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Govt Revenue 50% Below 6 Month Target for 1399: Document

Documents provided by a government source to TOLOnews reveal that government revenues from custom houses and other revenue-generating departments of the Ministry of Finance in the first six months of 1399 (March 2020 to Sept. 2020) were 50% below the target numbers set for the year.

Based on the documents, revenues from Aqina Port, Andkhoi Port and customs from Herat, Nangarhar, Kandahar and Kabul were below 50 to 60 percent compared to the targets set by the Afghan government.

The documents also state that Abdul Hadi Arghandiwal, the acting Minister of Finance, has been inappropriately guided by members of the parliament in making new appointments at customs.

The document shows that the Ministry of Finance had set $1.7 billion as the target this year for revenue.

According to the document, the government aimed to collect $887 million from revenue in the first six months of 1399. But it has collected only $445 million during this period.

“Corruption is a factor. Almost 80 percent of products pass through the customs in our western and southern ports without proper customs processes,” said Khan Jan Alokozai, the deputy head of the Afghanistan Chambers Federation. (chamber of commerce? )

The status of revenue collection in some provinces and ports are as follows:

Kunar

Target for 1399 ---$194,538

Target for first six months of 1399---$98,566

Money collected in first six months of 1399---$1,296

Deficit---$99.3

Takhar

Target for 1399---$440,954

Target for first six months of 1399---$223,071

Money collected in the first six months of 1399---$18,156

Deficit: $91.7

Paktika

Target for 1399---$22,060,711

Target for first six months of 1399---$11,173,017

Money collected in the first six months of 1399---$1,015,493

Deficit: 90.7

Badakhshan

Target for 1399---$259,385

Target for first six months of 1399---$259,385

Money collected in the first six months of 1399---$11,672

Deficit: 90.7

 Paktia

Target for 1399---$20,893,478

Target for first six months of 1399---$10,581,619

Money collected in the first six months of 1399---$3,019,243

Deficit: 71.5

 Khost

Target for 1399---$23,305,760

Target for first six months of 1399---$11,803,323

Money collected in the first six months of 1399---$3,953,030

Deficit: 66.5

Kabul

Target for 1399---$19,453,890

Target for first six months of 1399---$9,852,747

Money collected in the first six months of 1399---$3,569,140

Deficit: 63.8

 Nangarhar

 Target for 1399---$386,652,556

Target for first six months of 1399---$195,822,860

Money collected in the first six months of 1399---$79,553,442

Deficit: 59.4

Aqina Port:

Target for 1399---$45,586,949

Target for first six months of 1399---$23,085,283

Money collected in the first six months of 1399---$9,986,330

Deficit: 56.7

 Kandahar

Target for 1399---$226,858,300

Target for first six months of 1399---$11,4894,676

Money collected in the first six months of 1399---$50,541,207

Deficit: 56

Herat

Target for 1399---$40,8531,698

Target for first six months of 1399---$206,898,608

Money collected in the first six months of 1399---$94,831,231

Deficit: 54.2

“Trade halted after the spread of coronavirus in the country---the borders were closed, imports and exports were reduced, therefore, some of our provinces couldn’t manage to achieve their targets,” said Shamroz Khan Masjidi, a spokesman for the Ministry of Finance.

The documents also show that the former director of Mobile Care of Kabul customs was reshuffled to Balkh after he tried to prevent embezzlement at the Kabul customs.

The document shows that he was replaced by a man who was suggested by a member of parliament to the acting Minister of Finance.

But the Ministry of Finance has not commented on this. 

Meanwhile, corruption-monitoring organizations have said that the government itself has been the main hurdle in the way of bringing reform to the Finance Ministry.

“Using leverage by parliament is illegal,” said Rohullah Sakhizad, a legal expert.

“Unfortunately, just like in the past, the appointments to the Ministry of Finance have been conducted in line with the direction from the president,” said Farid Ahmad, a spokesman for the Independent Administrative Reform and Civil Service. 

“People are being appointed under different pretexts, and by nepotism,” said Mohammad Asim, the former governor of Parwan.

Despite the Afghan government’s persistent pledges to increase domestic revenues, 51 percent of Afghanistan’s national budget is provided by foreign donors.

Govt Revenue 50% Below 6 Month Target for 1399: Document

The document shows that the Ministry of Finance had set $1.7 billion as the target this year for revenue.

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Documents provided by a government source to TOLOnews reveal that government revenues from custom houses and other revenue-generating departments of the Ministry of Finance in the first six months of 1399 (March 2020 to Sept. 2020) were 50% below the target numbers set for the year.

Based on the documents, revenues from Aqina Port, Andkhoi Port and customs from Herat, Nangarhar, Kandahar and Kabul were below 50 to 60 percent compared to the targets set by the Afghan government.

The documents also state that Abdul Hadi Arghandiwal, the acting Minister of Finance, has been inappropriately guided by members of the parliament in making new appointments at customs.

The document shows that the Ministry of Finance had set $1.7 billion as the target this year for revenue.

According to the document, the government aimed to collect $887 million from revenue in the first six months of 1399. But it has collected only $445 million during this period.

“Corruption is a factor. Almost 80 percent of products pass through the customs in our western and southern ports without proper customs processes,” said Khan Jan Alokozai, the deputy head of the Afghanistan Chambers Federation. (chamber of commerce? )

The status of revenue collection in some provinces and ports are as follows:

Kunar

Target for 1399 ---$194,538

Target for first six months of 1399---$98,566

Money collected in first six months of 1399---$1,296

Deficit---$99.3

Takhar

Target for 1399---$440,954

Target for first six months of 1399---$223,071

Money collected in the first six months of 1399---$18,156

Deficit: $91.7

Paktika

Target for 1399---$22,060,711

Target for first six months of 1399---$11,173,017

Money collected in the first six months of 1399---$1,015,493

Deficit: 90.7

Badakhshan

Target for 1399---$259,385

Target for first six months of 1399---$259,385

Money collected in the first six months of 1399---$11,672

Deficit: 90.7

 Paktia

Target for 1399---$20,893,478

Target for first six months of 1399---$10,581,619

Money collected in the first six months of 1399---$3,019,243

Deficit: 71.5

 Khost

Target for 1399---$23,305,760

Target for first six months of 1399---$11,803,323

Money collected in the first six months of 1399---$3,953,030

Deficit: 66.5

Kabul

Target for 1399---$19,453,890

Target for first six months of 1399---$9,852,747

Money collected in the first six months of 1399---$3,569,140

Deficit: 63.8

 Nangarhar

 Target for 1399---$386,652,556

Target for first six months of 1399---$195,822,860

Money collected in the first six months of 1399---$79,553,442

Deficit: 59.4

Aqina Port:

Target for 1399---$45,586,949

Target for first six months of 1399---$23,085,283

Money collected in the first six months of 1399---$9,986,330

Deficit: 56.7

 Kandahar

Target for 1399---$226,858,300

Target for first six months of 1399---$11,4894,676

Money collected in the first six months of 1399---$50,541,207

Deficit: 56

Herat

Target for 1399---$40,8531,698

Target for first six months of 1399---$206,898,608

Money collected in the first six months of 1399---$94,831,231

Deficit: 54.2

“Trade halted after the spread of coronavirus in the country---the borders were closed, imports and exports were reduced, therefore, some of our provinces couldn’t manage to achieve their targets,” said Shamroz Khan Masjidi, a spokesman for the Ministry of Finance.

The documents also show that the former director of Mobile Care of Kabul customs was reshuffled to Balkh after he tried to prevent embezzlement at the Kabul customs.

The document shows that he was replaced by a man who was suggested by a member of parliament to the acting Minister of Finance.

But the Ministry of Finance has not commented on this. 

Meanwhile, corruption-monitoring organizations have said that the government itself has been the main hurdle in the way of bringing reform to the Finance Ministry.

“Using leverage by parliament is illegal,” said Rohullah Sakhizad, a legal expert.

“Unfortunately, just like in the past, the appointments to the Ministry of Finance have been conducted in line with the direction from the president,” said Farid Ahmad, a spokesman for the Independent Administrative Reform and Civil Service. 

“People are being appointed under different pretexts, and by nepotism,” said Mohammad Asim, the former governor of Parwan.

Despite the Afghan government’s persistent pledges to increase domestic revenues, 51 percent of Afghanistan’s national budget is provided by foreign donors.

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