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Journalism of Courage
The first time landscape architect Minesh Parikh laid eyes on the Kabul Serena Hotel in Afghanistan, all he saw were the 10,000 bullet marks and six gaping holes in the bombed-out structure.
In the last 15 months, Parikh, part of the hotel reconstruction team, has watched bullet holes being filled and work steadily removing the vestiges of war.
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THE INDIAN HAND
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8226; Kabul Serena Hotel: An Aga Khan Foundation project, construction handled by Shapoorji Pallonji 8226; Kabul Airport refurbishment: Aga Khan Foundation/ Shapoorji Pallonji 8226; Lamtex contract for 1,800 tonne of tea worth 1.8 million 8226; B Seeniah and Company Projectsand C038;C 8226; Mohan Exports, supplying electrical and construction material over 1 m 8226; Tata Motors has sold 82 mini buses worth 1.3 |
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8216;8216;The feeling of watching it being rebuilt is great. And Afghans value India8217;s contribution,8217;8217; said Parikh, whose firm is doing the landscaping for the hotel. But the Soviet-era 144-room hotel, among the first projects to take off, is among the few big projects that has full Indian participation. For many Indian firms, the hype over reconstruction hasn8217;t really lived up to expectations.
Only two companies have bagged major reconstruction contracts. One is B Seeniah and Company Projects and C038;C Constructions for building a stretch of road, and Shapoorji Pallonji for hotel and airport refurbishment.
8216;8216;The problem is we are not competitive. Afghanistan is a landlocked country and Pakistan is closed. So Indians have to come through Iran incurring huge costs,8217;8217; said Nand Kishore Luthra, a Tata representative in Afghanistan, who also runs a shipping line.
While contracts totalling around 200 million have gone to Indian companies in the last two years, the reconstruction pie is worth over 2 billion. Most of the reconstruction contracts have gone to American, Turkish and Japanese firms.
8216;8216;There was great hype after the war ended and a lot of companies followed it up by sending people to Afghanistan. But nothing much happened,8217;8217; said an official of the Confederation of Indian Industry. Over 100 Indian companies are registered with the Afghan Assistance Coordination Committee in Kabul. When the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry Ficci opened an Afghanistan cell two years ago to help companies, 200 firms signed up. This is not reflected on the ground. The reconstruction lure has ensured a heavy traffic of companies and businessmen going to Afghanistan to see if they can get a share of the pie. Some are successful, others are not.
Companies keep sending representatives on a recce to check out the opportunities that are present. Recently, a
Larson 038; Toubro team went to Afghanisation to look at road construction work. The company is interested but cautious. 8216;8216;Things are stable to a point. But we are taking it slowly,8217;8217; said an official.
The bomb attack outside the Indian embassy three months back has shaken things up, forcing firms to take a second look. Almost 30,000 kms of existing road network needs to be rebuilt and widened. Sunil Kumar, an export manager for a South Indian export house, returned after a recce in Afghanistan optimistic yet worried.
8216;8216;There are a lot of opportunities, but there are many problems too. The line of credit needs to be improved and people there are used only to the cash system,8217;8217; he said.
Ficci sources said that another deterrent is the slow movement of funds. A lot of projects are yet to start because funding hasn8217;t arrived.
8216;8216;Indian companies are not that many. And there aren8217;t many big projects going around,8217;8217; added PK Rakheja, deputy general manager of Shapoorji Pallonji.
According to businessmen travelling to Afghanistan, the projects start when funding is released by the European Union or foreign-based NGOs. It8217;s difficult for Indian companies to fulfill strict EU norms, say sources. 8216;8216;The problem is that the population first requires food, medicines and clothing. It8217;s a country still trying to get its basics right,8217;8217; said Parikh.
Middle-level businessmen interested in export and import business are, however, thriving. Afghanistan embassy officials in India remain optimistic and say that Indian companies are more welcome then others.
8216;8216;Indian companies are good for Afghanistan. They have technical expertise and are more economical. Afghanistan is starting from zero, now they are growing. Many big projects will be coming up8230; for hydropower, factories and road construction,8217;8217; said Mohd Ayoub Omarzada, commercial counsellor.
