Taliban’s Food and Drug Board Calls for Tighter Oversight of Imports and Market Practices

The Taliban-led Food and Drug Board held a meeting chaired by Mawlawi Abdul Salam Hanafi, the Administrative Deputy of the Prime Minister’s Office, emphasizing the need for stricter oversight of food and medicine imports and distribution.

At the outset of the meeting, board members presented reports on their activities, particularly focusing on the implementation of assigned tasks in the areas of imports and quality inspection.

The session also discussed ways to streamline the import process for medicines and related goods. Participants called for coordinated efforts to reduce bureaucratic barriers in the import chain.

One of the key issues raised was the prevention of hoarding and corruption in the pharmaceutical market. The board stressed that oversight of production and import centers in Kabul and other provinces must be strengthened to ensure transparent and equitable distribution of food and medicine.

Despite the board’s emphasis on these measures, some citizens have criticized a lack of transparency in the Taliban administration, citing corruption, a lack of accountability, and weak oversight as major obstacles to improving public health.