Sada-e Azadi

The second Afghan Business Conference in Lashkar Gah, Helmand province, attracted nearly 200 representatives from 132 Afghan companies at the beginning of January.

The first conference was held only three months ago, but it was so successful that organizers decided to hold another one. The purpose of these conferences is to bring Afghan companies together with organisations that need contractors to implement reconstruction and development projects in Helmand.

The conference is based on the Afghan First Policy, which directs that Afghan businessmen receive contracts for construction in Afghanistan instead of third-country nationals, keeping money spent on Afghanistan in the country.

A total of seven buyers, including representatives from US Marines, United Kingdom and Afghan non-governmental agencies, came to the conference to meet with Afghan companies.

Mohammad Tahir Paiman, manager of the Muslim Kandahar Contracting Company, had seen many construction projects done by Afghan companies. He did not know, however, how to get involved before he heard about the success of the first conference from his business associates.

“Today I introduced myself to the Marines here and they were very interested in my work,” said Mr Paiman. “Now, I am looking forward of doing my part to rebuild Afghanistan starting from my own community.”

The conference hall in which the second conference took place was a product of a contract created at the first conference. It was built by Humdullah Barakzai’s construction company.

“Here, we are learning how to bid for a contract, how to take part in reconstructing our country,” said Barakzai.

He added that it is vital for Afghans to take ownership in the future of their country. “Participants will notice a huge difference because they will be a part of the development,” he said. “They will see what kind of promotion they have brought to their own society by their own hands.”

Most contractors in attendance passed out CDs and booklets promoting their skills and suggesting ways they could assist in rebuilding their own communities.

“I have come across businessmen at both conferences that said, ‘Hey, I’m from a supply company, but I have got trucks, so if you need things transported, I can do transportation,’ ” said Lieutenant Colonel Zachary Bennett, development officer for US Marines’ Afghanistan civil affairs. “So I am finding that these Afghan businessmen are very flexible.”

Afghanistan is on the road to meeting international business standards on many levels and the widespread participation at the conference demonstrates all parties involved are ready to do business for Afghanistan.