‘Affected shopkeepers should be exempt from taxes for 25 years’

KABUL (SW) – The Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industries on Monday demanded the government should compensate the losses sustained by traders of the Nader Pashtun Road following an incident of fire broking out last month.

Khan Jan Alakozay, deputy president of the ACCI, said the government is responsible to guarantee protection for the private entrepreneurship based on the market economy system in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution and income tax law.

He added following the incident of fire destroying shops on the Nader Pashtun Road, the government should have cooperated with the traders. He demanded the government to exempt the affected traders from taxes and rent for the next 25 years as compensation of their losses.

In a statement issued by the shopkeepers, the Kabul Municipality has been blamed for not allowing reconstruction of the shops.

Syed Arif, one of the shopkeepers, said he lost a warehouse of goods worth millions in the fire, but the government is yet to compensate for his losses despite the fact he paid millions in taxes to the government.

Salam Watandar wished to have the views of the KM, but to no avail.

More than 850 shops and warehouses were engulfed in fire that broke out on November 01. It is said up to 8000 people lost jobs due to the incident.

ENDS