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KABUL: Faryab Provincial council has expressed concerns over Taliban’s extortion from businessmen who import good to the Maimana city, the provincial capital.
Sibghatullah Silab, a member of provincial council said on Saturday that in addition to the government tariffs, the Taliban have put extortion on the traders over their imports in the Highway No.1 (Manimana-Jawzjan), thus they made checkpoints and extort the traders.
He said that Taliban have formed an extortion of 7,000-25,000 AFS considering the variety of merchandises.
He added that the extortions only affect residents of the province because the prices get increase, adding that Taliban get financially empowered.
“Besides government tariffs, Taliban has made illegal checkpoints to extort the traders, and this has increased the price of the markets,” he said. “No one give the penalty, neither the Traders, only the nation pay the penalty.”
Meanwhile, some of the residents of the Maimana say that they are bored with the expensive prices of foodstuff in the markets.
“Here, only people are affected, the traders put the high price, is there any government to pay attention? The price is increasing day by day,” said Mohammad Ibrahim a resident of the Maimana city.
Another resident, Omiddullah said “the price has been highly increased in the Maimana, if a bottle of oil cost 1,200AFS the trader adds 500AFS more and then says that he pays the taxes for both sides (Taliban and government).”
Provincial Spokesman Ahmad Jawid Baidar confirmed extortion by Taliban from the imports to the province in the highway NO.1 further that the government would prevent such issues in the province.
“Unfortunately, the Taliban has put extortion on the imports in the Highway. I don’ think such issues exist in the other part of Afghanistan and it won’t be continued in the Faryab as well,” he said.
According to some rumors the Highway No.1 Highway has been controlled by Taliban for nearly four years.
The highway connects the Aqina port with the Maimana city and tens of trade trucks arrived in to the city of Maimana daily.
The Taliban has not commented at this regard so far.
