Local sources in Bamyan say Taliban authorities at the provincial hospital are charging applicants for work permits up to 3,000 Afghanis for blood examinations, despite such services officially being provided free of charge within the hospital.
Sources told Hasht-e Subh newspaper on Monday that the practice is ongoing at Bamyan Provincial Hospital and that workers are being forced to pay heavy fees in order to obtain employment clearance documents.
According to the sources, the official fee for obtaining a work permit at the hospital ranges between 500 and 700 Afghanis, but in practice some applicants are being charged significantly higher amounts.
Residents say the situation is placing additional economic pressure on low-income workers.
They added that paying 3,000 Afghanis represents a major portion of many workers’ monthly salaries, making it increasingly difficult for families to cover basic living expenses.
The report comes as citizens in several Afghan provinces have repeatedly complained about rising administrative costs, unofficial payments, and worsening economic conditions since the Taliban returned to power.
Critics argue that restrictive regulations and growing bureaucratic controls under Taliban rule have increased both economic and administrative pressure on ordinary citizens.
Local Taliban officials in Bamyan have not yet publicly responded to the allegations.
Analysts say the growing gap between official service fees and unofficial payments reflects broader concerns about informal extraction systems and weak accountability mechanisms within public institutions.
Experts also warn that when access to employment-related documentation becomes tied to unofficial costs, low-income citizens are often pushed deeper into financial vulnerability and dependency.
