KABUL - Calling electricity an ailing sector of Afghanistan, the Energy and Water Minister on Sunday lamented due to lack of proper management even a single dam could not be built in the past 14 years.

Eng. Ali Ahmad Osmani presented his plans for the next 100-days at the ministry. He said the current management system at the ministry was old and there were qualitative challenges ahead of many departments.

Majority of the infrastructural projects, he said, faced managerial and technical difficulties and lack of a strong responsible team had caused delay in affairs of major projects.

Osmani added proper oversight of projects have not taken place and majority of the ministry’s staff could not upgrade their knowledge, creating a lot of challenges in dealing with donors, managements, procurement and evaluating projects.

Lack of these qualities, he added, caused delay in completion of many projects and dams during the last 14 years.

“We are working to create a monitoring unit to exclusively oversee the construction work of dams,” he added.

Osmani said the energy master plan of Afghanistan only focused on import of electricity not domestic generation of power.

More than 60 per cent of Afghanistan’s electricity is being imported from neighboring states of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Iran. People usually complain about high electricity bills.

“The electricity sector in Afghanistan is an ailing sector. With the management that currently exists the problems would not only be resolved, but it would increase,” he noted.

According to Osmani, there was a negative competition between ministry of energy and water and Da Afghanistan Brishna Sherkat (DABS) and the problem was currently fading away.

He did not rule out corruption in some major projects, saying because of problems major domestic and international companies had lost trust over governmental agencies.

He said the ministry had many challenges and in order to meet them they had developed short and long-term plans including the first 100-day plans. (Pajhwok)