Gulf Daily News07/24/2003By [Printer Friendly Version]
Afghanistan has collected $56 million in revenue from provincial governors and warlords since the end of March, President Hamid Karzai´s spokesman said yesterday. Since the process of collecting national revenues has started we have so far collected $56m," Jawed Ludin told reporters following a cabinet meeting.
"It´s very promising, it seems that the process is working," he said. Anti-Soviet fighter and warlord Ismail Khan, governor of western Herat province, alone has handed over at least $20 m to the central government.
His province benefits from lucrative customs duty on trade with neighbouring Iran.
Karzai had threatened to quit if provincial governors did not handover their revenue to the cash-strapped government.
Finance Minister Ashraf Ghani is undertaking a major reorganisation of provincial customs and finance departments in a bid to improve revenue flows and extend the influence of the central government.