KABUL - The Ministry of Finance (MoF) on Monday registered seven billion Afghanis decline in revenue this year and directed costume officials to complete the target in the next three months or resign from their positions.

Finance Minister Aklil Hakimi during assessment of financial performances of last year and review of the first six months of the fiscal year told costume and revenue officials that they failed to achieve the target of revenue generation despite their promises with the international community.

He said that around six to seven billion Afghanis which should be collected in revenue was not achieved because the revenue was collected less than the target in some provinces.

He did not name any province but directed costume and revenue officials: “You should achieve the target. You should gain more than that and those who collect more than the target will be rewarded but those who failed will be fired.”

Hakimi did not share details about the target for each costume and the revenue collected. However MoF spokesman Abdul Rahmizai on July 4 had said that 123 billion Afghanis was revenue target for this year.

He had said that 54.68 billion Afghanis was collected in the first six months of the fiscal year while the amount last year stood at 51 billion Afghanis.

Hakimi asked the participants to find solution to problems being faced by the revenue collection process.

MoF officials barred journalists from interviewing costume and revenue officials. However, they said that they were trying to achieve the revenue target.

Zabul province revenue director Haji Shamsuddin told reporters that the target for the province was 94 million Afghanis while only 61 million Afghanis was collected so far.

He said that insecurity was the main threat for achieving the target revenue, but he would strive to achieve the set target.

Abdul Rafi Mudaqiq, revenue director for Logar province, said they could not collect revenue from four districts due to deteriorated law and order. . He said that the target was achieved from only two districts.

It is worth mentioned that the revenue target last year was 132 billion Afghanis while only 100 million Afghanis was collected.

MoF officials last year had said that insecurity and election deadlock were main hurdles that caused decline in revenue collection. (Pajhwok)