Taliban's Deputy Minister Of Economy Confirms Suspension Of Employees' Salaries
Latif Nazari, the Taliban's deputy minister of economy, confirmed that there has been a delay in paying the salaries of government employees due to "technical reasons".
Latif Nazari, the Taliban's deputy minister of economy, confirmed that there has been a delay in paying the salaries of government employees due to "technical reasons".
Nazari acknowledged the delay in the payment of employees' salaries, fluctuations in the value of the Afghani currency, and the suspension of the work of foreign institutions, but called it a "normal" phenomenon.
Earlier, Afghanistan International, citing reliable sources from government agencies, reported that the authorities had officially informed them that their salaries would not be paid in the next three months.
Sources also said that the Taliban has banned logistical procurement and purchases in offices.
Two days after the publication of this report, Latif Nazari, the Taliban's deputy minister of economy, posted a video of himself on the social media platform X and emphasised that the fluctuation of the value of the Afghani in the market, the delay in the payment of employees' salaries, and the suspension of the activities of foreign institutions are a "normal" matter and cannot create an obstacle to Afghanistan's progress.
US foreign aid, with the exception of aid to Israel and Egypt, was suspended during the first hours of Donald Trump's presidency. Hours after the suspension of these aids, the relative economic stability in Afghanistan was disrupted and the price of the Afghani currency reached 80 Afghanis.
Following the fall in the price of the Afghani currency, the Taliban took strict measures to control the market.
In the past few days, local sources reported the deployment of Taliban intelligence forces in Sarai Shahzada, the main currency exchange centre in Afghanistan. According to money changers, the Taliban monitors the exchange rate and conducts strict inspections of their cash registers and phones.
Money changers say that these actions of the Taliban have stopped the purchase and sale of dollars in this centre.
The Taliban also sold the dollar to money changers for 78 afghanis on Wednesday, but hours later, they forcibly auctioned it for 75 afghanis in the market, causing heavy financial losses to the money changers.
Following the sharp decline in the value of the Afghani, the Taliban's Central Bank has injected about $70 million into the market in the past week. However, money changers claim that the actual amount of dollars auctioned is much lower than the amount announced by the Taliban.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid on Thursday announced the official rate of the dollar at 74 afghanis and stressed that "the afghani has maintained its value and there is no need to worry".
