Taliban Establishes Independent Oil and Gas Authority
The Taliban administration has announced the establishment of a new body called the “Independent Oil and Gas Authority,” aimed at centralizing the currently fragmented operations in Afghanistan’s oil and gas sector under a single institution.
Norullah Anwar, head of the Taliban’s Administrative Office, wrote on social media platform X on Sunday, December 13, that the decision was made following a proposal by the Taliban’s prime minister and under the directive of Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada. According to the plan, around eight departments, along with several ministries and agencies involved in oil and gas affairs, will be merged under the new structure.
Anwar stated that the Taliban cabinet believes consolidating authority within an independent body will enhance the processes of production, management, and import of oil and gas. However, this claim faces serious concerns and questions given the current lack of transparency, independent oversight, and public accountability.
The Amu Darya basin, located in northern Afghanistan, is considered one of the country’s largest oil and gas reserves. According to international assessments, the area holds significant quantities of crude oil and natural gas. Nevertheless, the Taliban administration has not shared clear information with the public regarding contracts, actual extraction volumes, or revenue from the sale of these resources.
In recent months, the Taliban has claimed it sold thousands of tons of extracted oil from this basin, generating millions of dollars in revenue, and that commercial oil extraction from the Qashqari field in Sar-e Pol province began on April 8, 2022. These developments, occurring without national or international oversight, have intensified concerns over the management of natural resources and the public’s right to benefit from them.
