Good news from Afghanistan...

Antiquehunter

Degenerate Gambler
Antiquehunter
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Aug 7, 2005
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Fresh from the front lines... a glimmer of hope among all the negative news about progress in Afghanistan.

In the past three years not only have we re-implemented income taxes, withholding taxes on wages, a baby VAT, and airport departure fees but... today (actually 3 days ago) we have successfully implemented a true measure of civilization and stability in any country... ROAD TOLLS.

(This photo taken today about 70 km from Kandahar on the road connecting Kandahar to Kabul - my road toll team working a checkpoint, verifying road toll permits affixed to vehicles.)


-AH.
 

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We will regulate and tax the non-existant Afghan economy into prosperity.
 
oh dear... toll road already has a back up. typical!

Oh the scarf you brought keeps getting stolen back and forth by my daughters! The lovely special covering (like I can spell Burhka) has been in 2 plays at school!!!
 
A note on the Afghan economy - in many cities, it is booming (as most post-conflict country economies do) as a result of reconstruction and repatriation. Sure - much of this growth is in the construction sector, and we need to see much more growth in long term projects - however there are encouraging signs.

From my perspective, building a tax base and getting a degree of fiscal sustainability in place is crucial for the international community, so the burden of funding Afghanistan from aid monies can be lessened.
 
Basic economics 101
You employ 100 men to do reconstruction work. You pay them. They then go out and give it to 100 women for services rendered who then give the money to 100 farmers in exchange for food who then decide that need to employ 100 men to do reconstruction work...

Dud I tell you that 20 of those above are active terrorists? These people will eventually decide that there is more money in peace so cease to be terrorists.

Numbers altered to make it more interesting.
 
kittynh said:
oh dear... toll road already has a back up. typical!

Oh the scarf you brought keeps getting stolen back and forth by my daughters! The lovely special covering (like I can spell Burhka) has been in 2 plays at school!!!
Click to expand...

I hope the burkha got a starring role... ;)
 
Bump - I'm being interviewed for NPR radio on this project - and they want to tape some live transactions of Afghans paying (or not paying) their tolls. Not sure its exciting radio - but I'll let people know when its on. (Interview is in 3 days...)
 
I'm not sure whether this is good or bad. If I'm not mistaken, the tolls were basically ethnically-based highway robbery in the early 1990s between the Soviet and Taliban period, and one of the reasons the Taliban slime were greeted with such warmth when they exploded onto the scene.
 
Well, I haven't set up a taliban-based road toll system I can assure you. The new system requires drivers of all vehicles to purchase a monthly permit decal to use the rebuilt/paved roads connecting Kabul with major centers around the country. These roads were built by the international community (mostly USAID dollars) and Afghanistan needs to come up with a sustainable model to fund their maintenance and reconstruction.

To avert corruption, the Ministry has privatized the actual selling of the decals. So at the checkpoint, Ministry personnel check the vehicles for appropriate decal, and if purchase is required, the money changes hands with a private vendor. The vendors pre-purchase the decals from the government - so a peripheral benefit is that the Ministry is not responsible for protecting money in the field. The vendors are watching the Ministry staff to ensure they aren't taking a bribe and letting cars go, and the Ministry watches the vendors. A degree of self-policing (not impervious, but nothing is over here.)

I'm sure the international aid community doesn't want to have to rebuild these roads over and over again for Afghanistan.
 
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