KABUL (SW) – A number of media outlets that have not paid their due taxes, license fee or other dues would be closed down, officials warned on Wendesday.
Abdul Haq Hammad, head of publications at the Ministry of Information and Culture, said today that a number of media outlets have not paid their debts to various government agencies in the past few years. According to him, there are also media outlets that have not been licensed for 10 to 15 years.
The director of publications of the Ministry of Information and Culture added that the owners of a number of media outlets in the previous government used the law to defy corruption, and now they are operating ‘illegally’. According to Hammad, the Islamic Emirate has investigated the matter and will deal legally with the such media houses.
On the other hand, Abdul Haq Hammad said that the ATRA administration has sent a letter to the ministries of information, culture and interior to close down media outlets that have problems with licensing, taxation and frequency.
“We have to deal with them within the law and warned them that if they did not pay their taxes, they would be dealt with legally,” he said. “Their frequency and license have been revoked and they will no longer have the right to operate.”
Meanwhile, Seyyed Ali Asghar Akbarzada, a member of the Federation of Journalists and Media in Afghanistan, acknowledged the issue of tax payments, but said that now that a number of media outlets are facing economic problems hence a way must be found for the media to pay both their taxes and continue operating.
Meanwhile, Abdul Nasir Haqjou, head of Radio Amu in Badakhshan, has stressed that the media should be licensed and it should pay their taxes, but said that the government should also give the media a concession.
Zahid Angar, head of the Voice of Peace Radio in Khost, said in this regard that about 150 media outlets are in danger of closing down due to non-payment of taxes and lack of licenses. He added that the Islamic Emirate needs to differentiate between the commercial media and the neutral media in the wake of prevailing economic crisis.
“My request to the head of the Islamic Emirate is that he should at least understand the state of the media,” he said. “Because it is clear to the government that there is no income source. The Islamic Emirate must exempt these media outlets from fines.”
The previous government had asked the media houses to pay their taxes and renew their licenses, however, after a meeting between the former government officials and media officials, the fines for these violations were pardoned and they were given the opportunity to renew their licenses and pay taxes.
ENDS
