Taliban Charge 200 Afghanis from Each Family in Samangan to Rebuild Road

Local sources say the Taliban have asked residents of Roy Doab district of Samangan province to pay 200 Afghanis from each family to rebuild a road.

According to the sources, the Taliban have asked residents to pay this amount to cover the costs of rebuilding and repairing the road; a measure that imposes an additional financial burden on families in the difficult economic conditions.

This is while Samangan province is one of the coal-rich regions in Afghanistan and the Taliban also earn income from the province’s internal revenues.

There have been previous reports of citizens being extorted money under the pretext of rebuilding roads. In one such case, it was alleged that the money collected by Ahmad Shah Din Dost, the former Taliban governor of Ghor, was used to build a personal house; a claim that has not been independently verified.

Residents say that public funding for public projects, while the government is responsible for providing public services and developing infrastructure, puts more pressure on low-income families.

Kabul Times News