Herat laborers can’t find work, struggle financially

HERAT CITY (Pajhwok): Laborers in western Herat province are complaining about lack of work opportunities and as a result they are facing financial and economic problems

They say the lack of work opportunities, high inflation and migration have a negative impact on infrastructure projects and the local market has also declined.

Sharifullah, one of the laborers, waits from dawn to dusk for a work opportunity to earn livelihood for his family.

He said he did not get work opportunity these days and often returned home empty-handed.

He said he hardly found work one or two days in a week and earned a small amount of money.

He said on odd days he earned 300 afs and he was the only bread earner for his family and had to work to earn a living.

He asked the government to generate work opportunities for him and other daily wagers.

Samiullah, 50, from the Korakh district of Herat province, told Pajhwok Afghan News that he wanted the government to generate work opportunities for them so that his family could overcome economic problems.

He said he woke up early in the morning from sleep with the hope to get work opportunity and feed his family.

Samiullah said around 100 laborers gather in the city but only a few get the chance to work and most of them return home without earning anything.

Abdullah Suri, deputy head of Work and Social Affairs Department, said they could control work timing, environment and the nature of laborer’s work.

He added: “In terms of financial support, we have no plan for them. Work opportunities for laborers can be generated when infrastructure schemes are lunched.”

Social affairs experts believe young human resources may diminish in the country in the coming years if the government does not pay attention to their survival.

WaezYousfi, one of the experts, said the government could attract investments which could help generate jobs for laborers.

He said the government should generate jobs for laborers in an organized and proper manner and one of the methods is the implementation of long term projects.

The acting government has said that short and long term projects are being planned to generate work opportunities.

nh/ma