Officials of some manufacturing factories in Paktika say they are facing significant challenges due to the absence of an industrial park and lack of access to government electricity.
They add that manufacturing factories in the provincial capital, Sharana, are currently operating in private locations, which not only harms the environment but also negatively impacts local residents.
Noor Mohammad, the manager of a plastic products factory in Sharana, says that due to the lack of government electricity, his factory relies on solar power, which is ineffective during cloudy winter months, causing the factory to halt operations.
He adds, “It causes significant losses for us. As a result, we’ve had to shut down the factory. I’ve invested 5.5 million afghanis in this factory, but it has been closed for six months due to the lack of electricity. Many factories in Paktika have shut down because of this issue. Moreover, our factories are scattered in separate locations, when they should be concentrated in one place, with an industrial park created for them.”
Niaz Mohammad, the manager of a papadam manufacturing factory, currently operating in a residential house in Sharana, says that if he is provided with space in an industrial park, both production and sales prices will increase.
He adds, “Our demand is for an industrial park to be built. On one hand, markets are weak, and on the other, rental costs range from six to eight thousand afghanis. Additionally, we need to pay workers’ salaries. If an industrial park is created for us, it will be a great help.”
Shoaib Bayan, spokesperson for the Industry and Commerce Directorate in Paktika, says that to expand industrial activities in the province, a plot of land spanning 1,000 jeribs has been allocated for the construction of an industrial park.
He adds that the construction of the industrial park and the distribution of land will begin soon. Bayan also mentions that efforts are being made to start distributing imported electricity to the province in the upcoming solar year.
The spokesperson emphasizes, “The fact that factory managers are requesting the creation of an industrial park and access to electricity can be resolved. Based on the decree of the Amir al-Mu’minin, 1,000 jeribs of land have been allocated for the creation of an industrial park in Paktika.”
According to data from Paktika’s Industry and Commerce Directorate, there are currently 16 small and medium-sized manufacturing factories operating in the province.
