Almost 80 percent of marble companies in the country are on verge of a financial recession because of the non-extension of semi-precious stones contracts, officials from the stone industry union said on Sunday.
 
The contracts for the extraction of stone have not been extended for the past three years, officials said, adding that the situation has stopped the process of extraction of marble and has led to an increase in the illegal extraction of the stone.
 
Marble factory owners have said that currently, only around 20 percent of marble factories are operational in the country.
 
In this episode of Bazar host, Nargis Mosavi discusses the topic with Abdul Qayoum, the deputy of the Afghan stone industry union.