450 construction firms suspend activities in Kabul

KABUL (Pajhwok): Only 50 of around total 500 construction companies are operating in capital Kabul while the rest have suspended their activities due to economic issues and arrival of winter.

SeyedJavadHaidari, head of New Afghanistan Construction Companies Union, told Pajhwok Afghan News, “Only 50 of total 500 construction companies which are members of the union are currently active while the rest others have shut their activities.”

He added that after the fall of the previous government, construction companies faced problems with the freezing of money by donors and the United States.

Haidari said that the second reason for the closure of these companies was arrival of cold and snowy winter.

“The reason why 50 companies remain active is that these companies work in service sectors such as power generator maintenance, electrical systems and plumbing,” he added.

He said that 90 percent of the active companies also had very limited activities.

Haidari said that construction companies currently owed money to cement sellers, gasoline sellers and engineers, and they may face serious problems if failed to clear their arrears.

On the other hand, MulaviHamidullahMesbah, spokesman for the Ministry of Public Works, told Pajhwok that the previous government owed about three billion afghanis to construction companies.

“There are also companies which maybe indebted to the government,” he said.

Mesbah says that the leadership of the Ministry of Public Works will appoint committees to review the performance of these companies and the government would pay their arrears based on the direction of the leadership of the government.

mds/ma

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