KABUL (SW) – The General Directorate of the Islamic Emirate’s Affairs Administration has announced in a newsletter that each digital identity card will be distributed to citizens for 500 afghanis worth of fee.
Mohammad Halim Rafe, the spokesperson of the National Statistics and Information Department, told Salam Watandar that in the third meeting of the Council of Ministers, this decision was approved and the price of each electronic identity card increased from 300 to 500 afghani.
Citizens, however, complaining and criticizing the increase in the price, say that this decision will discourage people from getting birth certificates. Sahil Azimi, a resident of Kabul, says that paying for the ID cards is beyond their financial means.
Sahil says: “When I got my own ID, the price was 100 afghanis, now it has increased several times. In this condition of ruin and lack of money, when the price increases, one does not understand this. This trend should be stopped and the prices should be reduced again. The business has also decreased compared to before, but in the past it was easy, now the process is slower.”
Saleh, another resident of Kabul city, and Shahabuddin, a resident of Maidan Wardak, say that the government should review the price.
Saleh adds: “I myself had taken a Tazkira during the Republican period, it was 100 afghanis only. People are facing a problem, there is no money, the same 100 afghani was good, 500 afghani is more than people can afford. The government should pay serious attention in this regard, as before, the prices should be 100 to 200 afghanis.”
Shahabuddin aadded “I got a Tazkira about a month ago; At that time it was 300 afghanis, now a letter has just arrived that the prices have increased to 500 afghanis, this is very difficult for us. We cannot afford 300 Afghanis, now that it has increased, I don’t know if anyone can take it or not.”
However, the spokesperson of the National Bureau of Statistics and Information says that due to the increase in the price of electrical devices and other materials required for the electronic certificates in the global markets, the price has increased.
ENDS
