Taliban Leader Bans Officials from Bidding on Mining and Procurement Contracts
The Taliban leadership has issued a new directive prohibiting officials and employees of the administration from directly or indirectly participating in the bidding for mining contracts, procurement, and other public asset-related contracts. According to the decree, the decision aims to “ensure transparency” in the contract awarding process.
The directive states that emirate officials and government employees are not allowed to participate as bidders in contracts for the procurement of goods, services, construction projects, mining, or any contracts related to ministries and emirate offices. This ban also includes indirect participation.
Additionally, private companies owned or run by Taliban officials or employees are also barred from participating in such bids. The directive emphasizes that these companies are subject to the same restrictions applied to the officials and employees themselves.
This is not the first time such an order has been issued. The Taliban leader previously banned officials from bidding on government contracts and procurement on March 18, 2023.
However, some critics and citizens argue that issuing directives alone has not prevented the monopolization or favoritism toward relatives and close associates of Taliban officials in contract awards. They believe that, in practice, many mining and procurement contracts are still awarded to companies owned by Taliban officials or linked to their relatives and close associates, raising serious questions about the actual transparency and enforcement of these orders.
