Public employees in the west of the country say they have not received their salaries for nearly two months, raising concerns as Eid al-Fitr approaches. Many, struggling with economic hardship, are urging the Taliban administration to expedite payments.
Several employees, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Amu TV that despite the end of the solar month of Hoot (Feb. 22 to March 22), they have yet to receive their salaries for Dalwa (January 20 to Feb. 20).
“It has been 13 days since the start of Ramadan, yet we haven’t received our salaries for Dalwa or Hoot,” said Shakhaeq Moradi (a pseudonym), a government employee and the sole provider for a six-member family. “We ask the government to pay the employees’ wages because we are in desperate need.”
Another public employee, Behzad Achakzai (also a pseudonym), echoed similar frustrations.
“Our salaries haven’t been paid for nearly two months,” he said. “In this holy month of Ramadan, we are forced to borrow money just to cover our living expenses. We urge the government to release our salaries as soon as possible.”
Employees say the prolonged delay has severely affected their purchasing power. With the rising cost of food and fuel during the winter months, many families are struggling to make ends meet.
The Taliban administration has yet to comment on the issue. However, this is not the first time government salaries have been delayed.
Some employees report that since the month of Jadi (21 December 2024 to 21 January 2025, payments have been repeatedly postponed. Fluctuations in the exchange rate of the afghani against the U.S. dollar, coupled with increasing food and fuel prices, have further exacerbated financial hardships.
