The program, the latest in a series of popular reality shows that have taken Afghanistan by storm, is more than just entertainment. Its supporters hope that by encouraging small businesses, the program will help Afghanistan’s economy become more self-reliant.
“Small and medium-sized businesses, which are by far the largest employer, be it small self-employed farmers selling a surplus or a shop-keeper, trader ... are the key to achieving such self reliance,” said David Elliot, a development consultant for the program’s makers.
“Yet business skills and thinking, such as financial planning, marketing, competitive strategy, are all relatively new concepts that are needed to create a stronger, more resilient and healthy private sector, capable of being the ‘engine of growth’ for the economy,” added Elliot.
Decades of war have devastated the Afghan economy and infrastructure and Afghanistan is still one of the world’s poorest countries despite receiving billions of dollars of international aid since 2001.
The Afghan government relies on aid for about 90 percent of its total expenditure. Unemployment stands at around 40 percent with 80 percent of Afghanistan’s labour force employed in agriculture. GDP per capita stood at just $1000 in 2007.
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9:15 PM
Moderate Islamist here
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