PAN, April 17, 2014

Kunduz warlords, govt offices owe 100m afs in unpaid electricity bills

"Why the government cannot implement the law on warlords to make them pay dues"

By Habibur Rahman Sherzai

Some warlords and government departments owed more than 100 million afghanis in unpaid electricity bills to the power utility in northern Kunduz province, an official said on Thursday.

Eng. Hamidullah, the Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS) chief in Kunduz City, said his department's revenue stood at 600 million afghanis last solar year, but more than 100 million afs remained in default with warlords and some government departments.

He said the defaulters included the police and army headquarters and the governor’s office, saying the dues could not be cleared despite several notices.

He put the number of consumers in Kunduz at 50,000 families. “If the arrears are not cleared, it could lead to the suspension of electricity import from Tajikistan to Kunduz, Takhar and Baghlan.”

Azizullah, a mill owner in Kunduz City, said: “We are very concerned about the situation. Why the government cannot implement the law on warlords to make them pay dues.”

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