Taliban Economic Commission Approves Revenue Increase Plan and Water Supply Projects
The Economic Commission of the Taliban administration, chaired by Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, approved the Ministry of Finance’s proposal to increase revenues. According to the plan, the Taliban administration’s budget is expected to rise by approximately 60 billion Afghanis in the long term.
According to a statement released by the Economic Deputy Office, this revenue increase will be achieved by creating new income sources in various sectors. However, no specific details have been made public regarding how the revenues will be generated or their impact on citizens and the private sector, raising ongoing concerns about increased financial pressures on residents and traders.
During the meeting, 12 drafts of internal standards and 11 testing methods related to the National Standards and Quality Authority were also approved. These standards cover sectors including construction materials, electrical and medical equipment, textiles, plastics, dairy products, food items, and agricultural products.
The Economic Commission also approved the project to transfer water from Panjshir to Kabul via pipeline and directed the allocation of a budget for its survey and design. Panjshir, located northeast of Kabul, has long been discussed as a water source for the capital.
The statement further indicated that relevant departments have been tasked with allocating specific budgets and taking practical measures to complete the remaining work on the MDP water supply project, transferring water from Shah and Aroos dams to Kabul’s northern areas, and surveying and designing new water supply projects in Kabul city.
While the Taliban administration talks about increasing revenues and expanding infrastructure projects, citizens have repeatedly criticized the lack of financial transparency and clarity on how public funds are spent, demanding clear accountability regarding budget sources and expenditures.
