KABUL Irrigation and Livestock (MoAIL) remained absent from the past three months but still issued salary, a well-trusted source told Pajhwok Afghan News on Thursday.
But Agriculture ministry rejected the claim and said that Shiekh Javed Ahmad who is paid with $245,280 annual salary is on official leave.
According to the term of engagement, the consultant shall make himself available for services from 12 June, 2019 to 11 June, 2020.
Documents available with Pajhwok Afghan News on Ahmad’s employment contract showed that he had been hired as irrigation consultant on annual salary of $245,280 which is accounted for over $20,000 per month.
In this way Ahmad gets $144,000 in salary for 240 working days, $39,000 for his per dime and $3500 for one foreign trip. He is allowed four trips in a year for which he gets a total of $14,000.
In addition, Ahmad’s 20 percent tax on his salary accounted for $36,600 which according to the Afghan tax laws the salary holder shall pay and another $11,680 contingency amount is paid from the Asian Development Bank’s assistance with the MoAIL.
According to the source, Ahmad remained absent since December last year but he still gets his salary. He is accused of sabotaging some irrigation projects of Afghanistan).
But Agriculture Ministry’s Spokesperson Akbar Rustami said that Ahmad had been hired by the Asian Development Bank as irrigation consultant due to the lack of capacity at home and his absence was merely propaganda.
“He worked in January, February and March and then took official leave due coronavirus. His association with ISI was also propaganda, adding that there is Afghan intelligence and interior ministry who could trace him,” he said.
Referring to his salary, Rustami said this was an international post and it deserved the same level of salary and other privileges.
Pajhwok sent an e-mail to Ahamd to inquire his views but he has not responded to the e-mail.
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