Nangarhar: Over 4,500 private firms stop operations

JALALABAD (Pajhwok): More than 4,500 private companies have halted operations in eastern Nangarhar province, the Revenue Department said on Sunday.

Active in the province under the previous administration, the firms provided services in various areas, including logistics and construction. They have sent letters regarding the suspension of their operations to the Revenue Department.

Revenue Director Maulvi Mohammad Zabit Haidari told Pajhwok Afghan News due to a decline in activities of private companies and some other problems, provincial revenue levels also fell last year.

He recalled: “In 2020, the department’s revenue stood at 1.346 billion afghanis before it slumped in 2021 to 949 million afghanis.”

Some problems triggered a drop in the revenue of the Customs Department. After the Islamic Emirate’s takeover, the official said, 4,502 private companies were operating in the province and paid taxes. But now they have stopped their activities.

“In the solar year 1399, there were 5,603 private firms in Nangarhar, where they offered logistics, construction and other services. As many as 4,502 companies have sent us letters about the suspension of operations. Around 1,100 private firms are still functional and pay taxes,” he added.

Haidari, who said efforts were underway to spike the department’s income, revealed they had registered 1,193 new financial sources, which previously did not pay taxes, and also evaluated 8,022 financial cases and out of which 47 million afghanis revenue obtained.

A private company head, who refused to provide information about his firm, told Pajhwok there was a lot of work in the past, but currently there was no business and they suspended their activities.

Rahim Dad, a resident of Jalalabad, told Pajhwok the government must support the private sector in order to provide employment to the people.

With the closure of the companies and other organisations, he noted, the number of unemployed people in the province had also gone up.

He insisted the government must build a new state-owned factory and also provide employment opportunities to people in public-sector entities.

sa/mud

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