KABUL, May 20 (Xinhua) -- The Afghan government launched construction of a major residential complex at 150 million U.S. dollars on 21 acres of land in Mazar-i-Sharif city, the capital of northern Balkh province, on Tuesday, reported the official Bakhtar News Agency on Wednesday.

Invested and managed by the private sector, the housing complex with 1,448 apartments would have all the facilities of modern living conditions, including a school, a health center, a sports stadium, and other necessities, said the report.

Speaking on the occasion, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar said that the government would continue to support the private sector and believes that cooperation and coordination between the government and the private sector is vital for the development of the post-war nation.

Post-war Afghanistan has been facing a housing shortage due to over four decades of war and the influx of refugees daily, as more than 2.5 million refugees have returned home since early 2025.

Baradar also said that the government has finalized a series of plans for urban development to overcome housing shortages in the country.