Tax reductions announced for restaurants, hotels, gas stations

KABUL (TOLOnews): Officials from the Ministry of Finance announced today (Tuesday) at the Government Media and Information Center (GMIC) that taxes on restaurants, hotels, and gas stations have been significantly reduced.

Abdul Qahir Idris, the Deputy of Revenue and Customs for the Ministry, said that restaurants and hotels with quarterly incomes of less than 750,000 afghani will see their profit tax reduced from 5 percent to 2 percent. Additionally, the fixed tax on each liter of fuel at gas stations has been reduced from 0.6 percent to 0.3 percent, he said.

However, hotels and restaurants with quarterly incomes exceeding 750,000 afghani will continue to pay a 5% profit tax.

“All hotels and mobile restaurants with quarterly incomes of less than 750,000 afghani will have a profit tax of 2 percent. If their income exceeds 750,000 afghani, the profit tax will be 5 percent,” said Abdul Qahir Idris.

Abdul Salam Hanafi, the administrative deputy of the Prime Minister, pledged that the interim government has provided the necessary tax facilities and has also waived tax penalties.

Abdul Salam Hanafi, at this event, said: “The Islamic Emirate always aims to provide various facilities for traders and all service workers.”

Meanwhile, the Union of Fuel and Gas Companies and the Chamber of Craftsmen and Shopkeepers have welcomed the tax reduction, adding that it will increase job opportunities for the country’s citizens.

Masood Ahmad Rahat, the head of the Union of Fuel and Gas Companies, said: “Our tax has been reduced from 0.6 to 0.3 percent. Previously, you had also helped in the fuel sector.”

Sherin Agha Sakhi, the head of the Chamber of Craftsmen and Shopkeepers, also said: “The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is striving, as Mr. Hanafi mentioned, to completely remove taxes. We are a nation that has been sitting on treasures for millions of years, yet we are hungry ourselves.”

Although the exact amount of the ordinary and developmental budget has not been specified in the past three years, officials from the Ministry of Finance stated that the budget is funded by domestic revenues, a portion of which comes from taxes.