$3 million dip in Baghlan municipality revenue

PULIKHUMRI (Pajhwok): The Municipality of Pul-I-khumri, the provincial capital of the northeastern Baghlan province, recorded a $3 million deficit in its revenue.

The municipality revenue was around $4 million in 2012, but declined to less than a million in 2013.

Noor Mohammad Nekhwa, the municipality head, called unnecessary shuffle of municipality officials and its employees as was one of the main reasons for declining in revenue generation.

There was unnecessary shuffle in the employees of the provincial municipality, leaving every official in a sense that his/her job was a matter of days, he added.

The current mayor took charge of his duty four months back, while his predecessor was discharged of his duty on allegations of demonstrating irresponsibility.

“It is unprecedented decline in revenue in municipality’s history,” Nikhwa told a consultative council meeting held in connection of municipality budget and civil services.

But the participants in the meetings were disagreed with the view point of Nikhwa and vehemently criticized the municipality.

Abdul Hamed, head of the municipality consultative council, alleged since two months the council started activities but the municipality changed into a mess and no one knows their responsibilities.

Sultan Mohammad Ibadi, Baghlan governor, blamed Independent Directorate of Local Governance (IDLG) for introducing unqualified employees to the municipality and vowed he would meet IDLG to help resolve the problem.

The municipality did not give further details with regard of revenue deficit to the provincial governor and he would follow the issue, Ebadi added.

Based on cabinet decision, consultative councils had been established under provincial municipalities by IDLG which included municipality district heads, government, NGOs and civil society representatives.

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