KABUL (Pajhwok): A parliamentary panel on Tuesday said it had found that 90 percent of imported fuel for foreign forces in Afghanistan had been sold in the market, earning 20 companies and some government officials more than $1 billion in untaxed profit.
Mohammad Naeem Lalai Hameedzai, who heads the Wolesi Jirga commission on counter-narcotics, told reporters here that the 20 contractors had provided only 10 percent of the imported fuel to foreign forces over the past four years and sold the rest in the open market.
He said some Afghan companies, including National Fuel Corporation, General Logistics, Maihan Selab, Afghan Whole Sale, Khawar Sadaat, Ghazanfar Group, Safi Limited, Aryana Target Petroleum, Parwan Group and some others had been involved in the matter.
The lawmaker said these companies had imported nearly five million tonnes of crude oil of different kinds without paying taxes and earned more than $1 billion in profit.
He said more than two million tonnes of crude oil belonging to these companies awaited clearance to enter Afghanistan.
The commission head hinted at the involvement of some government officials in the issue including.
He said the accused officials were in the executive, the legislature, judiciary branches, a former vice-president, interior, defence, foreign, trade ministers and a former spymaster.
He termed the issue greater and serious then the issue of Kabul Bank and said the people of Afghanistan would suffer the most if it was not investigated.
He asked the government to task a commission with investigating the issue that had caused losses to the national exchequer.
nh/ma