Some shopkeepers in Kunduz province report that the Taliban have classified the electricity of even the smallest grocery stores as commercial. They claim this change significantly increases their electricity costs, making it unaffordable for many.
Kunduz shopkeepers express their grievances about the Taliban’s stringent measures in various sectors. They argue that instead of providing services to the residents, the Taliban are exploiting the people and constantly seeking to deprive the poorest members of society of their livelihood.
Several shopkeepers in Kunduz state that the Taliban have cut off electricity for those who were using residential electricity or did not have commercial connections. The Taliban have instructed these shopkeepers to purchase separate meters and connect to commercial electricity lines.
The Kunduz shopkeepers add that they previously shared electricity from their homes or neighbors, paying for it accordingly. However, with the shift to commercial rates, their electricity bills have tripled.
Lutfullah, one of the shopkeepers, says, “I had an electricity line from my house, costing 4 Afghanis per kilowatt. With the commercial rate, I am forced to pay 12 Afghanis per kilowatt. My income is not enough to cover this high cost. This is an injustice.”
Mahmood, another shopkeeper in Kunduz City, mentions that the increase in electricity rates, along with taxes, is oppressive. According to him, the Taliban are focused on extracting money from people by any means necessary.
This Kunduz shopkeeper adds, “Commercial electricity should be for manufacturing companies and large businesses. What benefit do we get? They forcefully collect taxes, and now they have tripled our electricity costs.”
Small shopkeepers and grocers in Kunduz emphasize that the Taliban have not provided any facilities for them over the past three years. They argue that the Taliban are focused on accumulating wealth by imposing heavy taxes and expenses on the people.
Kunduz shopkeepers say that the Taliban have even gone into the city’s back alleys, cutting off electricity from homes to enforce separate commercial connections. They stress that people are becoming poorer every day, and the Taliban are constantly finding excuses to extract more money from them.
Kunduz is one of the high-revenue provinces, but the Taliban do not disclose any information about the collected revenues.
Local sources in Kunduz claim that the Taliban conceal the revenues from Sher Khan Bandar customs, the municipality, the tax office, and other sources, providing no details to the public. According to these sources, the Taliban not only fail to provide services but also withhold information about collected revenues to facilitate embezzlement and misuse.
It is noteworthy that citizens across the country have consistently complained about excessive taxation, extortion, and the Taliban’s strict regulations. They argue that instead of governance and service provision, the Taliban are focused on various methods of profiteering.
You can read the Persian version of this daily report here:
