Civil servants across Afghanistan have yet to receive their salaries for the month of April, according to multiple sources in public institutions, including the Taliban-run Finance Ministry.
As of May 5, corresponding to the 15th of the solar month of Saur, public employees were still awaiting payment, sources told Amu TV. They attributed the delay to the late approval of the 1405 solar year budget by the Taliban’s leader, which they said was finalized only in recent days.
Several officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly, said the delay had stretched on for weeks and affected workers across ministries. Some employees reported mounting financial strain as a result.
“The situation has created serious economic challenges for us,” one government employee said, requesting anonymity for fear of repercussions.
Sources said the newly approved budget could allow for salary payments to be disbursed within days, though no official timeline has been announced.
Since retaking power in 2021, the Taliban have repeatedly faced criticism over delays and irregularities in salary payments to civil servants. Employees have previously reported waiting up to three months to receive wages, exacerbating financial hardship in a country already grappling with widespread poverty and unemployment.
Taliban have not publicly released details of the national budget, a practice that economists say undermines transparency and limits accountability.
“Budget oversight is essential,” said Sayed Masoud, an economist and former lecturer of at Kabul University. “In most countries, parliament is responsible for approving and monitoring the budget. But Afghanistan currently has no functioning parliament, and the oversight component is effectively absent.”
The budget process traditionally includes three stages: preparation, approval and oversight. Analysts say the absence of independent scrutiny raises concerns about how public funds are allocated and spent.
Two additional sources told Amu TV that Taliban may have increased funding in the new budget for their military forces and personnel in judicial institutions, though those claims could not be independently verified.
Taliban have not issued an official response to the reported delays or the budget approval process.
The continued lack of transparency surrounding public finances, coupled with recurring salary delays, has deepened uncertainty for government workers, many of whom rely solely on their monthly pay to meet basic needs.
