Afghan and Chinese companies are planning to establish a 1.0 Mta cement factory southwest to Masar-e Sharif in the Balkh region in the north of Afghanistan (photo: Chinese delegation with officials of Balkh province). The project will not only meet the cement needs of Afghanistan, particularly in the northern provinces, but will also create employment for 1,000 individuals. Another large plant with a daily capacity of 3000 tpd shall be built in the Yatim Taq area of the Jawzjan province, which is also in the north, close to the boarder with Turkmenistan. A contract for this project with an investment of $ 163m has been signed in October between the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum and the Turkish 77 Company.