Jalalabad mayor vows uplift despite revenue fall

JALALABAD (Pajhwok): Jalalabad Mayor says said 107 vacancies in the municipality have been offered to be filled through the open competition to ensure transparency, accelerate services and eradicate corruption.

Mayor Eng. Abaseen Baheer, who recently took charge as mayor, said some posts had been newly created which would help accelerate the municipality’s services delivery.

He identified increase in the municipality revenue, speeding up development projects, Jalalabad City cleanliness and eradication of corruption as his top priorities.

The mayor said the new posts were aimed at eliminating corruption and providing better and prompt services to people.

He said the Jalalabad Municipality had borrowed over 400 million afghanis but besides debt return, efforts would be made to increase the revenue.

According to Baheer, there was 167 million afs revenue deficit due to coronavirus restrictions, and the municipality was unable to collect all its revenue, including 35 to 40 million afs from roadside stalls.

He said during the ongoing solar year, the municipality collected 488 million afs revenue as part of an earlier plan and added through a new strategy, efforts would be made to increase the revenue.

“According to rules, 70 percent of revenue should be spent on the city’s uplift. Despite being under debt, the municipality will consider some development projects and incomplete last year’s projects,” he said.

Referring to grabbed land, Baheer said: “City properties that have been grabbed would be reclaimed and areas already usurped would be released from the clutches of usurpers in cooperation with judicial institutions,” he said.

Considering the growing population of Jalalabad City, there was an urgent need for development of the historic city.

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