Provincial line director illuminates city bazaar

PAKTYA PROVINCE, Afghanistan— Hundreds of bazaar shops will soon brighten thanks to a contract deal between the Paktya Provincial Government and a local engineer.

Laolo Edin, the Paktya Province director of power and Engineer Wali, who is also an Afghan contractor, met with Paktya Provincial Reconstruction Team engineers Jan. 9 to discuss providing electricity to shops in the Gardez City bazaar.

The project will affect about a mile stretch of the road and will provide electricity for 300 to 400 shops, Wali said.

“Previously, the shops either ran without electricity, or relied on a weak, area-wide generator,” Wali added.

The project is a part of a larger plan intended to bring electricity to most of the city, said Edin.

“Such projects provide benefits for all people in the city, and I’m happy to have a part in it,” the director of power added.

Electricity is a sign of progress and allows the Afghan government to reach into homes and expand influence, 1st Lt. Cale Reeves, a Paktya PRT engineer from Angleton, Texas, said.

Construction projects must be vetted through the Paktya Provincial Development Plan before they are approved for funding; allowing the Afghan Government to prioritize community needs and meet higher-level development goals.

Not only is the Gardez bazaar project Afghan-proposed, approved and executed, it is also largely Afghan-funded, Reeves said.

“The director of power is predominately using his budget to fund the project, the PRT’s contribution assists only about a third of the overall cost,” he said.

This approach is consistent with a larger strategic view, in which Afghan projects are migrating from purely direct-assistance funding, through PRTs, government organizations and donors, toward on-budget funding through Afghan national processes.

As such, the director of power is one of the pioneers, in helping the new process evolve as national budget mechanisms mature, U.S. Air Force Col. James Forand, PRT Paktya commander from Auburn, Mass., said.

“The director of power is one of the most proactive directors in Paktya,” Reeves said."It is inspiring to see his motivation and dedication as a government director while GIRoA works to provide a secure, sustainable nation."

The PRT regularly partners with Afghan contractors to conduct quality assurance inspections for ongoing projects.  During inspections, project managers assess progress, determine current status, verify adherence to predetermined timelines, and identifying things that need to be corrected.

As with the budget process, this approach is evolving to a more Afghan-initiated and led cycle to ensure it becomes an institutional part of Afghan daily activities. 

The civil engineers at Paktya Provincial Reconstruction Team facilitate the reconstruction effort and reinforce national and local development priorities.