KANDAHAR CITY (SW): Lack of electricity at the Kandahar Industrial Park has led to the closure of more than one hundred production units.
Few years back, the facility was home to more than three hundred factories, but over the years lack of electricity has led to the closure of more than half of them. Baridad Sadique, President of the Union of Industrialists in Kandahar, told Salam Watandar lack of electricity remains the biggest obstacle in this regard. He expressed fear that if situation persists, the remaining production units would also close down that would prove detrimental to the economy.
“We were granted a dedicated 8 megawatt electricity line, but for the past many weeks there is literally no electricity here”, he said. Baridad Sadique added that there are around two thousand people employed in this park, and if the government failed to address the issue of electricity most of them would lose jobs.
The provincial government shares these concerns. Abdul Qayome, deputy chairman of the provincial council, said efforts are underway to resolve the issue at the provincial level, but if things did not work out higher authorities in the capital Kabul would be approached.
De Afghanistan Breshna Shirkat (DABS), the power utility, has also promised to help revive the Kandahar Industrial Park. Amanullah Ayub Farooqui, deputy director DABS, highlighted two reasons leading to shortage of supply here. He added that shortage of fuel for power generators combined with displacement of power supply towers due to the construction of Ahmad Shahi road have resulted in lack of power supply to the industrial park. He promised to help resolve the crisis.
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