Tuesday June 21, 2016
Kabul (BNA) The presidential palace has recently declared that it could increase its domestic revenues by six percent by the end of current fiscal year.
The minister of finance, Eklil Hakimi told media that brining changes in customs, collection of taxes from the credit cards and increasing transit fees on those airplanes crossing Afghanistan’s space are the main factors behind increasing domestic revenues.’ The presidential office also declared that Afghanistan’s gross domestic products were $190 in 2002, after the fall of the Taliban regime, but fortunately, the figure has reached to $620 in 2015. Based on the presidential office, 90pc of the government officials have registered their assets and 25pc of the customs’ staff have been discharged due to corruption. The ministry of finance has already vowed to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that it would increase its domestic revenues up to $1.75 billion by the end of this year. But, the government could upsurge the domestic revenues six percent more than it was predicted, the ministry further said. Fiscal year starts at the beginning of Jaddi and ends at the end of Qaus, the presidential office has declared its domestic revenues $315 million more than it was promised to IMF.
Based on information, the domestic revenues rate has climbed by 21 percent. In fact, the level of Afghanistan’s exports in 2013 was $420 million, but it has beefed up by $750 million in 2015. Meanwhile, officials of the ministry for finance say that supervision on customs and modernization of the country’s customs offices are the reasons behind increasing of the taxes. Expressing optimism on increasing taxes, a number of experts on economy affairs and citizens stressed that if the government of Afghanistan can prevent corruption in the government offices, particularly in customs, there is no doubt that the domestic revenues will soar. A private university lecturer, Hamidullah Haidari said increasing domestic revenues is good news, but the government should further make effort to seriously fight corruption in the country. If we look at the developed countries, we can find that the governments apply taxes on everything, Haidari further said.
He added it doesn’t mean that the governments collect the taxes and don’t have responsibility before the taxpayers; therefore, the government should provide facilities to taxpayers to be able to collect more revenues.
Saifuddin Saihoun believes that currently, considerable amount of the country’s budget is ensured by donor countries, but the government should gradually find a good alternative to it. The government of Afghanistan should increase the rate of foreign and domestic investments and provide facilities to industrialists to compete with foreign commodities, as well as the natural and underground resources should be legally extracted, Saihoun added. Expressing optimism from the government step in this regard, a number of citizens said it is expected that the ministry of finance should further make effort in collection of customs’ revenues. This is while that the government of Afghanistan has already declared that it will ensure its domestic budget through collection of taxes and domestic revenues by the next five years.
Suraya Raiszada
