Asian Development Bank (ADB) Tuesday lent 35 million U.S. dollars to Roshan, a leading Afghan mobile phone operator, to finance its network expansion, as that more Afghans can use cellphones.

An agreement was signed between the two sides during a ceremony held here, at which three other multilateral institutions and commercial banks also announced a total loan of 30 million U.S. dollars to Roshan.

The loan will significantly enhance the network coverage for Afghanistan, officials and businessmen at the ceremony said.

ADB, based in Manila, the Philippine capital, defines its mission as to help Asian and the Pacific countries reduce poverty, and improve their citizens' life.

Roshan, established in Jan. 2003, has 850 thousand subscribers in this country with a population of about 24 million.

The company, which is currently present in over 150 major cities and towns throughout Afghanistan, will be expanding the service to another 70 or more towns and cities after receiving the loan.

At present, there are three cellphone operators in Afghanistan, providing services to around 1.5 million customers.

Mobile phone services have improved greatly in this war-weary country in the past five years after the Taliban regime's collapse in late 2001.

During the extremist regime, few people could use cellphones and citizens only had access to very old-fashioned telephones.

At the ceremony, Afghan Communications Minister Amirzai Sangin said, "The financing secured by Roshan .. has had a direct, and positive impact on Afghanistan as a whole, including increasing employment and improving business efficiencies."

Source: Xinhua