Kandahar, 12 August 2018. Kandahar municipality has begun issuing safayi (urban services charge) fees under the UN Habitat-supported City for All programme, which will boost municipal revenues for the city and allow for the expansion of municipal infrastructure and basic services. The City for All (CFA) programme is funded by EU and USAID and is providing direct support to municipalities in calculating, preparing and issuing invoices to urban properties in Afghanistan. Twelve Afghan cities are benefiting from this government-led programme which will see the establishment of a safayi database and computer system to automate invoicing and track payments, as well as door-to-door delivery of the invoices by revenue mobilizers.

This week, the District Manager of Kandahar District 1 launched the distribution of the first safayi fee invoices in Kandahar under CFA, accompanied by UN Habitat´s Provincial leader, Mr. Nader Shah; UN Habitat´s Head of Communications, Mr. Koussay Boulaich and City for All Team leader in Kandahar, Mr. Muhibullah Motassim.

With the launch of safayi invoicing under CFA, Kandahar joins seven other cities in strengthening municipal revenues. The fees collected are based on the surveying and registration of properties that CFA is undertaking in the same cities. So far, 24,000 properties have been surveyed in Kandahar. The collected fees will be invested in basic urban services in collaboration with communities. This trilateral scheme of integrated legislation, planning and finance systems, is one of the key features of the New Urban Agenda, the roadmap to achieve SDG 11. Linking planning and economic development is an essential part of the CFA programme. Congratulations to Afghan municipalities for taking steps towards sustainable urbanization.

For more information, please contact UN-Habitat Afghanistan Head of Communications,

Mr. Koussay Boulaich,

Koussay.boulaich@un.org