah Haqqani provided information about the ministry’s work and plans, expressing happiness over the ongoing development and progress in the country since the establishment of the Islamic Emirate. He highlighted that the project entailed the construction of 450 communication sites across 18 provinces, with a total cost of 1.89 billion Afghanis.
Mawlawi Najibullah Haqqani also mentioned the significant achievements made by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology in system building, such as the development of communication systems for various emirate agencies and ministries, including the Department of Electricity, Central Statistics, Ministry of Guidance, Hajj and Endowments, and the management of pilgrims’ affairs, as well as student affairs coordination systems in the Ministry of Higher Education.
The message from the Prime Minister, Mullah Muhammad Hasan Akhund, was read by Qari Abdul Sattar Saeed, Vice President of Strategic and Public Relations of the Office of the Prime Minister. The message emphasized the value of information technology, innovation, and the need for extensive investment in the field to ensure telecommunication services are accessible throughout the country. The Prime Minister considered the opening of this project as a significant step towards expanding telecommunication services and expressed the hope that all regions of the country would benefit from such services.
The message also underscored the joint responsibility to create a framework for the safe and responsible use of technology, preserving religious and cultural values. The Prime Minister advised telecommunication companies to avoid broadcasting illegal content and websites and urged Internet users, especially the youth, to utilize modern technology in a useful and healthy manner.
Mawlawi Abdul Salam Hanafi expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology for initiating this project. He highlighted the National Access to Telecommunication and Internet Infrastructure Services and Development (TDF) program, implemented by the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (ATRA), which aims to provide citizens with access to telecommunication services and extend coverage to remote areas and villages. Through the TDF program, 869 communication antennas have been activated in different regions of Afghanistan, generating employment opportunities for 2,600 citizens.
The Administrative Deputy of the Prime Minister stressed the importance of carrying out major development projects in Afghanistan, such as TAPI, Sher Khan-Pul Khumri, Casa Zar, Herat-Mazar-e-Sharif railway line, and Wakhan Corridor, to maintain stability, prevent economic migration, and combat the drug trade. He also called on other countries not to hinder the implementation of these projects and emphasized the need to provide employment opportunities and alternative crops for Afghan farmers.
In conclusion, the Administrative Deputy of the Prime Minister expressed satisfaction with the implementation of such development projects by the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan through the 2.5 percent tax collected from telecommunication networks. He urged all emirate institutions and employees to provide the best services to citizens.
