Government, firms and individuals owe billions to DABS

KABUL (SW): De Afghanistan Breshna Shirkat (DABS), the power utility, revealed on Monday that various government offices and individuals owe them billions of afghanis in terms of outstanding dues.

The list issued by DABS suggests that telecommunication companies, residential towns, government organizations, authorities, private stores, production firms, industries and even the Presidential Office have not paid their electricity bills.

According to the list, Burhanuddin Rabbani’s resting place owes AFN 861, 202 to the DABS. The list includes Sayed Mansour Nadiri with debt of AFN 132, 381, Presidential Office with AFN 531, 224, Haji Almas Zahid, the MP and advisor for the President, with AFN 130, 7067, Najib Kabuli with AFN 800, 993, Abdul Rab Alrasul Saiyaf with AFN 1, 482, 865, Abdul Satar with AFN 1, 681, 351, Habibul Rahman with AFN 974, 859 and Abdul Qadir with ANF 197, 449.

Besides, Aiena, Tamadoon, Noorin and Zhowandoon TV channels, and MTN, Etisalat and Afghan Wireless telecommunication companies are also included in the lists of the defaulters.

Another list issued by the DABS suggests that the Gen. Abdul Rashed Dostum, the First Vice President has not paid two separate payments of AFN 34, 880, 851 and AFN 1, 659, 629 to the power utility.

The list indicates that Karim Khalili, the former Second Vice President has also not paid AFN 5, 323, 467 worth of outstanding dues to the DABS. The list further underlines that Hamid Lalai Hamidzai, a member of the Wolesi Jirga (lower house), is also due to pay AFN 1, 077, 783 in power bills.

Wahid Towhidi, the spokesperson for DABS stated that this debt list has been prepared in line with the directives by the Presidential Palace and the Council of the Ministers. He pronounced that police and the Supreme Court would initiate legal actions against the debtors.

He mentioned that for the defaulters with more than AFN 100, 000 worth of pending bills, the DABS had set-up an installment process, but only 60% of them have paid their payments so far.

Adul Rahman Momand, the head for DABS stated that they have warned the defaulters to pay the bills before the legal action but not many have responded. He mentioned that AFN 974 million worth of dues are related to the residential units while AFN 773 million of it are related to the commercial powr connections and the rest of AFN 700 million are pending with individual consumers.

ENDS