Industrialists in southern Kandahar province are faced with severe problems due to insecurity, energy shortage and scarce marketing opportunities.
Faizul Haq Mushkani, head of the Kandahar Industrialists Union (KIU), told Pajhwok Afghan News that the energy shortage was the biggest problem for them.
Some of the factories had been closed while others reduced production levels due to lack of electricity, the industrialist said.
He added 10 megawatts of electricity were produced by generators. Officials have pledged the facility will continue until electricity from the solar park or imported power is supplied to industrial units.
Mushkani said there was no fuel for generators to produce electricity while officials had claimed signing a contract for 150,000 liters of diesel. The promised fuel is yet to reach Kandahar.
For the past two months, he added, the Industry had been supplied only six megawatts of electricity instead of 10.
Regarding the 10 megawatt solar energy project, he said it was connected to the Kajakai power station and was not directly supplied to the industrial park.
He explained the devices enabling direct electricity supply from solar project had not been installed so far.
Mushkani said machines in factories had developed faults or had been damaged beyond repair by the low and high voltage of electricity.
He said land had been provided for 746 factories in the Industrial Park. However, only 350 units have been established so far. Of them, 80 function in daytime while 80 operate at night.
Referring to other problems being faced by industrialists, he said the total area of Industrial Park is 2500 acres. Around 300 acres have been grabbed.
He asked the local administration to get the grabbed land vacated so that industrialist could build more factories there.
He said factory owners had paid for the land and gave other taxes but in return they were provided no services by the government.
He said the Municipality had constructed some roads and culverts to prevent possible losses. Fire brigade and health facilities are yet to be provided for the industrialists.
He recalled a recent fire that engulfed five factories in the Industrial Park. The fire brigade office, only 15lm from the park, was unable to send firefighters to the spot in time.
About growing incidents of insecurity, Mushkani said gunmen forced their way into factories recently and decamped with important machinery. Such incidents never happened before.
He stressed there need for more work to explore markets for their products. The provincial government could help a lot in this regard to encourage the use of local products, he believed.
Mushkani reckoned around 4,500 people had been provided jobs as a result of investments in local industry.
If issues related to energy shortage and other problems were resolved, more work opportunities could be generated, he hoped.
Cotton, cooking oil, soap, ice, cartons, plastic pipes, non-alcoholic beverages and food items are produced by Kandahar-based industrial units.
