2000 construction, logistics companies cease operation

KANDAHAR (Pajhwok): About 2000 construction and logistics companies ceased operation in Afghanistan after the regime change, with more than 100,000 people losing their jobs.

These views were expressed by a number of representatives of reconstruction and logistics companies from 32 provinces, who travelled to southern Kandahar province to meet local officials including the governor.

Farid Ahmad Tatar, who heads the association of construction and logistics companies, told Pajhwok Afghan News that they visited Kandahar to seek solution to their problems.

He said since the political changes in the country, about 2000 construction and logistics companies ceased operation.  He said about 100,000 people who worked in these companies were now jobless.

He said these companies completed hundreds of projects during the previous government and hundreds of other projects were being executed when the government collapsed.  He said the government owed them 600 million dollars which it should pay to them.

“The Islamic Emirates should give us our money so that we can complete our unfinished projects and clear arrears of people,” he said.

He said that the private sector was the backbone of the country’s economy and it was the duty of the government to strengthen the private sector so that it could provide employment to the people.

Fada Mohammad Mako, director of the Kandahar-based Association of Construction Companies, also said that the activities of 600 construction and 330 logistics companies in the province had come to a halt.

He added that he had completed work on several roads, retaining walls, buildings and other construction projects in Kandahar, some of which belonged to the government, for which payment had not been made.

He said he had also met with Kandahar provincial officials and the governor had promised to take up the issue with the finance ministry.

Saifuddin, head of a construction company, said 1300 people worked with him on construction projects last year but now all were unemployed.

He had shared his problems with the Ministry of Finance and other officials in Kabul and they had promised the government would pay the money, but the problem remained unresolved.

“The current government should work with us to get the private sector back on its feet, so that we can re-employ tens of thousands of people who are currently unemployed,” he said.

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