Afghanistan's national electricity company, Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS), said on Wednesday that the insurgents are “collecting” 550 million afs from the country’s electricity system annually in five provinces of the country.
Armed insurgents force residents to pay them instead of the power company.
According to DABS, the company is unable to collect electricity bills from 32 districts across the country due to security threats.
DABS chief Amanullah Ghalib said that “there are 32 districts where (the company) cannot collect the bills” located in Herat, Faryab, Kunduz, Baghlan and Helmand provinces.
DABS also said that the government institutions owe over 6 billion afs to the company.
“From the total amount of 6 billion afs, 2.5 billion are owed by the Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Interior, so we call on the government to pay the money so that we avoid a possible recession next year,” said Ghalib.
“We are purchasing the electricity and DABS must compel the public to pay for its electricity, so we call on the people and the government institutions to pay their bills,” said Jalaluddin Saeed, a member of the Oversight Board on Govt Companies.
According to DABS, the company is now planning to purchase electricity worth $20 million from Kajaki Dam in the southern province of Helmand.
Comment this post