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Updated October 7th, 2021 at 15:00 IST

Afghanistan's electricity body mulling to sell estates to pay off power bills: Report

Afghanistan's state power body aims to auction the houses of former officials who did not pay electricity bills and consumed a high amount of electricity.

Reported by: Anurag Roushan
Afghanistan
Image: Unsplash/Representative | Image:self
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Afghanistan's electrical board is planning to sell the estates of its debtors in order to pay over USD 62 million in power bills to Central Asian countries, amid the rising debt crisis. According to a report by the Khaama Press News Agency, Afghanistan's state power body, Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS), intends to auction the houses of former officials and politicians who did not pay their electricity bills and consumed a high amount of electricity. This comes after news surfaced stating that the country's capital city, Kabul may be plunged into darkness as a result of the new Taliban rulers' failure to pay Central Asian electrical suppliers' dues. 

The acting head of DABAS, Safiullah Ahamdzai, stated that the plan will be implemented and that all debts will be paid in order to prevent exporting countries from cutting electricity. Almost 80 % of the country's electricity is imported from neighbouring nations such as Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan, he added as reported by the Khaama Press News Agency. Meanwhile, on Thursday, The United Nations stated that it has not received any requests from Afghan authority to pay electrical bills to suppliers before Kabul risks a mass outage.

'Blackout in Kabul may result in a humanitarian catastrophe'

It is worth noting that several UN agencies and other international organisations have expressed deep concerns about the country's catastrophic economic state, which threatens to exacerbate the ongoing humanitarian crisis. The former CEO of DABS, a blackout in Kabul may result in a humanitarian catastrophe, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal. He claimed that the ramifications will be felt throughout the country, but primarily in Kabul. Despite the fact that Kabul has plenty of power, things could change if Central Asian suppliers, whose connections with the Taliban are deteriorating, decide to shut off DABS for non-payment, he added. 

According to Mary-Ellen McGroarty, Afghanistan's director at the World Food Programme (WFP), the economic condition in the war-torn country under the Taliban administration is continuously deteriorating. Speaking to reporters, she said that Afghans are not receiving their wages and there is an acute shortage of work. She also stated that the country's healthcare system is on the verge of collapsing, and the food and fuel prices have risen dramatically. It's worth noting that, following the Taliban's stunning takeover of the country in the month of August, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have halted financial aid to the new interim government. 

Image: Unsplash/Representative

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Published October 7th, 2021 at 15:00 IST

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