KABUL (SW) – A number of former employees at the identity card issuing authority claimed widespread corruption has taken place here.
These former protesting employees, who wished not to be named in the report, said rampant corruption and bribery takes place at this institution at all levels. They said commission agents, policemen and clerk all are involved.
The protesters went on to charge that a number of identity card issuing offices have been established across the country on the directives of the presidency aimed at ‘engineering’ the polls.
They added the merger of Population Census Authority in the National Statistics Organization has further complicated operations and deprived some 200 workers of their jobs. They said head of the NSC Ahmad Jawed Rasuli is close to President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, who has allegedly fired, transferred and replaced workers with discrimination.
They added that after the merger, recruitments at this public office have been based on ethnic basis. They added applicants are asked for their province of birth at the time of job applications. They said the difference in salaries between Pashtuns and non-Pashtuns is AFN 55,000 and AFN 23,000.
Massoudullah Alishingi, director public relation at the NSO, said problems exists here. He, however, rejected reports of discrimination, and said the former employees are aiming to defame it. He said representatives of all ethnic groups are working here.
ENDS