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foreign currency and, at times, due to a halt in the import of cement, an inability to implement her development projects. Losses sustained due to these problems in the not too distant past have been overwhelming. The first sizeable cement factory in Afghanistan started operation in 1958 and achieved its maximum daily production of 100 tons only this year. But since the need for cement is constantly increasing, the decision was made to embark on the immediate construction of another and bigger plant. The new plant with the daily capacity of 200 tons (expandable to 400 tons per day) is being constructed at Kataghan with the co-operation of the Czechoslovak Techno-Export. All the raw materials necessary are to be found almost on the spot and electricity will be supplied by the Second Puli-Khumri hydro-electric plant. Construction work has already started and some machinery has arrived on the site. It is expected that the plant will begin operation in the fifth year of the Plan. WORKSHOPS All the machines and items of mechanical transport imported into Afghanistan require constant maintenance and repair. If facilities for this were not available, the machinery and vehicles would be lost to the country without having fully served the purposes for which they were imported. This in turn damages the nation's economy. So to reduce such heavy losses the establish-ment of several repair workshops for vehicles and other machinery in various parts of Afghanistan has been undertaken as part of the Economic Plan. These workshops are being built at the following sites :— H.M. The King visiting the Cement Factory at Jabalussaraj 1. The Jangalak Repair and Hardware Factory. This factory was primarily estab-lished as a workshop and training centre for the Textile Company. This year it was made independent of the Textile Company, and with Govern-ment capital, it was transformed into a factory for metal work and repair of vehicles. There are the following sections in this factory: smelting, casting, spare parts manufacture, engine repair works and repair shops for other machinery. The vehicle repair shop can handle 1,000 per year. The tractor repair shop can handle 50 per year. The stationary engine shop can handle 25 per year. 55