Systematic corruption: Baghlan teachers receive halved salaries

PUL-I-KHUMRI (Pajhwok): Pajhwok Afghan News findings show that a number of contractual teachers who served in Khost district of northern Baghlan province received their salaries halved.

Copies of documents including bank statements show that the salaries of these teachers were paid through bank accounts, but half of the amount of their wages.

We received only half of our salaries: Teachers

Zakia, one of the contractual teachers, said she served for a year in Pulfi School in MeianShahr village in Khost district of Baghlan.

“I started my job with the school from March 24, 2019 to November 21, 2019, but I received only 32,000 afghanis while my salary based on the contract is 7,000 afghanis a month which totals 63,000 afghanis,” she said.

Adila, another teacher who served for the same period, said that her salary was 6,750 afghanis based on her contract.

“I worked for nine months as teacher in Pulfi School, all my salaries during the this period amounted to 60,750 afghanis, but I only received 18,000 afghanis through Kabul Bank,” she said.

However, bank related documents about the salaries, obtained by Pajhwok, show that all the teachers received their salaries from March 21 to November 21 that year.

The salary of a teacher, who is a high school graduate, is 6,750 afghanis and a teacher with 14 years of education, receives 7,000 afghanis but Zakia received only 32,000 salaries of total 63,000 afghanis and Adila 18,000 afghanis from total 60,750 afghanis.

All salaries of teachers paid through bank: Officials

Ghulam Ali, a financial official in Khost district, about the non-payment of teachers’ salaries, said, “We had nine female teachers in 2019 and their salaries were paid through bank which is passed by Baghlan education department. I as a cash trustee has no responsibility about the payment of salaries.”

However, documents show that there were a total of 24 contract-based teachers in the province while Ali tried to show the number lower.

Meanwhile, Mohammad Musa, head of Kabul Bank in Baghlan province, refused to comment on the issue when asked.

Sayed Ismail Mujahid, director of Baghlan education department, confirmed that full salaries had not been paid to contract-based teachers and said that the reason was shortage of budget.

He said that they did not receive the full budget to transfer all salaries to teachers.

Mujahid said he was aware about the salary issue of teachers and had also sent a letter to the prosecutor’s office to respond to the problem.

However, Rafi Tabi, spokesperson of the Ministry of Finance about the budget of 2019, said that the budget of all ministries was sent to their respected codes each year.

“The Ministry of Education had been sent the 2019 budget and not paying full salaries to teachers is a problem within the ministry,” he said.

Najiba Arian, spokesperson of the Ministry of Education, said that she would gather more information about the issue from Baghlan education department and share details with Pajhwok later.

“Due to bad security in Baghlan, the director of education of the province is not ready to respond about non-payment of salaries of teachers in Khost district,” she said.

Outcome:

Based on documents, the total salaries of 24 contractual teachers who served for nine months, amount to 1.485 million afghanis while only a limited amount of the money was paid to the teachers and the rest went to personal pockets.

This report has been produced by Pajhwok and financially supported by UNDP and Denmark.

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