Khost park shopkeepers: Our businesses run at a loss

KHOST CITY (Pajhwok): Shopkeepers and businessmen at the Hakim Taniwal Amusement Park in southeastern Khost province say their businesses are running at a loss due to high rents of their shops.

The Khost municipality has awarded the Hakim Taniwal park contract to an individual against 2.5 million afghanis per a month while the park was given to another person against 56,000 afghanis per month during in the previous regime.

Shopkeepers at the park said the contractor took 21,000 afghanis rent from each shop during the three days of Eid-ul-Adha alone.

Mohammad Khalid, a shopkeeper, told Pajhwok Afghan News that they were incurring losses since the park was given to the contractor at a very high price.

He said: “The contractor has increased shop rents and the price of ticket. The number of people visiting the park has decreased. The government should reduce the contract amount so their business can improve:”

Meanwhile, Hazratullah, another shopkeeper in the park, told Pajhwok they could not afford the rent fixed by the contractor.

He urged the Khost municipality to reconsider the contract amount because instead of profit, they were making losses.

“ The contractor took 21,000 afghanis from me during Eid days because he has obtained the contract at a staggering 2.5 million afghanis,” he added.

People visiting the park also complained about high prices of ticket, food and non-food items compared to the market.

Dr. Shafi Yunus, a resident of Khost city, told Pajhwok that the municipality should find possible solution to this problem to save the park from being abandoned by people.

He said: “Before the ticket price was 20afs, but now it has been increased to 30afs and when you buy something in the park, shopkeepers charge doubled prices of things, the government should reconsider the new contract.”

Meanwhile, Ismail Salar, the contractor of the park, acknowledged he had increased shop rents because of the high price of the contract.

He added: As per the contract, I pay 2.5 million afs per month. I incur about 80,000 afs loss every day, so I increased the shop rents and ticket prices.”

Khost municipality officials say the park contract was awarded based on open bidding.

Mohammad Tariq, an official of Khost municipality, told Pajhwok about 48 people had participated in the bidding and Ismail Salar won the contract.

He said the park had been given for five years to the contractor who paid 2.5 million afghanis per month to the government.

kk/ma