KABUL (SW): A number of street vendors here in the capital Kabul complain that beside the constant humiliation, the police also personnel extort money from them on daily basis.
According to them, if they avoid paying money, police damage their carts and even beat them. Naeem, one of the street vendors in Kota Sangi area, said that police personnel have repeatedly overthrown his fruit carts, and have beaten him.
Ali, another street seller, said that he has paid money to the police several times to allow him to continue with his business.
Seddiq Seddiqi, spokesman for Ministry of Interior, told Salam Watandar that police has no right to extort money from the street vendors.
He said that these streets vendors can complain about the police’s illegal demands to the ministry.
A number of economic experts, however did not blame police and believed that there should be somehow a system that would prevent haphazard way of trade on the street.
Azarakhsh Hafizi, an economic expert, pointing out to the rise in numbers of street vendors in Kabul, said that the city has no room for it, and the government should create alternatives for them.
He said that such business neither breeds enough money for the street vendors nor has any income in terms of economy to the government. He said that street vendors create disturbances in the traffic.
Though, the Kabul Municipality has dedicated a specific area for the street vendors, they continue their businesses on busy roads.
ENDS
