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Balkh Customs Official Accused of Misuse of Authority

Documents seen by TOLOnews indicate that Hamdullah Hamdard, acting head of Balkh customs office, has been accused of misuse of authority by the national customs department when he was serving as head of Herat customs and his case is with the Attorney General’s Office.

The documents reveal that he was appointed to the post by the Ministry of Finance at a time the accusations were lodged against him. The attorney General’s Office confirmed that Hamdard’s case is under investigation, but the Finance Ministry said he has been sent to the province for a short period of time.

“The acting head of Balkh customs has been referred to the Attorney General’s Office for misuse of authorities. His case has recently landed in the Attorney General’s Office and is under investigation by our colleagues,” said Jamshid Rasuli, a spokesman for the Attorney General’s Office.

Sources confirmed that Hamdullah Hamdard was summoned to Kabul for further investigations into his case.

“Those who have been appointed as heads of Balkh and Kabul customs are not acting heads… They have been appointed by the finance minister based on the law,” the Finance Ministry spokesman Shamroz Khan Masjidi said.

Watchdog organizations said such appointments in income-generating offices are based on favors.

“The civil service positions in Afghanistan’s customs in recent years--and now--are not based on competition and transparency. The Ministry of Finance has prevented these positions from open competition,” said Nasir Taimuri, a researcher at Integrity Watch Afghanistan.

Hamdullah Hamdard did not comment on the accusations. Previously, the budget and financial commission of the parliament accused Hamdard of corruption and referred his case to the Attorney General’s Office.

Alleged Corruption in Customs Offices

The Independent Joint Anti-Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Committee, also called MEC, in a report on areas vulnerable to corruption released in June, assessed the two general directorates of the Ministry of Finance: the customs department and the revenue department.

The report finds alleged interference by government officials, MPs and “warlords” in the activities of the two departments and says they have created conditions for corruption in the two offices.

The report says there is a difference in numbers provided by officials and exporting countries on exports and imports between Afghanistan and other nations. For instance, the report says the UAE’s data on imports and exports with Afghanistan was 14 times more than the figures provide by the revenue and customs departments. This is due to improper implementation of mutual agreements and memoranda of understanding.

The report also finds “gaps” in human resources management in the Ministry of Finance that includes serious violations in regulations on the appointments of civil service employees.

The report says there is a lack of electricity supply in customs offices that affects the taxpayers’ collection system and hinders operations.

It also says that scanners in border crossings and scales in customs offices are not active due to a lack of electricity.

The report also says that customs officials lack the required capacity to adhere to guidelines of the World Customs Organization to control transit goods and prevent unnecessary delays with imports and exports.

The report covers assessments from July to November 2019 from group interviews, direct monitoring and the review of documents in Kabul, Nangarhar and Balkh provinces.

In response to the report in June, the Ministry of Finance spokesman, Shamroz Khan Masjidi, said efforts have been made to ensure reforms in the ministry.

Balkh Customs Official Accused of Misuse of Authority

Watchdog organizations said such appointments in income-generating offices are based on favors.

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Documents seen by TOLOnews indicate that Hamdullah Hamdard, acting head of Balkh customs office, has been accused of misuse of authority by the national customs department when he was serving as head of Herat customs and his case is with the Attorney General’s Office.

The documents reveal that he was appointed to the post by the Ministry of Finance at a time the accusations were lodged against him. The attorney General’s Office confirmed that Hamdard’s case is under investigation, but the Finance Ministry said he has been sent to the province for a short period of time.

“The acting head of Balkh customs has been referred to the Attorney General’s Office for misuse of authorities. His case has recently landed in the Attorney General’s Office and is under investigation by our colleagues,” said Jamshid Rasuli, a spokesman for the Attorney General’s Office.

Sources confirmed that Hamdullah Hamdard was summoned to Kabul for further investigations into his case.

“Those who have been appointed as heads of Balkh and Kabul customs are not acting heads… They have been appointed by the finance minister based on the law,” the Finance Ministry spokesman Shamroz Khan Masjidi said.

Watchdog organizations said such appointments in income-generating offices are based on favors.

“The civil service positions in Afghanistan’s customs in recent years--and now--are not based on competition and transparency. The Ministry of Finance has prevented these positions from open competition,” said Nasir Taimuri, a researcher at Integrity Watch Afghanistan.

Hamdullah Hamdard did not comment on the accusations. Previously, the budget and financial commission of the parliament accused Hamdard of corruption and referred his case to the Attorney General’s Office.

Alleged Corruption in Customs Offices

The Independent Joint Anti-Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Committee, also called MEC, in a report on areas vulnerable to corruption released in June, assessed the two general directorates of the Ministry of Finance: the customs department and the revenue department.

The report finds alleged interference by government officials, MPs and “warlords” in the activities of the two departments and says they have created conditions for corruption in the two offices.

The report says there is a difference in numbers provided by officials and exporting countries on exports and imports between Afghanistan and other nations. For instance, the report says the UAE’s data on imports and exports with Afghanistan was 14 times more than the figures provide by the revenue and customs departments. This is due to improper implementation of mutual agreements and memoranda of understanding.

The report also finds “gaps” in human resources management in the Ministry of Finance that includes serious violations in regulations on the appointments of civil service employees.

The report says there is a lack of electricity supply in customs offices that affects the taxpayers’ collection system and hinders operations.

It also says that scanners in border crossings and scales in customs offices are not active due to a lack of electricity.

The report also says that customs officials lack the required capacity to adhere to guidelines of the World Customs Organization to control transit goods and prevent unnecessary delays with imports and exports.

The report covers assessments from July to November 2019 from group interviews, direct monitoring and the review of documents in Kabul, Nangarhar and Balkh provinces.

In response to the report in June, the Ministry of Finance spokesman, Shamroz Khan Masjidi, said efforts have been made to ensure reforms in the ministry.

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