Gov’t usurps $ 109 million ACCI properties: Officials

The Afghan government has grabbed $109 million properties of the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), Officials said.

Officials in ACCI said that the government creates obstacles instead of growing investment in the country.

Land grabbing now has become an established practice in the country and those who have power would not hesitate in usurping lands and it might be due to its value. It is a lucrative business now. The grabbed lands defiantly bring millions of dollars to them. Those who are engaged in this business might enjoy immense support from powerful individuals in the government, because common people would not dare to do so.

“We call on government to wake up and use the existed opportunities and provide fields for investments that unemployment reduces in the country,” Azrakhsh Hafezi, head of ACCI’s foreign relation said.

If the government turned a blind eye to the issue, it would not be too far to witness that all public lands are usurped by the land mafia. Immediate action is the need of the hour. 

“The Chamber of Commerce now becomes a political business and no one can press government for this action,” Abdul Jabar Safi, head of craftsmen union said.

In the last ten years, land disputes have become a permanent feature of Afghanistan’s landscape and also a primary driver of conflict in the country. Land grabbing has reached its peak in the past 10-year, mainly after the collapse of Taliban regime. Land mafia groups have increased their activities as soon as land value has increasing.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan Investment Support Agency (AISA) announced creating a new plan for  supporting investments.

“Afghanistan faces a difficult economic situation and we should work on standardizing productions and investment,” Muhammad Qurban Haqjo, chairman of AISA said.