Kandahar customs office head suspended after evaluation

KANDAHAR CITY (Pajhwok): The customs office head for southern Kandahar province was suspended after evaluation of the office by a team of the Ministry of Finance, officials said Wednesday.

Acting finance minister, Mohammad Khalid Painda, during his two-day trip to Kandahar province assessed the customs affairs, met drivers of trucks entering Kandahar and customs officers.

A credible official source, who wished to go unnamed, told Pajhwok Afghan News that the finance minister and his team traveled to Kandahar on the request of Kandahar governor after detention of a number of customs officers over corruption charges.

Both Kandahar governor and finance minister checked trucks entering Kandahar city in Daman and Silo areas of Kandahar overnight and found corruption being committed, he said.

“Some fuel tankers were loaded with cement and other construction materials without any customs documents, commissioners were taking the tax of these vehicles which ended up in personal pockets,” the official said.

The source said that Kandahar customs office head, JavidMangal and a number of his officers were engaged in corruption, which was the reason behind Mangal’s suspension.

In some cases, traders paid tax of a different material from what it imported which means lower tax is paid, he said.

The official added that Farah, Nimroz and Herat customs officials were also involved in corruption.

Kandahar governor’s spokesman, BaheerAhmadi, told Pajhwok that finance minister, Mohammad Khalid Painda had met with Kandahar governor, officials of Chamber of Commerce and Industry and traders during his visit.

He said that the minister’s trip to Kandahar was to provide safety to traders, prevent corruption and increase the country’s revenue.

Gul Ahmad Kamin and Sayed Ahmad Silab, two lawmakers from Kandahar province, also talked about the delay in customs services, problems in the tariff and administrative corruption.

Meanwhile, some traders in Kandahar and Chamber of Commerce and Industry officials also complained about delays in taxation, lack of balance in tax between provinces, delays in extending licenses and other issues.

Haji Sayed Mohammad, a food items trader, said that their goods were delayed at ports for days and weeks for tax clearance, which damaged the business of traders.

When traders import something from abroad, customs officers ask traders to go to Kabul and bring a print of new rates for applying it on taxation of goods, he said.

He said that the time-consuming process has damaged and discouraged traders.

Haji Aziz Ahmad, another trader, also complained of a similar problem and said that they faced troubles at Kandahar, Herat, Nimroz and Farah customs offices.

He said materials they usually imported got decayed or lost quality due to slow taxation and documentation process at the customs offices.

Some traders also complained about delay in extension of licenses and asked the government to resolve the problem.

Kandahar Chamber of Commerce and Industry head said that he has shared problems regarding taxation, delays in services, disorder in turns and delays in extension of licenses, with Kandahar governor and finance minister.

He added that the two officials promised of resolving the issues.

Finance minister, Mohammad Khalid Painda said that he had prepared his report about problems in Kandahar and would share it with the president next Thursday.

He said that the duty of Kandahar customs director, JavidMangal would be suspended until their final decision.

Painda promised of standard construction of customs warehouses and resolving traders’ problems regarding scanners at ports.

This comes as the president recently said that 50 percent of the country’s revenue was lost to corruption.

Mds/ma