KABUL (SW): Like many urban centers in Afghanistan, the capital Kabul is full with beggars all year round but the sight of seeing uniformed municipality workers begging for money seriously questions the government’s resolve to end poverty.
Almost every day, right after their work, a number of orange uniformed Kabul Municipality workers beg for money on the streets.
The reason why they resort to begging is clear, low and delayed salaries against mounting prices of commodities. Abdul Qahar Arezo, Spokesman for the Kabul Municipality agrees. Defending the municipality workers, he said they are not to blame for the fact that they beg.
He told SW that prices for foodstuff and clothes were on the rise against the stagnate salary they (workers) receive (afs 5500). Lamenting the huge gap between the salaries of ordinary public workers and highly-paid advisors at various ministries, Arezo said the growing disparity was caused by the indifference among the elite towards the poor.
Kazim Homayoun, an environmentalist, said in this regard that some professional beggars also take advantage of the orange uniform the municipality workers wear. “Considering the sympathy people have towards the municipality workers, some crooks wear it and beg on the streets”, he said.
KM Officials said they have caught and charged a number of municipality workers begging in uniform in a bid to discourage this defaming trend. The underlying reason, low and delayed salaries however, remain unresolved.
ENDS
