All tax penalties waived off for local media outlets

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Ministry of Information and Culture on Monday announced waiving off all previous tax penalties and fines for domestic media outlets, asking them to clear their past dues in three years.

Maulvi Abdul Haq Hamad, head of Media Monitoring Commission of Information and Culture Ministry, wrote on his twitter handle: “All previous tax fines against local media are pardoned and it has been approved that they pay outstanding amounts in installments in three years.”

It comes as earlier representatives of some media supporting organizations had said considering economic problems of local media outlets, their one year’s dues should be forgiven and media outlets that had not renewed their operation licenses and other legal documents should be given time.

According to them, currently revenues of media outlets could not cover their expenditures.

The same day, the Minister of Culture and Information had said that government was committed to freedom of speech and striving to find solution to their economic issues and would look for proper way for their tax exemption.

ja/ma