Regime change, security issues hamper Faryab revenue

MAIMANA (Pajhwok): Revenue from the Aqena Port and from the Revenue Department of northwestern Faryab province has declined by 35 percent last year due to political changes and other issues in the country.

The decline happened in contrast to the earlier revenue plan from the two sources.

But according to sources, there was one percent surge in the revenue for the last three months of the fiscal year according to the plan chalked out by the new government.

Faryab Revenue Department Head Mawlavi Mohammad Rafiq Farooqi said in line with the earlier plan last year the revenue should have reached more than 7.4 billion afs but due to insecurity and demonstrations during the republic government, political change, imposition of banking restrictions and other issues less than 4.9 billion afs revenue was collected showing a 35 percent decline from the target.

He said according to the previous government plan 578 million afs should have been collected by August last year but the previous government collected 173 million afs. In September 84 afs million was collected while in the last three months 144 million afs were collected in revenue.

He said the Ministry of Finance set an estimated target of 143 million afs for the last three months of the fiscal year but 1.3 million was collected above the estimated target.

Farooqi linked the decline in the revenue with easing tariffs and collection of Zakat and Ushar by the Agriculture Department.

nh