KABUL (SW) – A number of retirees staged a protest gathering in front of the Ministry of Finance’s pension treasury building on Tuesday.
The said that they have not received their pensions since three years. They, by participating in this gathering, want the mediation of the United Nations to pay their pensions.
Salim, a retired lieutenant colonel who previously worked in the Ministry of National Defense and was the representative of the retirees in this gathering, said: “Our request is that UNAMA, which represents the United Nations, should put pressure on the government to give the pensioners their rights and if they don’t, because they worked in the government, the world and the United Nations should pay the salaries on their behalf.”
Mohammad Yasin, a retired teacher from Kabul, who is responsible for providing for the needs of his family of seven, said that he has not received his pension for three years and now, in order to provide for the needs of his family’s life, he is forced to be begging. He, who also participated in this gathering, added: “A teacher never loses his reputation, but because of the need of my children and wife, I am forced to reach out and beg for people to help me because I am troubled.”
Similarly, Abdul Dayan, one of the retirees of the Ministry of Interior in the previous government, who is the breadwinner of a family of 10, said that due to non-payment of his pension and to meet the needs of his family, he had to sell his household items. He added: “There is no honor and respect left for the pensioners, neither at home nor outside. The cabinet of the Islamic Emirate said that there is no budget.”
Meanwhile, Ahmadwali Haqmal, the spokesman of the Ministry of Finance, said that the plan for the payment of retirees’ salaries has been prepared by the ministry and sent to the leaders of the Islamic Emirate for approval, which, according to him, will be implemented after approval.
The spokesperson of the Ministry of Finance said: “We are waiting for the approval of the plan to pay the salaries of the pensioners by the leaders of the Islamic Emirate, and God willing, when it comes, the pensions of the pensioners will be paid.”
It has been more than seven months since the pensioners’ salary payment plan was sent to the leader of the Islamic Emirate, but so far, this plan has not been approved.
According to the officials of the union of retirees, now, including women, there are nearly 149,000 retirees in the country, most of whom have not received their pensions for nearly two years.
ENDS
