Badakhshan textile factory to begin producing fabric soon

MAZAR-I-SHARIF (Pajhwok): The textile factory in northeastern Balkh province will start producing clothes as soon as possible and its reactivation has been completed by 95 percent.

The textile factory has been inactive since last three decades and efforts are being made by the caretaker government to reactivate it.

Officials of the factory explained currently they are busy painting the factory and repairing dysfunctional machines and will provide job to thousands of people.

According to officials, the factory stopped operating 33 years ago, many of its parts were destroyed and looted, but now they are determined to restore it.

Factory’s Director Abdul Ghafar Haqqani told Pajhwok Afghan News the factory has 800 machines in cotton processing and textile manufacturing, among them 200 machines worth three million afghanis have been activated.

“Totally, the factory’s reconstruction work is 95 percent completed and will be put into use as soon as possible. For textile production, we are also reactivating cotton processing machines, for which about 2,000 people will be employed”.

Head of Trade and Planning for the factory Abdul Rahman said the factory has the capacity to produce 21 million meters of fabric annually, but now most machines are damaged that it will produce three million meters of fabric annually.

“The textile factory has the capacity to produce 21 million meters of fabric, which requires 3,000 tons of cotton, now with the activation of 200 machines, three million different colored pieces can be produced”: he added.

On the other hand, Faiz Mohammad, financial and administrative officer of the factory, says once the fabric was exported to foreign countries, but if new machines are purchased, it will be able to compete with foreign products.

“We have repaired machines we have not transferred them abroad for repair. This factory has good quality and can compete with the production of Pakistan, Uzbekistan and China”.

This Textile Factory, established in 1347 during the reign of Muhammad Zahir Shah, stopped operating due to wars 30 years ago.

hz/ma