HERAT CITY (Pajhwok): Ten new factories with more than $62 million investment have been inaugurated in the Industrial Park of western Herat province, creating hundreds of direct and indirect jobs. These factories produce medicines, food, dairy products, carpets and flour.
Abdullah Dayan, head of Arwin Pharma, told Pajhwok Afghan News he invested eight million US dollars to establish a pharmaceutical company. The company currently manufactures 78 types of medicines, he said, adding they plan to increase the number to 150 soon.
He said the factory provided direct jobs for 80 people and indirect work for about 1,000 others, while has representatives in 28 provinces.
Dayan identified land shortage as a major challenge and urged the government to allocate more plots for industrialists.
Separately, Nabiullah Azimi, CEO of Herat Bakhtar Carpet Company, explained they had invested five million US dollars in their facility, creating 50 direct jobs. The company produces 3,500–4,000 square metres of carpets daily and has a monthly capacity of 100,000 square metres.
He stressed the need for investors to diversify their investments across different sectors.
Economic experts hailed the opening of the factories as a positive step toward Afghanistan’s self-sufficiency and added the move would generate jobs, reduce unemployment, increase domestic production, reduce imports and transfer technology.
Ghulam Haidari, an expert, claimed establishing factories would first reduce unemployment and then boost national income.
Meanwhile, Mohammad Nasir Amin, head of the Chamber of Industries and Mines, cited lack of land as a key problem and called for urgent allocation of industrial plots.
The new factories produce medicines, food, dairy, carpets, flour and other products with total investment exceeding $62 million, he added.
Governor Maulvi Noor Ahmad Islamjar welcomed the launch of the factories, pledging continued support and more facilities for traders and investors.
According to officials, the number of factories in the Industrial Park has grown in recent years, with nearly 1,200 facilities now operating across various sectors.
