Tuesday November 14, 2017
Kabul (BNA) Since over fourteen months of Kabul municipality taking over of new leadership, achievements have been unprecedented in the last 16 years.
According to Kabul Municipality (KM) spokesman Jalil Sultani, since the outset, the new leadership codified a clear roadmap of work based on which implementation of projects in different parts of the city has been prioritized. In the first steps, the new leadership assessed all available problems in the capital city and setup solutions respectively. These steps include three sections of good governance, urban infrastructures and urban services. We managed to concrete over 350 km streets and narrow roads in the last fourteen months which is unprecedented achievement in the last 16 years.
Touching the construction of eight roads that were undertaken in 1396 (2017), Jalil Sultani added, although these roads were expected to be built in the past years, but these goals were not achieved due to negligence and carelessness of relevant officials. The road from third Parwan circle to Sarsabzy circle, the road from Sarsabzy circle to Lab-e-Jar circle, the road from Lab-e-Jar circle to Panjsad Family circle and the road from Golayee Park circle to Khesht-e-Hokhteev circle are among projects which are underway by Kabul municipality. The construction of four other main roads including the road from Taimany circle through police suburb to Qala-e-Najarah circle and the road from Qala-e-Zaman Khan to Arzanqimat area are at the procurement stage.
Some areas including the road to Dasht-e-Barchi which according to MSF report has accommodated a population of over one and half million people has also been neglected. If Barchi road is connected to company road, heavy traffic jam will be removed in this area. Sultani went on to say that Kabul Municipality has undertaken an independent and detailed plan for Barchi area. Fortunately preliminary steps of this plan including feasibility, estimation of capacity, survey and design have been completed and practical work will be started soon. Talking on their achievements in the field of administrative reforms and good governance KM spokesman Sultani said, we have taken several steps in this connection. We managed to simplify and electrify the eight exhausting administrative process. Procedures have been considerably reduced.
According to Sultani, for example, proceeding of receiving of construction permit included over 200 stages and applicants had to refer to several authorities, now has been referred to a single branch and is carried out in a short time. Applicants of construction permit can fill form online and receive permit in a short time. Spokesman of KM claims that since the last fourteen months of taking over of KM new leadership, our incomes have remarkably increased to 133 pc. Before 46000 entrepreneurs were registered with the Kabul Municipality but following a new survey by the new leadership, this number increased to over 110000. Taxes are now paid through banks that has caused prevention of embezzlement of municipality incomes. Over Afs 200 million have been economized.
Sultani added, there were corruption in Kabul gates too as each gate had an income of Afs 200000-30000 per 24 hours but after taking over of KM new leadership, precise assessment and cooperation of Kabul Garrison, corruption has been reduced and the Kabul gates daily income has increased to Afs 3-4 million. The new KM leadership added, has submitted about 200 cases of corruption to legal and judicial bodies. We are strongly fighting corruption. According to Sultani, the capacity of garbage cleaning and dumping has increased from 27 pc to 48 pc. Dumping of garbage’s of five key points of Kabul city to private sector has caused improvement of garbage cleaning. Talking on the new measures which are expected to be taken, Sultani expressed hope that would increase cleaning capacity of garbages from 49 pc to 98 pc and said, 200 new garbage bins, 90 different vehicles and 150 Zarang bikes are supposed to be purchased that would enable us to achieve abovementioned goals.
Since early days of taking over, the new KM leadership, has undertaken serious environmental sanitation measures. The public baths heating system who use smoke producing and harmful fuel, was replaced with gas fuel. Kabul Municipality plans to organize an unprecedented measure for improvement of the capital city face, street threats for public awareness will be organized and it has also undertaken certain cultural programs. Clear step has been taken in the field of providing information as today even the smallest activity of KM appear on the website and people have access to it.
Masouda Qarizada