With economic woes, Taliban calls on former technocrats
KABUL, Afghanistan — When the Taliban swept into power, they found Afghanistan’s economy fast approaching the brink and were faced with harrowing predictions of growing poverty and hunger. So they ordered the financial managers of the collapsed former government back to work, with an urgent directive: Do your jobs, because we can’t.
In the 20 years since the Taliban last ruled, Afghanistan evolved from an economy dealing mostly in illicit enterprise to a sophisticated, multi-billion-dollar system fueled by donor aid and international trade. The Taliban, a movement borne out of the rural clergy, struggled to grasp the extent of the transformation.
Four employees from financial institutions told The Associated Press how the Taliban commanded bureaucrats from the previous government’s Finance Ministry, central bank and other
state-owned banks to return to work. Their accounts were confirmed by three Taliban officials.
“They told us, ‘We are not experts, you know what is better for the country, how we can survive under these challenges’,” recalled one state bank official, who like others spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on record.
They told him, “Do what you must,” but warned, “God is watching you, and you will be accountable for
what you do on Judgment Day’.”
Quietly, these technocrats are advising the Taliban leadership in the running of the crippled financial sector. They tell them what to do and how to do it. But, as seasoned experts, they see no way out of Afghanistan’s economic quagmire: With billions in international funds frozen, the best they can muster in domestic revenues is $500 million to $700 million, not enough to pay public salaries or provide basic goods and services.