Alleged Extortion of Street Vendors at Bot-Khak Crossroads by Kabul Municipality Employees.
Local sources report that in recent days at the Bot-Khak crossroads in Kabul, individuals have been collecting money from street vendors and fruit sellers on a daily basis.
According to witnesses, one person visits each vendor’s stall and collects 50 Afghanis from them under the label of “municipality fee.”
Vendors have stated that these funds are collected by two individuals named Omid and Saadullah (or Syedullah).
They claim that every day, these two collect the stated amount from all active stalls at the Bet-Khak crossroads and assert that the money is handed over to Mullah Mohib and Qari Ghafour.
Sources added that Mullah Mohib and Qari Ghafour serve in District 22 of the Kabul Municipality, while Omid and Saadullah are responsible for overseeing the checkpoints at the crossroads.
Local sources emphasize that the vendors are from very low-income segments of society, earning between 50 to 150 Afghanis per day.
Nevertheless, they are forced to pay 50 Afghanis daily as a bribe to the municipal officials, creating a heavy economic burden and widespread dissatisfaction among the street vendors.
