The World Bank (WB) has approved a grant of 25 million U.S. dollars to Afghanistan, a state-run newspaper reported Sunday.

The grant will be used in improving infrastructure facilities, encouraging private sector, provision of land services and facilities like water and communications, Daily Anis writes.

A strong private sector would provide the foundation for economic growth, long-term prosperity and economic sustainability, daily Anis quoted a statement of the Washington-based lending agency as saying.

The World Bank has contributed 1.6 billion U.S. dollars with major part of it as soft loan to the post-Taliban Afghanistan over the past five years.

Source: Xinhua