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.”