KABUL (TOLOnews): Officials from the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs said during a program presenting their one-year achievements that employment opportunities for 1.5 million people in various sectors will be created over the next five years.
According to the officials, this plan will be implemented based on 15 agreements signed at the National Labor Conference.
Officials said that, based on the decree of the leader of the Islamic Emirate, all laws, regulations, and procedures of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs have been revised considering current needs and to ensure the welfare of employees and the public in both the government and private sectors.
Mohammad Zahid Ahmadzai, Deputy Minister of Labor at the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, said during the program: “Forty years of war have passed in Afghanistan, and the unemployment rate is low, despite much propaganda in this area. Even for countries that consider themselves very advanced, the unemployment rate is low.”
Rahimullah Sarah, an advisor to the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, said: “The labor law, social law, and the review and revision of 40 legislative documents have been sent for approval to the high authorities.”
The Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs added that in the past year, over 74,000 people have been provided with technical and vocational training needed in the job market.
Samiullah Ebrahimi, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, spoke about the ministry’s achievements, such as following up on commitments from the National Labor Conference, distributing work permits, gathering comprehensive information on the labor market from 27 provinces, and pursuing the signing of agreements with countries like Qatar, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates to send skilled workers to these countries.
Samiullah Ebrahimi also mentioned that establishing employment centers at the regional level, monitoring the activities of employment agencies, organizing training and technical programs, addressing child labor cases, and continuing support programs for orphaned and destitute children are other achievements of the past year.
Samiullah Ebrahimi added: “To send individuals abroad for work, nine agreements have been signed in Dari, Pashto, and English with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and meetings have also been held to finalize them.”
Officials at the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs also reported that in the past year, more than 118,000 work permits were issued to domestic citizens, and 3,381 permits were given to foreign nationals. Similarly, the ministry has identified 70 hazardous jobs with health risks and informed factory owners of the working conditions and important standards for these jobs.
