Afghanistan: Booksellers suffer as sales dip amid tax hike, Taliban ban on women's education

Afghan booksellers continue to suffer amid Taliban's continuous onslaught against modern education with targeted actions against women's education rights. A recent assessment by a commission to address issues faced by booksellers in Afghanistan has revealed that nearly30 per cent of booksellers in Afghanistan have ceased their operations due to lack of a thriving market.

Abdul Wodod Mukhtarzada, a commission member, told Tolo News that in addition to the challenging market conditions, booksellers have also raised concerns about the burden of high taxes, which have become increasingly difficult to manage given the decline in their business.

Mukhtarzada highlighted, "We used to sell over 500 books and had a robust presence of 200 librarians. However, these numbers have dwindled significantly."

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Numerous booksellers have expressed worry over the fading culture of book reading in Afghanistan.

Sharifullah, a bookseller, pointed out, "The absence of female students in universities is a contributing factor to the issues. This absence also impacts the book trade."

Mansour Qazizada, another bookseller, told Tolo News that the market has slowed down, and people lack the means to purchase books. He also mentioned the various taxes that booksellers are required to pay.

Qazizada elaborated, "As you are aware, the market is struggling, and people lack the financial capacity to buy books. Moreover, the presence of multiple types of taxes, along with representatives from the Kabul municipality, adds to our challenges."

Meanwhile, Taliban-led Ministry of Information and Culture claimed it will reducethe tax burden on libraries.

"We are working towards exempting taxes on books to encourage a tradition of reading. We have organised several exhibitions for this purpose,"Deputy Minister Mahajar Farahi was quoted as saying by Tolo News.

Recently, a group of young individuals in Kabul organised the "Smart Way" book exhibition to boostthe reading culture in Afghanistan.

Through such initiatives, the youth aimed to inspire residents, especially their peers, to engage in literature, amid the strict educational limitations imposed by the Taliban on young girls and women in Afghanistan.

One of the organisers, Sharifa Hesar told Tolo News:"We organised this exhibition to cultivate a reading culture among the youth. Books serve as a form of entertainment for them."

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Farhad Malik Zada, another organiser, said, "Our aim is to strengthen the reading culture among young people through this exhibition."

The stagnation in the book-selling industry over the past two years has caused concern among booksellers in Kabul and surrounding regions of Afghanistan.

(With inputs from agencies)

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