The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has set a 150 billion Afs revenue collection target for the Ministry of Finance (MoF) for 2017 - the new fiscal year.  

The spokesman for MoF, Ajmal Hameed Abdul Rahimzai, meanwhile said following the MoF’s achievement in exceeding its 2016 target of 130 billion Afs, this new target is achievable. 

He also said that because the MoF had exceeded its target, the IMF has pledged to reward government with $100 million USD. 

“We will bring reforms in collecting national revenue so we collect more money than what is specified as the target by the IMF,” he said.

Integrity Watch Afghanistan (IWA) meanwhile said that each year a big part of national revenue collected is wasted as custom duties aren’t always applied to products that are exported - among other issues. 

“Still part of the national revenue is being wasted due to corruption in the country’s customs and that government failed to eliminate the phenomenon from the customs,” said Sayed Ikram Afzali, head of IWA.

Economic analysts meanwhile stress that investment in local production, improving revenue collection in customs and preventing revenue from being wasted are ways that can help increase the amount collected.

“Investment in local production is a way to increase the income. Because the increase in local production can provide job opportunities for the people which will lead to more consumption of local products and this will help government to increase its income,” said Sayed Massoud, an economic lecturer.

In the last fiscal year, 2016, the IMF set a revenue collection target of 130 billion Afs for the MoF, however the ministry brought in over 160 billion Afs – despite numerous challenges.