Kabul: Maidak Wardak officials said multidimensional programs are initiated in an apparent attempt to bolster people’s economy but residents of the province complained of growing joblessness.
Locals expressed their concern regarding absence of factories and other reproductive centers in the province.  
Attaullah Khugyani, spokesman of Maidan Wardak governor, said the provincial government has initiated multiple programs to facilitate trade related and other institutions, expressing optimism that the drive would leave positive impact on locals’ income and boost their economy.
He said 90 percent work has been done to establish an industrial city in Maidan Wardak, adding that it would multiply industrial activities, which would help generate more job opportunities for the locals.   
He said for the first time in Maidan city, a big fruits market is being built and 50 percent its construction work has been completed.
With the inauguration of the market, all fruits from the province would be brought to the fruit market from where the traders would export them to other countries as well.
He said Maidan Wardak is widely known as a fruit production province, underlining the need to export its fruits locally and abroad by keeping in view international standard and procedure of its packing. After the completion of fruit market, fruit orchards would witness boom in the province on the one hand while on the other its people would become busy to do their own work.
He went on to say 50 percent work on construction of cold storage facilities for fruits and market has been completed.  
Officials of the province said coal mines are found abundant in Behsud, Sayed Abad, Daimir Dad and the center, where contract of the precious chromites have been awarded to foreign contractors.
They said Maidan Wardak has around 30 coal mine where precious stones could be found however, five mines are being under proper use.     
They underlined the need to construct bus station, Chak power dam, increase power capacity from Tajikistan to Maidan city and extend of handicraft business, which would multiply economy of the province.
Governor’s spokesman of the province said land for construction of juice factory has been handed over to businessmen. Outlining his government achievements, he said refined seeds have been disbursed with milk collection with dairy processing centers are also established.
He went on to say that land for building of standard factory for fruits is handed over to businessmen. He went on to say cold storage facilities for fruits with 2000 capacity are built, which is being utilized by the owners of orchards.
Agriculture:
Maidan Wardak agriculture department said 224 green belts and two cold storage with 500 tones capacity have been established in Maidan city and another cold storage facility bearing 1000 tones capacity are built in Sayed Abad district.
Sources said as many as 11 underground cold storages have yielded positive outcome. At least 26 veterinary clinics and ten animal drug stores have been established. 
Orchards spread on over 10, 246 hectares of land, officials of agriculture department said, saying most of them are apple orchards. Similarly, the milk collection centers, plantation and cultivation of saffron projects are established elsewhere in the province.
Former community is extended off and on with refined seeds, fertilizers, advanced agriculture machinery and other kind of needed cooperation. Formers then shared their experience with their community, which helped increase their crop production.
Different kinds of workshops have been conducted in an apparent attempt to create awareness among the former community, which yielded positive results.
Business and investment:
Hazrat Muhammad Janan, deputy provincial head said a number of projects are completed in the province, which helped multiply the economic activities in larger interests of the people.
He informed an industrial township would be built for business community and a land of 200 hectares has already been allocated for the purpose. He said the plan of building an industrial township would attract heavy investment and create more job opportunities for the people.
However, he said growing insecurity is a matter of concern, which is the biggest stumbling block in way of progress and prosperity. He went on to say if security is improved then his province is a matchless zone for investment. The province has immense geo-strategic location with the Kabul- Herat and Kabul- Bamyan highways pass through the province while it lie in close proximity with Kabul where one could get easy access to his orchards.
Residents of Maidan Wardak expressed their concern the work done in the economic sector cannot be appreciated, saying joblessness led people to face serious problems.
Residents of Chak, Sayed Abad, Daimer Dad, Narkh, Jalrez and Jaghtu districts expressed optimism if a proper market is found for their apples and measures are adopted to export the apples then it would leave far-reaching positive impact on the economy of poverty-stricken masses of the province.
Azizullah, traders of apple fruit said he use to get tens of tons of apples every year, which he exports to other provinces and countries as well.
“It is a matter of sorrow for me when I see the matchless apples of my province being sold in plastic bags in Kabul bazaars on throw away prices,” he remarked.
He lamented the provicne did not get competent officials during the last decade to help them explore a good apple market or to introduce a standard procedure to export their fruit to other states. He said apples and apricot of his province are exported to Pakistan, India, UAE, Saudi Arabia and other states, adding however, that its export has now diminished to great extent.
Shabir, an orchard owner in Narkh district said if the government extedn cooperation to explore a better market for fruits with special reference apples and apricot then they could be exported to foreign countries. He said it would enhance income of the formers.
“For the last decade, we are selling our apples in plastic bags on roads on throw away prices,” he grieved.
He said that in good old days, businessmen from other provinces used to come to buy their apple orchards, which helped created working opportunities for locals. However, now the traders do not come to invest in the fruit orchards because of widespread insecurity.
Another local Hussain Ali said the province has precious stones and chromoites but authorities failed to benefit and explore the natural resources of the province, which would help control the spread of menace of poverty and joblessness.
Handicraft:
Female and elderly women of the province use to weave shawls, jackets and involve with the business of embroidery and then sell their products locally as well as in other provinces.
Most of the female are expert in weaving a special kind of clothes but they too complain regarding the absence of a suitable market for their product. They complained their profession has double labor than its income.
But Khugyani said a vast park is under construction especially for womenfolk of the province, which would not only help female to present their handicraft but would ease their problems.