War-Weary Afghanistan Seeks Iran Help in Rebuilding Power Infrastructure

Afghan minister of water and energy has invited private companies in Iran’s power sector to help his war-ravaged country rebuild its electricity infrastructure. 
Mohammad Gul Khulmi, who met with Iran’s deputy energy minister, Homayoun Haeri in Kabul at the weekend, said: “Afghanistan is interested in using the experience of Iranian companies in expanding its power infrastructure. Barely 40% of Afghans have access to electricity,” IRNA quoted him as saying.
Afghanistan is in dire need of electricity and the need is growing, Gul Khulmi stressed.
After four decades of conflict, Afghanistan’s power sector is slowly recovering, but still a large part of the population does not have access to the grid. Even those connected to the network suffer from frequent blackouts, sometimes up to 9–15 hours a day, which impacts residential and commercial users and severely hampers economic growth.