Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Tuesday, March 19th, 2024

50pc of North Officials Refusing to Unveil Assets

50pc of North Officials  Refusing to Unveil Assets

MAZAR-I-SHARIF - The High Office of Anti-Corruption in the northern zone says 50 percent officials, including two governors, in the zone refuse to register their assets.
Rashid Halimi, head the office, in an interview with Pajhwok Afghan News said they started registration of officials’ assets one and half a year ago.
They distributed 400 forms of assets registration to government officials including governors, police chiefs, heads and members of provincial councils and others.
“Unfortunately some officials have still not returned the forms, these are officials who violate the law,” he said.
Halimi said some officials worried they would be questioned about their properties if they registered their asses. “It is the first responsibility of every government official to register his/her assets.”
“Some officials promised to register their properties but later they backed out after studying the forms, they think they would be differently asked if they filled out the forms,” he said.
Halimi said the list of all officials refusing to register their assets had been shared with the central government. A copy of the list is also available with Pajhwok.
According to the list, 26 government officials including a number of provincial council members of Balkh, 23 officials of Faryab and nine officials of Jawzjan province have not registered their assets.
Most of the officials in the list are provincial council members and civil services officials.
The list says most of revenue department officials show no interest in filling the assets registration form.
Halimi said the central government had also urged officials to register their assets, but it had no impact.
About governors of the five northern provinces, he said the governors of Balkh and Sar-i-Pul provinces were yet to provide information about their properties.
After the central office sent forms to the governors of northern provinces, only the then governors of Jawzjan, Samangan and current governor of Faryab registered their assets, he added.
However, the newly appointed governors of Samangan and Jawzjan have also not registered their assets, he concluded. (Pajhwok)