The Afghan plastic manufacturing sector has improved significantly in the past few years attracting investment worth hundreds of millions of dollars. 

According to factory owners at least 240 factories operate in Afghanistan and produce plastic goods ranging from piping through to bags, flooring and dishes among other items. 

However insecurity is having a major impact on the sector which was expected to hold a major expo - but due to recent security incidents organizers were forced to cancel the event. 

The first expo of plastic products was held in Kabul last year in May.

“Insecurity negatively impacts our business. Our products will not be better introduced to customers if the expo is not held,” said Siyam Niazi, a factory owner.

One plastic factory is located in Pul-e-Charkhi area in Kabul and manufactures plastic flooring. The factory owner said the firm has 80 percent of Afghanistan’s plastic flooring market share. 

“The market for our products is good. We also send our products to provinces. The products were imported from Pakistan previously but now we have dominated the local market,” said Noor-ul-Haq, a factory owner.

The shortage of electricity, problems with importing raw materials, the increase at markets of similar products, and the lack of required facilities are challenges faced by factory owners, the investors said.

“The raw material is imported with lots of problems from Iran and Pakistan,” said Ahmad Khalil, a factory owner.

The owners claimed that plastic products are imported into the country cheaply which paves the ground for ‘unhealthy’ competition with local firms.

The investors also said they need a safe environment in order to hold expos in future.