Herat: Women’s shopping centre thriving again

HERAT CITY (Pajhwok): Some shopkeepers in the Khadijatul Kubra Women Shopping Centre are happy over recent improvement in their business activities.

Fawzia Sadaat, an official of the centre, said it was the only commercial plaza where women sold their handicrafts and other products.

Sadaat recalled, in the past, no woman visited the shopping centre. Lately, however, the number of visitors and customers has significantly spiked.

“In the initial days of the Islamic Emirate, women’s businesses suffered a setback but the situation has now improved,” she added.

Sadaat acknowledged: “Government officials have also started supporting us. We have been facilitated in terms of reduced shop rents.”

Some businesswomen and shopkeepers, meanwhile, hailed government support and said they were paying reduced shop rents and, therefore, they were able to earn more.

Marjan Hakimi, one of the businesswomen, said she had been running her business over the past few years.

She said during the initial days of the present government, her business suffered a setback, but yje situation had improved recently.

“After the reopening of our shops, women consumers have started visiting the shopping centre. It’s a positive sign. We hope the government will provide us more support.”

Lina Amini, another businesswoman, also voiced happiness over the improvement and said their businesses were once again thriving.

According to Herat City Municipality, 30 shops are currently open in the Khadijatul Kubra Business Centre. All shop have been rented out to women for 500 afs a month.

Municipality spokesman Nasir Armal said in the past each shop was rented out for 4,000 afs but in order to support businesswomen, the government had cut the rent to 500 afs.

The objective behind slashing rents was to encourage women shopkeepers and the municipality always tried to support them.

Husna, one of the consumers, said: “Shopping at this business centre is comfortable. It is the government’s duty to facilitate such initiatives and provide more support to women so that they could go shopping without any problem.”

nh/mud

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