Kunduz strongmen default on water bills

KUNDUZ CITY (Pajhwok): The water supply department of the northern zone on Monday said a number of powerful individuals and government officials had defaulted on paying bills worth 37 million afghanis.

The department said Kunduz income from the water supply last year stood at 26 million afghanis while the amount dropped to 18 million afghanis this year due to willful default by well-connected individuals.

Eng. Najibullah Najib, director of water supply, told Pajhwok Afghan News that powerful individuals, government and some civil offices were not paying their bills for the past few years.

He said the education department owed 900,000 afghanis, central jail 400,000afs, the governor’s house 200,000afs and the same amount was to be paid by provincial courts.

He said that a number of other government offices and residential buildings had also failed to clear their bills.

Without naming anyone, Najib said a number of people working in higher positions in the government and some influential individuals who rented their buildings to foreign organizations also did not intentionally want to pay their dues.

“Our income is relied on water bills, so if the situation continues Kunduz residents would be deprived of water,” he warned, adding that currently 8,000 families in Kunduz city had access to water.

Najib said that they have repeatedly shared the issue with defaulters and security organs for help, but none of them responded positive.

Kunduz governor’s house director Mohammad Ismail confirmed their unpaid water and power bills but he linked it to less amount of budget.

He said that most government offices were faced with the same problem but added that they would try to pay the bills on time.

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