KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Taliban’s Finance Ministry announced on Saturday that the World Bank has begun paying nearly $45 million in outstanding debts owed to Afghan logistics and construction firms.
The ministry said in a statement that payments have started for projects and companies whose documents were reviewed and approved by both the World Bank and the ministry. The funds are expected to be disbursed in four stages.
According to the ministry, $9.3 million will be paid directly to foreign contractors in the first stage. In the second stage, now underway, the ministry will distribute $16.8 million to firms, with further payments to follow in the third and fourth stages.
The World Bank has not commented on the latest announcement. It previously denied owing money to Afghan contracting firms, saying the contracts were signed between the contractors and the former republic government, which it said was responsible for the payments.
The bank said contractors had completed work on World Bank-funded projects before the Taliban took power in August 2021, but were never paid. The bank said it was not a party to the contracts and is facilitating repayment only on an “exceptional basis” after detailed validation and independent third-party verification.
The bank has also rejected Taliban claims that earlier projects have resumed, saying no agreements exist.
Since the Taliban’s return to power, the World Bank has continued assistance to Afghanistan but says its support is delivered outside Taliban-controlled systems, mainly through the United Nations and international organizations. It has also confirmed continued financing for the CASA-1000 energy project, with funds kept outside Taliban control.
