Announcement

New National Electricity Corporation Brings Better Service

The GIRoA established the new national electricity corporation, Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS).

Kabul, Afghanistan  | Thursday, October 15, 2009

Photo: U.S. Embassy/Kabul

Ambassador E. Anthony Wayne (seated, second from right), Coordinating Director for Development and Economic Affairs, joined Afghan officials (from left to right: Minister of Urban Development Pashtun, Minister of Economy Shams, Minister of Energy and Water Khan and Minister of Finance Zakhilwal), and other international donors to announce the Afghan Government’s launch of a new utility corporation on September 30, 2009 in Kabul.

On September 30, the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan established the new national electricity corporation, Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS).  DABS is owned by the Government of Afghanistan, but will introduce private-sector practices into its business operations, such as setting new salary rates for employees and more efficient billing and collection practices.  This critical step will lead to improved electrical services for the Afghan people.

The United States, the World Bank and other international donors have worked closely with Afghanistan’s government to establish DABS, which will further increase the amounts of electricity available for Afghans’ houses and businesses.  The U.S. Government, through USAID, has invested $4 million in DABS to date and pledged another $40 million over the next two years as part of its overall $1.7 billion energy sector program in Afghanistan.  Ambassador E. Anthony Wayne Coordinating Director for Development and Economic Affairs at the U.S. Embassy summarized the occasion by saying, “The creation of this new electrical utility corporation  demonstrates the Afghan Government’s continued commitment to provide electricity, an essential public service, in a way that will improve the lives and prosperity of the people of this great country.”