RASC News Agency: Several hotel and restaurant owners in Herat city have voiced dissatisfaction with the inspection visits conducted by members of the Taliban’s municipal administration. They claim that the Taliban’s municipal employees in Herat Province lack proper conduct and arbitrarily shut down hotels and restaurants.
One hotel owner in Herat Province, speaking on condition of anonymity, told RASC News Agency on Sunday, May 26th, that municipal officials from the Taliban had visited his hotel and made unreasonable demands that even the most advanced countries do not enforce. He added, “The Taliban officials insisted that customers must wash their hands inside the hotel rather than outside, among other trivial issues that hold no significant value for the administration of a province.”
Similarly, another restaurant owner in Herat city, who also requested anonymity, told RASC News Agency that the Taliban’s municipal administration should not arbitrarily seal and shut down hotels and restaurants, thereby depriving people of their livelihoods. He said, “If there are significant issues regarding the hygiene and food safety of hotels and restaurants, the Taliban’s municipal employees in Herat should issue warnings and reminders to ensure compliance, rather than resorting to closures.”
He further added that sealing and shutting down hotels and restaurants inflicts severe economic damage on this segment of society, with the owners and the general public bearing the brunt of the losses. Bashir, a resident of Herat, told RASC News Agency that issues exist in every sector, and the Taliban should not exploit these problems to harass business owners.
He noted that the cleanliness and quality of food in Herat’s hotels and restaurants have significantly improved compared to the past, and the public is generally satisfied. He continued, stating that while the closure of hotels and restaurants might impact overall operations to some extent, the direct economic damage to this segment of society is severe.
The sealing and closure of hotels and restaurants in Herat come as the Taliban’s municipal officials in the province have inspected and monitored establishments in the fifth and eighth districts, leading to the closure of several hotels. It is noteworthy that this is not the first time business owners in Herat have voiced dissatisfaction with the inspection processes of the Taliban’s municipal administration.
