SHARANA (Pajhwok): Shopkeepers in the Urgon district of southeastern Paktika province have closed their shops in protest against what they called the several-fold increase in sales tax and warned not to reopen their shops until a fair tax was set for them.
But the Revenue Department rejected the claim of increased tax and said they had asked shopkeepers to give 0.5 percent sales tax.
Haji Hameedullah, head of the Urgon Bazaar Union, told Pajhwok Afghan News the Revenue Department collected more taxes from them compared to the past and the measure forced shopkeepers to close their shops.
He said their protest will continue until the Revenue Department reduced the tax. He said the tax on small and large shops in Urgon district had been increased and it was not acceptable to them.
“I have my own shop, previously I would pay 2,000 afs tax and now I have to pay 18,500 afs. A man who carried 42 kilograms of apples on a handcart was charged 150 afs.”
Paktika Revenue Department Head Mawlavi Abdul Wahab Umari rejected the shopkeepers’ claim regarding surge in taxes and said they charged shopkeepers 0.5pc sales tax which was 1.5pc during the republican regime.
Umari said after the Islamic Emirate’s return to power, taxes on shopkeepers were reduced and there was no corruption.
He said the Revenue Department did not do injustice with any shopkeepers and they were charged 300 days a particular amount of tax based on rules and principles. Shopkeepers are not charged taxes for 66 days each year, he added.
“Now corruption has reduced, shopkeepers used to pay bribes and collectors also stole taxes, now we have completely waived one percent tax, but still shopkeepers are complaining, we check their daily, monthly and yearly sales and tax them accordingly. We assure them that the government does not oppress them and just enforces its principles and laws,” he said.
Umari said all shopkeepers were charged on the basis of their annual income under a fixed formula.
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