After the fall of the Taliban, there remained a number inefficient state-owned enterprises (SOEs). Unable to make a profit or effectively offer products and services, these banks, businesses, and factories hampered economic growth and depleted vital government resources. Since 2004, USAID has worked to restructure and privatize the enterprises in a fair and efficient manner, ensuring that former state resources are purchased and managed effectively by the private sector.
In February, USAID oversaw the profitable sale of two state-owned enterprise properties in Kabul and Hayratan. Parcels of Samoon Dried Fruit Enterprise and Hayratan Technical Services Enterprise were sold to private sector buyers, who will transform the SOE properties into economically viable businesses. The new owners of Samoon Dried Fruit Enterprise will use the property as either a fruit drying facility or an aluminum factory, creating jobs and manufacturing products in high demand in today’s Afghanistan.