Farhad Saffi is feeling disheartened as he looks at his Milli Boot Factory in Kabul, where expensive machinery once produced boots for police and army, now covered in plastic sheeting. The factory, which provided jobs and showcased local manufacturing in Afghanistan, was considered a symbol of hope. However, the Afghan government's decision to source boots from China and Pakistan instead of supporting local businesses has led to the downfall of Milli. Saffi was promised contracts until 2014 by the US government but was abruptly informed of cancellation by the Afghan government, leaving him with $30 million worth of unusable raw material. When the plant opened, Afghan and US generals were eager to have their photos taken with a local success story inside large white sheds that were once used for PVC piping machinery but now house high-tech German injection molding and boot-making equipment. In 2010, US Navy Rear Admiral Kathleen Dussault visited to award 23-year-old Saffi with a quality certificate for the plant, enabling it to supply top-quality boots to the Afghan National Security Forces under contracts worth up to $40 million annually. Saffi's leather boots, which went through thorough quality testing in the US, were priced at $62 per pair, while Chinese-made boots with imitation leather cost the Afghan government $22 per pair in a contract for up to 700,000 pairs per year. Saffi explained that the Afghan government prioritizes the lowest price, despite his production costs being higher. He voiced his frustration as he looked at a room filled with leather and raw materials purchased from Taiwan, stating that the government requested him to sell the boots for $15 per pair, even though the leather alone cost him $40. The Chinese boots made of fake leather are not durable but inexpensive. Between 2002 and the end of 2011, Afghanistan received $85.5 billion for reconstruction, and $57 billion in international aid. NATO-led forces have been following "Afghan First" rules since 2010, which require them to prioritize purchasing from local companies to support the economy, create jobs, and support anti-insurgent efforts. Afghan businesses have received contracts for uniforms, boots, textiles, furniture, tents, software, and transformers, creating 15,000 jobs and saving $650 million on imports for combat-related expenses. Despite these efforts, the war in Afghanistan is estimated to cost $200 million a day. The Afghan First Policy aims to prevent local individuals from joining the Afghan Taliban fighters by providing them with better job opportunities and higher incomes. This strategy, known as the $10-a-day Talib, refers to the payment offered to potential fighters. With the withdrawal of most NATO combat troops in 2014, some of the 700 workers laid off from Saffi's factory are considering joining the Taliban due to lack of other options for employment. They believe that reopening the factory is crucial to avoid resorting to joining the Taliban for work. "We need to provide for our families," stated Ares Khan, 23, as he prepared some of the final boots to be made by Milli unless the government has a change of heart. Employees at the factory were earning between $400 and $900 per month, which is significantly higher than the average income in a country where a large portion of the 30 million residents live below the poverty line. However, there is concern among businessmen and workers that security will deteriorate once Western forces leave, resulting in a loss of job opportunities and investment. This has been a trend in Afghanistan for many years, as the wealthy elite have moved their money to safer locations. Khan's friend, Khair Mohammad, who moved from Ghazni province to Kabul, where NATO forces are currently involved in a major offensive, also believes that there is no future outside of insurgency if the Afghan government stops providing jobs. "I am the only breadwinner for my family of sixteen," Mohammad stated. Mohammad stated that upon returning to Ghazni, he would need to join the Taliban due to the high cost of living. The decision to allocate a significant portion of procurement to the Afghans was made in March as part of the transition to Afghan security and control. US Navy Lieutenant Aaron Kakiel, a logistics officer for the NATO-led coalition in Afghanistan, mentioned that this decision was made to hand over responsibility to the Defence and Interior Ministries. Kakiel stated that Afghan companies have provided a wide range of goods and services for the country's security forces, including boots, uniforms, sleeping bags, construction, and IT services. The security forces are expected to reach a total of 352,000 members. Milli is not the only company facing difficulties due to the shift towards local procurement, as other suppliers of uniforms and equipment are also feeling the impact. Another company executive, who preferred to remain anonymous, expressed concerns about the uncertainty surrounding their supply contracts, as they have invested heavily in their business but are unsure if the government will continue to contract with them or choose companies from other countries. 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 products manufactured in Kabul. He emphasized the importance of securing contracts to avoid having to lay off employees. Currently, only 30 percent of the supplies come from Afghan companies, and President Hamid Karzai has urged the military to prioritize local firms. Asafzari explained that Milli had contracts terminated due to importing substandard boots from China and other countries, which were then falsely labeled. Consequently, the company failed to meet its obligations. According to Asafzari, there were complaints from soldiers regarding the quality of the boots. However, Mohammad Akbar Ahmadzai from the NGO Building Markets, which supports entrepreneurs in developing countries, confirmed that Milli's boots were genuine and met US quality standards. Some business experts, speaking anonymously, suggested that Milli and others may have faced challenges due to corruption and political connections, with better-connected competitors working to undermine them. NATO's Kakiel mentioned that Milli and others may have also misunderstood the contract provisions, which guaranteed only one year of sales. In 2011, US agencies contracted over $4 billion to Afghan companies out of a total of $17.3 billion through the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. More than 90 percent of the money was spent on goods purchased from Afghan vendors (49 percent), construction (28 percent), support services (11 percent), and transportation (6 percent). However, an audit conducted by the US government's Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) in January revealed that the Afghan First Initiative (AFI) had issues with insufficient contract solicitation and vetting, as well as limited data on the employment benefits claimed. Saffi, who returned to Afghanistan in 2002 after fleeing during Taliban rule to find everything destroyed, expressed doubts about both the US government and the future promised by Karzai due to his experiences. He stated, "We tried to do a good job here in this factory, but right now this has happened. The only judgment we can make is that my company and the country are going the same way." He mentioned that many people in Kabul's business community were feeling anxious due to the unstable investment environment and worsening security situation. This feeling was strengthened by a bold Taliban attack on the city center and surrounding areas in mid-April. Saffi explained that he had to hire 30 personal bodyguards to ensure his children's safety at school and had police snipers stationed on the roof of his home. He compared the struggles of his company to the challenges facing the country, saying that just as he is the president of his company, Karzai is the president of the country. As his company faced closure and declining success, he noted that his employees were also leaving. The country will experience the same thing. The president is responsible for leading his country.