ASQA Signs $46M Contract to Upgrade Laboratory Standards and Border Quality Control
2026-05-13
ASQA Signs $46M Contract to Upgrade Laboratory Standards and Border Quality Control
The Afghanistan Standards and Quality Authority (ASQA), as part of its ongoing efforts to strengthen quality infrastructure, enhance laboratory capacity, and standardize goods quality assessment processes, has signed a contract with the international Indian company (TCRC) for the construction and equipping of laboratory complexes at the central level and at nine border ports across the country. The signing ceremony was held at the Government Media and Information Center in the presence of Honorable Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs.
According to the information, the contract is valued at a total of 46,348,292 US dollars with a duration of five years. It covers the equipping of laboratories in three main sectors: construction materials; electrical appliances and equipment; and textiles, leather, and paper.
Officials of the ASQA, stated during the ceremony that the contracting company is committed to constructing standardized laboratory complexes at the designated border ports and supplying and installing advanced laboratory equipment. In addition, the calibration and rehabilitation of existing equipment and the introduction of foreign experts to enhance the professional capacity of staff are also key components of the agreement.
Under this contract, training programs—both domestic and abroad—will be organized for the professional staff of the authority. Furthermore, the process of obtaining internationally recognized certifications from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) will also be implemented.
Officials described the signing of this contract as an important and vital step toward strengthening the quality assessment and control system, supporting standard products, preventing the import of substandard goods, and further developing quality infrastructure in Afghanistan.
