ZARANJ (Pajhwok): The municipality of Zaranj, the capital of northwestern Nimroz province says it has collected around 80 million afghanis in revenue so far this year, showing a 55 percent increase over last year's returns.

Mayor Maulvi Salahuddin Mumtaz told Pajhwok Afghan News that the municipality had collected nearly 80 million afghanis in revenue up to the current month of the ongoing solar year.

He said the figures represented a 55 percent rise compared to the previous fiscal year.

He explained the increase in revenue resulted from greater public cooperation and timely payment of taxes.

He added the bulk of the revenue came from issuance of municipal licences, building permit fees, high-rise building fees, municipal services, sanitation charges and daily income from markets and shops.

Without giving specific details about last year's revenue, he said:“This 55 percent increase compared to last year has enabled us to finance all planned projects from domestic resources.”

As per information shared by the provincial municipality, nine development schemes have been planned for 1404 fiscal year. The projects include urban infrastructure, construction of roads, cleanliness and market expansion.

Mumtaz said that among these projects, one has been completed, two were currently under implementation and one was under review by the evaluation committee.

He added that once these projects were implemented, ease of movement within the city will increase, the city's appearance will become more organised, the value of commercial areas will rise and economic activities will accelerate.

He urged residents to pay their sanitation fees and taxes on time.

Meanwhile, some residents of Zaranj praised the municipality's recent initiatives, but also called for greater attention to recreational parks, waste bins and city lighting.

Mohammad, an inhabitant of Zaranj, said more focus should be placed on establishing recreational parks, as there were currently very few in the city.

Similarly, Hasna Sedaqat, a resident of the 5^th municipal district of Zaranj, said:“In the past, the drainage canals were always blocked and produced a foul smell. Now, municipal workers clean them every day. We are happy with the municipality's services.”

She urged the municipality to pay attention to improving city lighting as well.

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