Most dried fruit markets in Zabul province in the south have closed after the Taliban imposed steep new taxes, local sources in the provincial capital, Qalat, told Amu TV on Monday.
The sources said Taliban have recently been demanding higher tax payments from dried fruit sellers in Qalat.
On Sunday, Aug. 10, following a decision by the local dried fruit traders’ association, many caravansaries and markets in the city were shuttered in protest.
Merchants in Qalat say their businesses are already struggling in the current economic downturn and they cannot afford the higher taxes.
Some residents have abandoned their businesses entirely for the same reason, according to the sources.
Taliban have not commented on the closures.
Afghanistan’s economy has struggled over the past four years since the Taliban’s return to power, hit by restrictions on women, banking sanctions and a sharp drop in employment.
