Interior Ministry To Increase Salaries Of Police By Up To 5%

AVA- The acting minister of interior, Wais Ahmad Barmak, said the ministry will increase the salaries of police force members by up to five percent in the next year.

“Our international partners have agreed to increase the police salaries generally to five percent in the near future, in the next year, hopefully,” he said.

Speaking to Arman FM on Wednesday, Barmak said the problems around the lack of food, equipment and other issues will also be addressed in the near future.

“These are all the problems which are related to the management system of the Ministry of Interior. The ministry should have a proper management system to monitor its contracts,” Barmak said, referring to complaints by some police force members about not getting enough food or equipment.

Police commanders and troops have welcomed the decision.

“We are happy that the salaries will increase by up to five percent. It will boost the morale of the police force members,” said Sher Ahmad Parsa, police chief for PD4 headquarters of Kunduz city.

“We respectfully ask (the interior ministry) to address the problems we face at the moment,” said Mohammad Asif, a police soldier in Kunduz.

“The ministry should pay attention to the wages and privileges it gives us,” another soldier Nematullah said.

The head of the Wolesi Jirga’s (Lower House of Parliament) internal security commission, Mirdad Nijrabi, called on the Ministry of Interior to prioritize the delivering of its commitments it has made to police.

“The salaries given to police at the moment is very little and they cannot afford to pay for their families needs. I hope that the ministry implements the step it has taken,” Nijrabi told TOLOnews.

This comes after the Ministry of Interior has in recent times come under harsh criticism for alleged corruption in the organization.