Takhar laborers say wait for days to find work

TALOQAN (Pajhwok): Daily wagers in northern Takhar province say they wait for days in Taloqan city, the provincial capital, to find work, but return homes empty-handed.

These laborers complain their economic situation has worsened and ask the government to provide them with work opportunities.

Juma Khan 54, a government employee in the previous government who became jobless after the political change, said: “I was working in the logistics department with the previous government, but I am jobless since two years and live in a rented house with my family.”

He said he daily came came to the main square in Taloqan city to find a job, but often found none.

Juma Khan said: “My economic situation is worsening with each passing day. The current government has dismissed some former employees. We ask the government to reinstate the employees or provide them work opportunities.”

Bismillah, another worker, said: “Lack of employment opportunities and the current government’s refusal to accept employees of the previous government has left us with no choice but to work as laborers.”

“If I work for one day, I remain unemployed for ten days, if someone comes to hire a few workers from Taloqan square, hundred others follow him to try their luck.”

He said: “I live in a rented house; we ask the government to create employment opportunities for the jobless people.”

Mohammad Azim, another worker, told Pajhwok he was a mason and he would previously charge 1,500 afghanis per day, but now he was paid only 500 afghanis due to lack of work opportunities. He said he had found no work since last six days.

According to him, thousands of people from other provinces arrive here in search of work and local workers are grappling with the problem of unemployment.

He added workers from Nuristan, Laghman and Kunduz provinces came here, adding to the woes of local workers.

Takhar work and social affairs director Mullah Saifullah Mubariz said the government was trying to create jobs and unemployed workers will be provided with jobs opportunities.

The governor’s media office officials also said efforts were underway to complete incomplete projects. The gold mine will be given to a Chinese company which will generate dozens of employment opportunities.

He added dozens of people were currently engaged in two roads’ repair projects — Takhar-Kunduz highway and Takhar-Badakhshan highway.

He said the local administration was determined to create a favorable environment for jobs creation.

aw/ma

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