Even as petroleum prices have dramatically increased, the Taliban has doubled the transport tax on the route between Jawzjan province and Mazar-e-Sharif in Balkh province, drivers tell Zan Times.
“During the previous government, the daily tax for cars on the Mazar-Jawzjan route was 70 afghanis, but now the Taliban charge drivers 140 afghanis per round trip,” explains Mohammad*, a driver.
Abdullah*, another driver on this route, not only confirms the increase in the driver’s tax rate, but also explains why it is excessive, saying, “Gasoline costs 85 afghanis per litre and diesel costs 95 afghanis. Our daily income does not exceed 500 to 700 afghanis. Yet drivers also have to pay 300 afghanis tax to the Taliban for traveling between Jawzjan and Mazar-e-Sharif twice a day.”
As well as imposing high taxes from highway drivers, the Taliban are also taxing urban rickshaw drivers and shopkeepers, says Rasool*, a resident of Jawzjan.
These high transportation taxes follow a series of other large tax increases imposed by the Taliban. Recently, the Taliban began extorting heavy taxes of up to 100,000 afghanis from narcotics factories in the Lal-o-Sarjangal district of Ghor province. As well, they demanded heavy taxes from shopkeepers and households in the district.
Also, in the past year, the Taliban imposed income taxes on farmers under the title of Ushr and Zakat (two Islamic taxes), increased passport prices, and the Ministry of Economy imposed illegal extra charges on domestic and foreign institutions.
The forcible tithes and heavy taxes are being imposed as the country has been engulfed by a humanitarian crisis. The UN said in late August that more than half of the country’s population, nearly 24 million people, is in need of immediate assistance, of which 19 million face acute levels of food shortages.
*Names have been changed to protect the identity of the interviewees.
