The Taliban intend to purchase electricity on a prepaid basis

The Afghan energy company “Breshna” (Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat) announced that it will henceforth purchase electricity from neighboring countries, including Tajikistan, on a prepayment basis.

According to official data, a representative of the Afghan energy company “Breshna,” Hikmatullah Maiwand, stated that the Taliban government settled debts for electricity supplied from Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Iran in 2023, totaling over 627 million dollars.

According to the company representative, most of these debts date back to the rule of Ashraf Ghani. After the Taliban came to power, issues arose with settling these debts due to restrictions on foreign money transfers.

Hikmatullah Maiwand also noted the possibility of a decrease in electricity prices in Afghanistan. “If domestic production increases, it is possible that the price of electricity in Afghanistan will decrease.”

Earlier, some Afghan media reported that in 2023, the Taliban government paid Tajikistan 110.4 million dollars from the debts of the “Breshna” company. Now, the Taliban have stated that they will henceforth purchase electricity from Tajikistan on a prepayment basis.

Among Afghanistan’s neighboring countries, Tajikistan is the only country that, despite having a Tajik ambassador in Afghanistan and a Taliban-controlled consulate in the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region, publicly opposes the Taliban from high platforms, takes an openly anti-Taliban position at international organization meetings, and states that it does not recognize the Taliban government in Afghanistan. However, trade and economic relations between Tajikistan and Afghanistan continue to develop steadily, with the authorities of both countries openly and secretly engaging in large-scale business.