Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada has ordered a reduction in the salaries of public employees as part of broader cost-cutting measures, according to a source familiar with the decision in Kandahar. The move follows an earlier directive by Taliban leader to reduce the size of the country’s civil service and security ranks by 20 percent.
The order stems from what sources describe as severe budget constraints and mounting economic challenges. While Taliban have not formally announced the cuts, multiple civil servants across three ministries told Amu TV that they have not received their salaries for over two months.
One public employee, speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons, warned that prolonged delays could drive many to stop reporting for duty. “It’s been two months without pay,” the worker said in a voice message. “Some ministries may have received funding, but ours has not. Morale is collapsing.”
According to internal reports reviewed by Amu, some civil servants have already seen salary reductions of up to 25 percent. In addition, job reassignments have reportedly demoted professional staff in mid-level positions to basic support roles, with technically skilled employees placed into custodial or clerical categories.
The Taliban-run Ministry of Finance has not issued a public comment, but a source from the ministry previously told Amu that salary payments were expected to resume this week — a claim many workers view with skepticism, given recent patterns of delay.
Taliban have also been criticized for disproportionately targeting employees who previously served under the former government, particularly women. Several sources said that since the beginning of the year, payments have been erratic and often withheld without explanation.
Taliban officials have confirmed publicly that downsizing is underway, but they have not acknowledged the extent of financial strain. Civil servants say the combination of institutional purges, delayed payments and salary cuts is pushing many of them to the brink.
