Abdullah Azzam, Chief of the Staff of the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, strongly rejected the claims made by a Facebook page called “Zawia News,” which refers to itself as a media outlet, alleging corruption in Afghan Telecom’s fuel contract.
In the clarification, Azzam stated that the Afghan Telecom fuel contract was announced multiple times, but initially, no bidders showed up. In the latest round, only four companies submitted proposals, but their prices did not meet the contract’s terms and capabilities. Even after negotiations, they did not offer any significant discounts.
The clarification further mentioned that a company named “Sun Sky Global” agreed to supply fuel at a rate of 25 AFN per liter. This would save 42 million AFN from the national budget and ensure timely delivery of fuel to Afghan Telecom.
Azzam also addressed concerns about the rejection of complaints from rival companies, stating that the legal authority to register complaints lies with the Administrative Office of the Prime Minister and the National Procurement Authority. Although the companies’ complaints did not meet formal requirements, their objections were still registered and forwarded to the relevant authority.
He emphasized that all legal procedures were followed in this process and no illegal action or corruption took place.