KABUL — Widespread frustration is mounting among civil servants as delays in salary payments under the Taliban administration stretch into a second month, with some employees warning they may walk off the job if the situation continues.
Multiple sources in public institutions told Amu TV that salaries have not been disbursed for nearly two months. In at least two Taliban-run institutions, officials say they are prepared to resign if further delays occur.
“Our ministry still hasn’t paid salaries,” said one government employee, speaking on condition of anonymity. “People are deeply unhappy. Many of us are in financial distress, and if this continues, we may stop coming to work altogether.”
A senior official at the Taliban-run Ministry of Finance told Amu TV that budget transfer delays had disrupted payroll disbursement. The source said payments resumed this week, but numerous employees said they had yet to receive any funds.
The repeated delays have fueled speculation among civil servants that the Taliban leadership is also considering permanent salary reductions — a claim some officials have raised previously, alongside reported cuts to staffing across government departments.
Ahmad Siyar Quraishi, an economic analyst, said the Taliban face long-term challenges in sustaining public sector operations without access to Afghanistan’s frozen foreign reserves or renewed international aid.
“Without access to global reserves or resumption of aid — and absent structural reforms — the Taliban will be unable to fund a sustainable public sector,” he said. “This will damage the long-term functionality of the government.”
Since taking power in August 2021, Taliban have faced increasing difficulty financing day-to-day governance. With U.S. aid suspended and international contributions dwindling, sources say fiscal pressures have grown, leading to irregular salary payments and administrative uncertainty.
According to several employees, such delays have been recurring since January. While some continue to report to work in the hope that payments will resume, others warn that morale is eroding and essential public services are being disrupted.
