Farhad Saffi, looking sadly at his idle Milli Boot Factory in Kabul, is concerned that he is witnessing the failure of a dream for Afghanistan. The factory was once a symbol of local manufacturing and employment opportunities, but a decision by the US government to shift procurement to Afghanistan has resulted in local officials choosing cheaper boots from China and Pakistan. This unexpected change has left Saffi with a surplus of raw materials and no contracts, despite promises of stability from the US government. When the facility first opened, Afghan and US generals were excited to have their photos taken with the local success story. Inside the large white sheds, which used to house PVC piping machinery but now contain high-tech German injection molding and boot-making equipment, US Navy Rear Admiral Kathleen Dussault visited in 2010 to award 23-year-old Saffi with a quality certificate. This allowed the plant to supply the Afghan National Security Forces with top-quality boots under contracts valued at up to $40 million annually. Saffi's leather boots, which had undergone extensive quality testing in the United States, were sold for $62 per pair. In comparison, Chinese-made boots with imitation leather cost the Afghan government $22 per pair in a contract for up to 700,000 pairs per year. Despite the Afghan government's insistence on lower prices, Saffi explained that he could not sell his boots for less than $40, as the cost of the leather alone was $40 per pair. The inexpensive Chinese boots, made of fake leather, tend to fall apart easily. However, from 2002 to the end of 2011, a total of $85.5 billion was allocated for reconstruction in Afghanistan, with an additional $57 billion in international aid. NATO-led forces, responsible for procurement for Afghan security forces during the decade-long conflict, have been following "Afghan First" rules since 2010, prioritizing purchases from local companies to stimulate the economy, create jobs, and support anti-insurgent efforts. Afghan businesses were awarded contracts for items such as uniforms, boots, textiles, furniture, tents, software, and transformers, resulting in the creation of 15,000 jobs and saving $650 million on combat-related imports. Despite these savings, the daily cost of the war is estimated to be around $200 million. The Afghan First Policy aims to prevent locals from joining the Afghan Taliban fighters by providing better jobs and incomes. The $10-a-day Talib nickname refers to the payment offered to potential fighters. Some of the 700 workers laid off from Saffi's factory are considering joining the Taliban due to lack of other job opportunities as Western nations and NGOs plan to leave the country with the withdrawal of NATO combat troops in 2014. The workers believe that reopening the factory is crucial to avoid joining the Taliban for employment. "We need to support our families," explained Ares Khan, 23, while packing some of the final boots being produced by Milli before the government makes a decision. Employees at the factory were making between $400 and $900 per month, which is higher than the average salary in a country where nearly a third of the 30 million citizens live below the poverty line. However, many business owners and workers are concerned that security will deteriorate once Western businesses leave, taking job opportunities and investments with them to safer locations, as the wealthy elite in Afghanistan have been doing for years. Khan's friend, Khair Mohammad, who came to Kabul from Ghazni province, where NATO forces are currently involved in one of the last major offensives of the war, also believes that there is no future outside of the insurgency if the Afghan government cuts off job opportunities. "I am the only breadwinner for my family of sixteen people." Mohammad stated that when he returns to Ghazni, he will need to join the Taliban due to the high living costs in Afghanistan caused by the more than $12 billion spent on the war annually. US military officials have decided to entrust a significant portion of procurement to the Afghan government as part of the transition to Afghan security and control, with responsibility now resting with the Defence and Interior Ministries. Afghan companies, according to Kakiel, have provided a wide range of supplies for the country's security forces, including boots, uniforms, sleeping bags, construction, and IT services. The security forces are expected to total around 352,000. Milli is not the only company facing challenges due to the switch to local procurement. Other uniform and equipment suppliers are also concerned about expiring contracts or losing orders to competitors from other countries. Another company executive, who chose to remain anonymous out of fear of retribution, stated that his company had invested millions of dollars into the business, but their supply contracts are now uncertain. "The government has not confirmed if they will renew our contracts or choose to work with companies from other countries," the executive explained. Lieutenant-General Abdul Basir Asafzari, in charge of logistics and procurement at the Ministry of Defence, expressed concern about the company's reliance on imported materials from the US for manufacturing in Kabul, emphasizing the importance of securing contracts to avoid laying off employees. He noted that only 30 percent of the current supply was sourced from Afghan companies, with President Hamid Karzai urging the military to prioritize local firms. Asafzari explained that Milli's contracts were terminated due to importing substandard boots from China and other countries and misrepresenting them. He stated that Milli failed to meet its obligations. Asafzari stated that there were some complaints from soldiers regarding the quality of the boots. However, Mohammad Akbar Ahmadzai from the NGO Building Markets, which supports entrepreneurs in developing countries to create jobs and investment, confirmed that Milli's boots were genuine and passed US quality tests. Some business experts, who requested to remain anonymous, suggested that Milli and other companies may have faced challenges in Afghanistan's system of bribes and patronage, with more well-connected competitors trying to eliminate them. NATO's Kakiel mentioned that misunderstanding complex contract terms, such as only one year of guaranteed sales, may have also contributed to the challenges faced by Milli and others. In 2011, US agencies contracted over $4 billion to Afghan companies out of a total of $17.3 billion by the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. More than 90 percent of the spending in Afghanistan was on products from Afghan sellers, construction, support services, and transportation. However, an audit by the US government's Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction found that the Afghan First Initiative had issues with contract solicitation and vetting, as well as limited data on claimed employment benefits. Saffi, who returned to Afghanistan after his family fled during Taliban rule, expressed disappointment in both the US government and the future promised by Karzai. His faith in the country and his company has been shaken. He mentioned that many people in Kabul's business community were feeling anxious due to the unpredictable investment environment and worsening security situation. This feeling was heightened by a bold Taliban attack in mid-April. Saffi explained that he had to hire 30 personal bodyguards to ensure his children's safety while attending school, and police snipers were stationed on the roof of his home. He compared the struggles of his failing company to the challenges faced by the country, with himself as the president of his company and Karzai as the president of the country. As his company was declining and employees were leaving, he felt a parallel to the state of the nation. The country will experience the same fate. It is essential for the president to effectively govern his nation.