KABUL - The Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industries (ACCI) blamed Kabul Municipality for hurting investment in the construction sector after charging onerous service fees from investors.
According to the ACCI officials, Kabul Municipality is charging up to US$1000 per square meter for "services" rendered by the local government to investors behind new construction in the city.

"Kabul Municipality is taking large amounts of money from investors. Also it does not have a convincing reason for such actions, why they are taking the money," ACCI Director Mohammad Qurban Haq Ju told TOLOnews on Saturday.

Ju warned that this action will prevent the development of construction in the capital.

Kabul Municipality officials did not reject the claim when asked by TOLOnews, but said that they are working on a law which will cover building construction buildings to help address such problems.

The Municipality's Construction and Control Department head Abdul Tawab Ahmadi said: "We are making the law to send Council of Ministers. By approving this law, the problem will be solved."
Ju welcomed the move to draft a Construction Law, saying that without it "we will lose more investment". (Tolo News)