A joint committee of the municipality, the Department of Lands and Agriculture, and the Taliban Governor’s Office in Mazar-e-Sharif has said that the owners of 125 residential complexes in Balkh do not have the right to build houses but have been urged to start buying their Safa’i booklets [Municipal Tax Booklets] from now on.
The people of Balkh have complained about this behaviour of the Taliban and accuse them of extortion, coercion, corruption, and bribery. According to reliable reports, the Taliban mayor in Mazar-e-Sharif demanded money from the landowners in the counties, and in return, they gave permission to the landowners to build their houses.
The citizens of Balkh province said that the Taliban have put the people of this city in a difficult situation with their new order and forced them to pay 5000 Afghani ($56.27) for each Safa’i booklet.
Arash Mehraban
