US partners paid Taliban over $10 million in taxes: SIGAR
The U.S. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction disclosed that U.S. cooperating institutions have paid over $10 million in taxes to the Taliban.
These institutions disbursed $10.9 million to the Taliban for services such as water and electricity, customs taxes, etc., as stated by SIGAR in a report released on Monday, May 21.
SIGAR investigated the Taliban’s profits from taxing humanitarian aid organizations in Afghanistan and the lack of precise reporting by these institutions.
SIGAR collected information from 144 assisting institutions operating in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan since 2021.
The U.S. Special Inspector for Afghanistan Reconstruction stated that out of 65 assisting institutions, 38 responded to SIGAR’s questionnaire, with 58% reporting payment of their taxes to the Taliban.
These 38 respondents have paid a minimum of $10.9 million in taxes to the Taliban.
Meanwhile, according to SIGAR’s report, not paying taxes to the Taliban may have “dire consequences” for humanitarian aid organizations in Afghanistan.
The report suggests that if humanitarian aid organizations in Afghanistan do not pay taxes to the Taliban, their bank accounts and offices may be closed, and their names may be removed from the list of authorized organizations operating in Afghanistan.
The Taliban have conditioned the operation of humanitarian aid organizations in Afghanistan on payment of taxes.
Earlier, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs announced in 2022 that if non-governmental organizations do not pay taxes to the Taliban, they will not be able to continue operating in the country.
SIGAR reported that humanitarian organizations are facing challenges in aligning their programs with Taliban interference.
The report states that the Taliban are attempting to divert aid through various means, infiltrating non-governmental organizations and interfering in their operations.
According to this report, the Taliban intervene in various ways, such as staff recruitment, resource utilization, and transportation.
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