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Dozens of money changers in Herat province staged a protest three days after the Taliban closed their shops.
They gathered today in front of the Taliban governor’s office in Herat, saying the cost of obtaining permits from the Taliban government is beyond the means of many of them.
Ghulam Mohammad Sohrabi, head of the Herat Money Changers Union, said the Taliban government has set the fee for obtaining a money changer license at 6 million afghanis, accompanied by a bank statement of 500,000 afghanis, and has closed down around 300 money exchange shops in different parts of the province.
A spokesman for the Taliban’s Herat provincial governor did not respond to Radio Azadi’s questions.
A protesting money changer in Herat province said:
“They wanted Rs 65 lakh to get the licence, Rs 2 lakh was used, Rs 67 lakh. Yes, isn’t it, brothers? Yes, Rs 66 lakh. Rs 60 lakh, you don’t have/must have the balance, where is it sent by your brother.”
Dozens of money changers gathered in front of the Taliban governor’s office in Herat on Tuesday, July 30, to protest against fees set by the Taliban government for obtaining licenses, saying it is beyond the affordability of many of them.
They claimed that the Taliban government had closed some money changers’ shops in Herat over the past three days.
Earlier, a video of the Khorasan Market in Herat Province was posted on social networks, showing that some shops in the market had been closed and the owners had gathered in the market.
Some money changers in Herat province say the cost of obtaining a license from the Taliban government is far higher than many of them can afford.
Two cashiers, who asked not to be named in the report due to the sensitivity of the issue, told Radio Azadi that many of them would not be allowed to continue working if they failed to meet the fees set by the Taliban government.
They said paying the fee was beyond their means.
“If you want to redeem something, you must meet the standards. If you don’t meet the standards, you really can’t redeem it.”
“Around the Khorasan market area and the Khorasan market suburbs, the process of closing down stores is still going on. There is a possibility that around 500 to 600 stores will be closed.”
Nisar Ahmed Ilyas, spokesman for the Taliban’s Herat provincial governor, did not respond to Radio Azadi’s questions.
We asked Ghulam Mohammad Sohrabi, head of the Herat Money Changers Union, about the criteria and costs set by the Taliban government for issuing licenses to money changers in the province.
He said it costs 6 million Afghanis to get an exchange license and a bank statement of 500,000 Afghanis is required to get the license.
The head of the Herat Money Changers Union told Radio Azadi that during the deposed republic, it cost 200,000 afghanis to obtain a money changer license and no bank statements were required.
He said the move is aimed at improving the financial credibility of the exchange offices of the Taliban government, adding that the Taliban government has so far closed about 300 exchange shops in different parts of the province and the process of closing exchange offices without money service licenses or representatives, continues.
Sohrabi added that the Taliban government had revoked the licenses of the previous republican government and money changers should get new licenses.
“The license fee then was 200,000 Afghanis, now it is 6 million Afghanis. The total amount was spent and deposited in the Afghan bank in exchange for the license and the statement I told you to get from the Afghan bank. Bank, only once.”
Some money changers in Herat province also stressed during their protest on Tuesday that a large number of money changers and those who work with them will lose their jobs if the Taliban government does not change its decision.
According to information provided by the Herat Money Changers Union, during the former republic, there were 430 money changers licensed in Herat, but now, due to the conditions imposed by the Taliban government, about 200 money changers are licensed in the Herat Provincial Representative Office in Herat.
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