Taxes reduced, shopkeepers must lower prices: Officials

KABUL (Pajhwok): Second Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Salam Hanafi and Acting Finance Minister Hidayatullah Badri on Tuesday said taxes on food items had been drastically slashed and shopkeepers must reduce their prices.

Addressing a meeting in Kabul support to businessmen and shopkeepers, Hanafi said taxes on food items had been decreased from 1.5 percent to 0.5 percent.

He asked shopkeepers to reduce prices of food items so the public could feel the effect. He emphasized on legal action against those who evaded taxes. Hanafi said that people would be given accountability for tax revenues.

Acting Finance Minister Hidayatullah Badri said his ministry had reduced tax rates for traders in an unprecedented manner with a view to create employment opportunities, encourage businessmen and keep prices of basic food items at a reasonable level.

Badri added his ministry had stepped up efforts to create transparency and ease in tax collection and combat corruption in all its forms and manifestations.

“Tax payment is a collective and national obligation. State institutions are thus enabled to provide better services. We want you to participate in the economic reconstruction of the country and to avoid tax evasion,” he said.

Badri added more than 1,000 workers had been appointed to fix tax rates for businessmen and prevent tax evasion.

Revenue Director Meraj Mohammad Meraj said social and national obligations required citizens to pay taxes according to the level of their economic transactions and thereby play a role in bringing prosperity to the masses.

According to him, there are 1.5 million businessmen in the country and if they pay taxes in time, Afghanistan’s economy will improve.

Sediqullah Qureshi, head of trade unions in Kabul province, complained without giving details that some people created problems for businessmen in the name of tax collection.

sa/ma