RASC News Agency: Sources from Kabul report that the Taliban’s mayor in the city has sealed several residential homes in the Karte Naw area due to unpaid sanitation fees. On Sunday, July 7, sources informed RASC that municipal authorities sealed homes in the “Sar tapa” area of Karte Naw, Kabul, for outstanding sanitation fees.
According to these sources, no one is permitted to unseal these homes, effectively imprisoning families inside. Previously, the Taliban municipality had also sealed several homes in the 15th district of Kabul for unpaid taxes. The imposition of these hefty taxes comes at a time when unemployment in Afghanistan is at its peak, and the salaries of civil servants have been set at just 5,000 kabuli rupees.
Abdul Aleem, a resident of Charahi Qambar in Kabul, told RASC that he works from dawn till dusk hauling goods with a pushcart in the main market of Kabul. He added that the Taliban have imposed taxes on his home and are also demanding sanitation fees. Abdul Aleem explained that he earns 100 to 150 kabuli rupees per day, which is barely enough to cover the most basic needs of his household. Despite this, the Taliban demand additional taxes and fees.
He remarked, “Instead of bringing bread to the people, the Taliban are taking the bread out of their mouths.” Amid widespread unemployment and poverty, the Taliban have increased taxes and are forcibly collecting them. The people, facing oppression, have no choice but to remain silent, endure torture, or face imprisonment.
