Japan pledges $6.68m in grant to Afghanistan

KABUL under the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Projects (GAGP), officials said on Sunday.

A contract to the effect was inked between Japanese Ambassador to Afghanistan Reiichiro Takahashi and representatives of non-government organisations.

A statement from the Japanese Embassy said the assistance would focus on arranging vocational training courses for the disabled and construction of schools, hostels, agriculture centres, small water dams and demining campaigns.

It added the projects would be executed through NGOs in Kabul, Helmand, Nangarhar, Baghlan, Laghman, Panjsher, Bamyan, Ghor, Herat and Daikundi provinces. One hundred thousand people will benefit from the projects.

A total of 876 projects, worth $105,322, 172, have been signed under the GAGP scheme since 1999, including the 32 projects signed today.

Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador Reiichiro Takahashi said the construction of 10 schools and 9 health centres was a part of the plans.

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