High-level joint meeting discusses alleviating joblessness

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (MoLSA) says it has held a high-level coordination meeting with relevant ministries and institutions to strengthen cooperation and expand employment opportunities across the country.

In a statement issued on Monday, MoLSA said the meeting was chaired by Minister Mullah Abdul Manan Omari and attended by deputy ministers from the ministries of Industry and Commerce; Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock; Water and Energy; and Refugees and Repatriation, along with representatives from the Ministry of Economy, Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat, chambers of industry and commerce, the Industrialists’ Union, municipalities, the National Statistics and Information Authority, and officials of industrial parks.

During the meeting, Omari emphasized the importance of enhanced inter-ministerial coordination and joint efforts to address unemployment.

He discussed mechanisms for allocating land to industrialists and returnees in different parts of the country, facilitating the issuance of work permits for domestic and foreign nationals, easing procedures for industrialists, preventing the import of low-quality goods, resolving challenges in industrial parks, and prioritizing local workers in recruitment processes to boost job creation.

Omari said the ministry, in line with its mandate, is leading the Committee for Creating Job Opportunities for Returnees to help integrate them into the labor market. Skilled and qualified individuals, he noted, are being registered in the ministry’s database, while those lacking formal education are referred to technical and vocational training centers, schools, and educational institutions to acquire skills and qualifications.

He added that both Emirate institutions and the private sector can utilize this system to meet their workforce needs.

Meanwhile, Deputy Minister for Labor Affairs Mawlawi Mohammad Zahid Ahmadzai described unemployment as a serious national challenge that cannot be overlooked.

He said the Islamic Emirate, particularly the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, remains committed to implementing practical and effective programs aimed at reducing unemployment nationwide.

According to the statement, representatives of cooperating Emirate institutions and the private sector pledged at the conclusion of the meeting to provide employment opportunities for returnees based on an agreed mechanism.

sa/ma