STORY: Afghan gov't clears electricity bills to neighboring states, pays 627 mln USD
SHOOTING TIME: Feb. 7, 2024
DATELINE: Feb. 9, 2024
LENGTH: 00:01:21
LOCATION: Kabul
CATEGORY: ECONOMY

SHOTLIST:
1. various shots of power transmission line in Kabul, Afghanistan

STORYLINE:

The Afghan government has cleared all the dues of electricity bills to neighboring states, Hekmatullah Maiwandi, spokesman of the country's power company Da Afghanistan Breshna Shirkat, said in talks to Afghanistan's National Radio and Television (RTA).
   
"We have paid 627 million U.S. dollars to clear all the dues of electricity bills left over from the previous government," the state-run RTA quoted Maiwandi on Wednesday as saying.
   
The official also noted that Afghanistan imports 80 percent of its electricity from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. The country also imports part of power from neighboring Iran.
   
However, the official said the administration has been chalking out plans to generate electricity from domestic sources to overcome power shortages, noting that Afghanistan would generate 710 megawatts of electricity from domestic sources over the next five years. 

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Kabul.
(XHTV)