Ghori Cement Factories
Pul Khumri city, Baghlan province, houses two large cement factories, each with a production capacity of 400 and 1,000 tons per day. The first Ghori factory began production in 1962 (1341) with a daily output of 400 tons. In 1986 (1365), a contract was signed with Czechoslovakia for the construction of the second Ghori factory. Due to unfavorable political conditions, construction progress was limited to 70% in the construction sector and 30% in the assembly sector. When Russian soldiers withdrew from Afghanistan in 1988 (1367), the Czechoslovakian specialists left, halting the factory’s construction for about 20 years.
In 2007 (1386), the unfinished Ghori Cement Factory was handed over to the private sector, and construction and assembly work resumed with the help of companies from Ukraine, Turkey, India, and Czech experts. By 2011 (1390), the factory was completed and operational.
From 2007 (1386) until November 2018 (11/10/1397), Ghori cement factories, along with Ahandreh, Khurd Dareh, and Cracker coal mines, were managed by the Afghan Investment Company. During this period, the first factory was rebuilt, and the remaining work on the second factory was completed by foreign companies from Ukraine, India, Turkey, and the Czech Republic within four years. The contract also anticipated the establishment of a third factory, but due to various challenges, it was not realized by the Afghan Investment Company.
According to decision number 21 dated January 2017 (10/15/1395) of the previous government’s cabinet, the four mines and Ghori factories were transferred back to the government and later handed over to the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum on January 31, 2019 (10/11/1397). Subsequently, they were integrated into the National Development Corporation on 11/15/1398, as per Presidential Decree No. 28.