U.S. soldier helps Afghan construction workers lay brick for a new classroom Photo: the National Guard (flickr)

While U.S. troops and aid workers struggle to convince Afghans that Americans have their best interests at heart, independent contractors are tearing down these efforts left and right, says The New York Times. According to the article, construction companies like Bennett-Fouch are hiring Afghan workers to rebuild local infrastructure, running up multi-million dollar debts, and leaving the country without making good on their contracts.

Jalaluddin Saeed, an Afghan businessman, said in an interview with The Times that he "was owed $1.5 million by Bennett-Fouch for four contracts to provide concrete barriers for American and NATO military bases last year." According to the article, "his life was now in danger and he had had to...move his family to avoid his many angry creditors."

Instead of causing desolation, contracting companies could bring immense positive change to Afghanistan by creating well-paying jobs for small business owners and construction workers. This would lower the 35 percent unemployment rate and help Afghans develop a sense of leadership and participation in the economy.

Contractors could look at a program run by the U.S. government for inspiration. The Afghan First policy seeks to hire and train Afghan workers whenever possible, build domestic production capabilities,pay employees in local currency and incorporate Afghan businesses into reconstruction efforts. The policy promotes local development while creating positive business interactions between Afghans and Americans.

It seems natural that private contracting companies should follow suit, attempting to strengthen these efforts rather than undermine them. Instead, The Times article suggests contractors are destroying the delicate trust that Afghans have placed in the American presence.

Hajji Layeq is just one of many Afghan shareholders that Bennett-Fouch left disheartened. “People are thinking the Americans are failing in everything,” Layeq told The Times.

Certainly in this regard, it seems they might be right.