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KABUL: Officials in the Herat custom office say their revenue had hit be three billion Afs reduction.
Herat province in the west has two border points with Islam Qala at the border of Iran and Torghondi at the Turkmenistan border.
Shamroz Khan Masjedi, spokesman of finance ministry said Friday that the decrease in custom revenues depended on the decrease of import-export to and from neighboring states.
He said that digital x-ray machines and cameras were newly used at the border points that could prevent corruption.
Masjedi said that the revenue decreased from 9.2 billion Afs to 6.1 billion Afs.
The revenues of Torkham border point in the east and Spin Boldak border in the south both with Pakistan had decreased to less than three billion Afs in recent weeks.
Some traders say that Herat custom office was completely under control of powerful men who embezzle some half of the revenues.
“Pakistan closed borders for us after the outbreak of Corona virus. Thus, all the traders referred to Iran for importing fruit and other goods,” said Khairuddin, one of traders.
Khan Jan Alokozai, an official at the chambers of commerce confirms the presence of powerful men in the Herat custom office.
The chambers of commerce says that it is not possible for the government to keep a permanent control at the Herat custom office to control revenues and resolve problems businessmen are facing with.
