233m afs cleanliness tax payable to municipality

HERAT CITY (PAN): An amount of 233 million afghanis in cleanliness tax is payable by government and non-governmental organisations in western Herat province, an official said on Monday.

In an exclusive interview with Pajhwok Afghan News, Herat Mayor Mohammad Salim Tarakai said that state departments and other organisations were duty-bound to pay the tax.

Non-payment of the levy impinged on the municipality’s performance, the mayor said, adding that 47 government entities had defaulted on paying a total tax of 70 million afghanis.

He explained the Customs Department had to pay the municipality 27 million afs and the governor’s house 11 million afs.

Energy and water, public health, fuel departments, the police headquarters and other organisations are among big-time defaulters.

Similarly, private entities including traders have to clear 165 million afs in cleanliness tax. The defaulters have chosen to ignore a string of reminders, according to the official.

Several departments acknowledge the problem, but downplay it as a common issue. However, heads of the defaulting organisations refused to speak on the record. 

One of them said on condition of anonymity they did not want the issue to be taken up in the media. He lashed out at the mayor for leaking tax-related information to news outlets, believing the tiff could be settled within the government’s framework.

Haji Nooruddin, a trader in Shidaee area, said he would pay the tax only after the municipality drew illegal refugees from the area. “They are creating problems for my company and the municipality has to relocate them.”

But the mayor accused private firms of trying to evade taxes one pretext or the other. He said continued tax evasion was bound to affect the services they were providing to residents and institutions.

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