Afghanistan's unpaid electricity bills cross $62 million as Taliban struggles to get financial aid

When Taliban took over Afghanistan on August 16, 2021, people all around the world were worried that darkness would take over the country, but metaphorically. However, seems like this is about to happen literally now.

Afghanistan faces the danger of losing all of its electricity as majority of the electricity bills remain unpaid since Taliban took control of the country.

The neighbouring countries of Afghanistan help the country by supplying nearly 78 per cent of its power needs. However, the Taliban’s new government is failing to pay the bills.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

This is turning into yet another problem for the Taliban government that is already struggling to bring order and peace in Afghanistan. Adding to the existing cash crunch and a downward spiral of the economy, electricity bills remain unpaid due to which companies and international governments are refusing to help the struggling nation.

Before Taliban took over, Afghanistan used to pay nearly $20 to 25 million every month to neighbouring countries such as Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Iran. When Taliban took over the country, majority of the international governments have stopped all kinds of financial aids for the country. In addition to this, the US and other allies have frozen Afghanistan’s overseas reserves.

Due to this, Afghanistan now has unpaid electricity bills of nearly $62 million, due to which the supplier countries can cut power supply any time they want, acting CEO of Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat told Al Jazeera.

WATCH |

"We've asked the UNAMA in Kabul to assist the people of Afghanistan to pay the country’s power suppliers as part of their humanitarian aid," Ahmadzai said. He has also predicted that the amount of the unpaid bills is expected to increase to nearly $85 million in the next week and has therefore requested for $90 million from the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan.

While the Taliban government waits for a reply and assistance from the UN mission, only 38 per cent of the Afghan population have proper access to electricity now.

Taliban, meanwhile, is assuring locals that the neighbouring countries will not cut off the power supply as "we have a good relationship with them and we don’t expect them to stop providing us power,"assured Bilal Karimi, a spokesman for the terrorist group.