Backing Small Businesses Key to Solving Afghanistan’s Unemployment Crisis
According to the results of a recent survey conducted by DID Press, 60% of participants identified supporting small businesses as a crucial solution to reducing unemployment in Afghanistan. The statistic reflects a growing public focus on strengthening the domestic economy and empowering citizens to create local, small-scale jobs.
The survey presented various options for tackling the widespread unemployment problem, with the results as follows:
• Support for small businesses: 60%
• Development of infrastructure and construction projects: 20%
• Expansion of technical and vocational training: 10%
• Attraction of foreign investment: 10%
Analysis: Emphasis on Internal Capacity
Economic experts believe these results demonstrate an increasing societal understanding of the importance of a resilient economy and bottom-up growth. Supporting small businesses can lead to rapid job opportunities, increased household incomes, and revitalization of local markets—especially given Afghanistan’s current economic stagnation and reduced foreign aid.
According to experts, small businesses not only generate job opportunities for various social groups but can also enter the production and service cycle with minimal capital and in the shortest possible term. This sector should be the central focus of government’s employment policies and international aid programs.
Role of Infrastructure and Vocational Training
The development of infrastructure and construction projects ranked second, with 20% of votes, indicating public belief in these projects’ capacity to create short-term jobs and provide long-term employment-generating infrastructure.
In contrast, technical and vocational training and foreign investment each received only 10% of the votes. This lower public confidence in these areas may stem from past program inefficiencies or a disconnect between training and labor market needs.
Conclusion and Recommendations
Based on the survey results, it appears that prioritizing financial, technical, and legal support for small entrepreneurs, launching microcredit funds, providing business management training, and removing barriers to registering small companies should be at the forefront of policymaking efforts.