Nimroz youth want industrial development, jobs creation

ZARANJ (Pajhwok): Some youth in southwestern Nimroz province have complained against unemployment and demanded the creation of factories in the province.

They said due to the lack of industry, unemployment had surged in the province and daily tens of youth go to Iran and other countries illegally.

Ahmad Wasai Noorzai, the resident of Zaranj City, told Pajhwok Afghan News he went to Iran three times until now but after six months he was sent back. He has the responsibility to look after and support eight member-family and daily go to the city for work but during the entire day he is just able to get work for three days.

He said: “In Herat, Kandahar and Badakhshan industrial parks existed and hundreds of youth are working in a factory but unfortunately businessmen and industrialist never think about the establishment of industry in Nimroz province.”

He hoped that acting government would take steps towards industrializing Nimroz province.

Shakaib Sarwari, another Nimroz Youth, also complained against unemployment and said: “One or two weeks in a month we find work, I hope to find work in a factory permanently with a fixed salary.”

He called on industrialists and investors to establish factories in Nimroz instead of investing in foreign countries.

He believed establishment of factories in the country would help generate jobs and prevent the import of below the standard items.

Economic Affairs Expert Sakhi Shahbazi has stressed over the creation of factories and termed it vital for job generations and addressing economic problems faced by the people.

He said Nimroz has the capacity and opportunities for investment, adding the province had the status of economic connectivity and linked Afghanistan with water as well.

He added: “On the part of the previous government, measures were taken to attract investment, including the allocation of land for an industrial town, the construction of Zaranj Delaram road, the development of Zaranj port, the construction of 60-meter road, the development of infrastructure in Nimroz customs, the construction of Zaranj airport, the signing of contracts with the countries of Iran and India in the development of Chabahar commercial port in Iran and the allocation of land for Afghan businessmen and investors, etc.”

Referring to investment and business opportunities he said after political change in the country investors fled the country and got their investment out of the country.

But Ishaq Joya, deputy head of the Industrial Park and in charge of trade affairs at Chamber of Commerce, said 27 factories were functional in Nimroz province that produce drinking water, electric equipment, cooking oil, oxygen and ice.

He said each factory hired up to 25 persons considering their production and this employment percentage was little comparing to the average unemployment in the province.

He liked the lack of factories in the province with the non-availability of industrial Park and unfriendly weather of the province.

Najibullah Khashrudi, operation in-charge of the Chamber of Commerce, said the number of factories in the province were limited which included small flour mill, shampoo production, oxygen and others.

“There is no ease for businessmen to establish a factory, for example, in Iran they give free electricity for ten years to establish a factory in order to encourage businessmen to establish a factory, but in Afghanistan, our electricity is imported and it costs money for the investor,” he said.

He said currently 27 factories were functional in the province in which around 300 people are working.

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