Afghan Pensioners Urge Faster, Fairer Pension Payments
A number of Afghan pensioners have expressed concern over repeated delays in receiving their retirement payments, saying the current assessment and disbursement process lacks transparency and order, exacerbating their financial hardship.
According to these pensioners, some individuals who had received pension payments for three to four years under the previous government have now been removed from the list of eligible recipients following a reassessment of documents. They say this has led to widespread distrust and anxiety among pensioners.
Meanwhile, another group of retirees who have contacted the Pension Treasury Directorate to pursue their entitlements has criticized the method used to calculate pensions, calling for a serious review. They argue that the existing formula is unfair and does not align with the employment history of many pensioners.
In response, the Taliban-controlled Ministry of Finance, without providing details on the number of recipients, announced the start of the fifth phase of reviewing pension documents from several ministries and government agencies. In a press release, the ministry said that documentation processes had begun in several government departments.
According to the Ministry of Finance, institutions included in this phase are: the national power company Breshna Sherkat, the General Directorate of Urban Water Supply and Sewerage of Afghanistan, the Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, Martyrs and Disabled, the Independent National Radio and Television Directorate, the Ministry of Finance, and colonels from the Ministry of Interior.
However, pensioners say that nearly four years have passed and they continue to be forced to make repeated visits to various agencies, especially the Ministry of Finance and the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), to claim their legal entitlements. They view the ongoing delays as indicative of severe mismanagement and a lack of accountability within the Taliban administration.
The Ministry of Finance stated that payments for pensioners from the six mentioned agencies began on January 10 and will continue until March 20 of the next year.
