Our business is 80 percent down, say Kabul carpenters

KABUL (Pajhwok): Some carpenters in capital Kabul complain about the lack of work opportunities and ask the government to halt the import of furniture.

They expressed concern at the worsening situation for their profession and said carpentry was on the verge of decline in the country.

Farhad, a professional carpenter at Afghan Turk Company, complained that carpentry work was on the decline and said: “There is no work for carpenters, before the fall of Ghani government there were more opportunities for work. Up to 18 carpenters would work at one shop, but now six persons are working.”

He complained about the fall in income and added for the past two months he was unable to pay the rent of his shop.

He said “if there is opportunity to work, we can pay our shop rent but if there is no work how we shall pay our rent and livelihood expenses. Our revenue declined by huge margin from monthly 100,000 that we earned in the past.”

“We want the Islamic Emirate to stop the import of furniture in order to encourage local production so that carpentry sector could be empowered.”

Mohammad Nader, another carpenter in Kalola Pushta area, also complained about the lack of work opportunities and said he run a furniture shop for the past 20 years. “Our work is on the decline, we cannot even pay our rent.”

“We are eight members family, I did not pay my shop rent for the past three months. In the past we paid 17,000 afs but now we pay 8,000 afs and we cannot earn that as well.”

Ahmad Mansour, another carpenter, said work is down by 80 percent. “We cannot pay shop rent and salaries of our workers.”

He also asked the international community and the government to support the people of Afghanistan economically to pull them out of crisis.

Nh/ma