Residents of Faryab province say that several employees in the Directorate of Electronic National ID Registration have caused serious problems for families through clerical errors. They stress that registration mistakes, careless staff, and the collection of fines and bribes leave people wandering for weeks. Correcting ID errors, paying fines, and dealing with unprofessional employees have made life even harder for the public. These residents are urging the government to hire educated and professional staff in this department.
Several Faryab residents told the Hasht-e Subh Daily that this situation has not only created financial hardships but also eroded public trust in the identity registration system. They insist on hiring professional and educated personnel in the electronic ID department to reduce confusion and minimize losses for citizens.
Abdulrab Zaki, a resident of Maymana, shared his experience: “During the republic era, our ID was neglected. When I needed it at the provincial office, I went there, paid a 200-afghani bribe, and received a new ID. Last year, I had to visit the district office five times to get an electronic ID. I spent over 20,000 afghanis to make sure my name and photo were correct and that my previous IDs were canceled.”
Sayed Mohammad Arif Hashemi says, “I saw people wandering in Kabul for weeks to correct their grandfather’s name and spending money, only to discover that his name had not been properly registered forty years ago. These problems stem from the low literacy of civil registration employees.”
Jawid Shirzad Aimaq, another resident, said: “Employees seem to enjoy seeing people confused. When someone is placed in a role beyond their abilities, neither Islamic ethics nor professional principles are followed. From an Islamic perspective, these actions are forbidden. The department must pay serious attention when hiring staff to prevent further inconvenience. For years, people have faced the same problems with IDs.”
Sayed Hasan Hashemi added, “The ID registration process needs responsibility and proper follow-up, even for details like photos and biometrics. Some employees ignore this intentionally. I spent a month and 15,000 afghanis to verify five IDs. A friend, Fazl Ahmad Moradi, had his name incorrectly registered as Fazil Ahmad Moradi. We had to pay a 1,000-afghani fine to correct it.”
Hazrat Ali, a former technical employee of the Statistics and Information Directorate, said: “According to the law of statistics and information, if employees make a mistake, you can file a complaint with the provincial Statistics and Information Directorate or the National Statistics and Information Authority in Kabul, and the responsible person must compensate for the damage.”
Azima Noori, a former employee of the Statistics and Information Directorate who is now at home, said: “The Taliban deliberately make people pay a 1,000-afghani fine when correcting their names. Even when mistakes are the employees’ fault, people spend a month wandering and paying fines. I have seen dozens of such errors, including a friend whose real age was 25 but was registered as 70 in the electronic ID.”
The National Statistics and Information Authority of Afghanistan, under Taliban control, set electronic ID fees at 500 afghanis in 2023 and announced a 700-afghani charge for expedited services. Under the previous government, IDs cost 100 afghanis. After the Taliban takeover, the price first rose to 300 afghanis and later to 500 afghanis. This sharp increase amid economic hardships has raised citizens’ concerns about fair access to identity documents, leaving many families facing financial strain and confusion.
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
از درج اشتباه نام تا اخذ رشوه؛ باشندهگان فاریاب خواهان استخدام کارمندان با سوادند
