Mohammad Haroon Chakhansuri, Minister of Mines and Petroleum, receives 150,000 Afs ($ 1942)  as house rent on monthly basis from the budget of his ministry, according to a document seen by TOLOnews.
 
According to the document, five months after taking office as Minister of Mines and Petroleum, Chakhansuri, still acting Ministry of Mines, wrote a letter to the president requesting him to pay the one-year rent of a house located in the Wazir Akbar Khan area of Kabul.
 
Later, 1.8 million Afs ($23,000) was paid for this purpose from the budget of Ministry of Mines and Petroleum with the approval of President Ashraf Ghani.
 
Meanwhile, lawmakers in Afghanistan have described the move as illegal and the misuse of government assets.
 
“We should have included the money for the purchase of cars and house rents in the equal salary plan,” said MP Hamida Ahmadzai.
 
“Doesn't the Minister of Mines have a private house? Ministers are paid more than 300, 000 Afs ($ 3800), they are also paid 100,000 Afs for meal allowances the, payment of such a major amount of money is illegal,” said Parwiz Khalili, a legal expert.
 
“This privilege is not only given to the Minister of Mines and Petroleum, but also to all cabinet members and heads of independent directorates. The total rent of the house is 190,000 Afs ($ 2,400), but the government has approved 150,000 Afs ($ 1942), the remaining amount is paid by the minister himself,” said Aziz Gharwal, the head of media department of Ministry of Mines and Petroleum.
 
Recently, a number of employees of the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum staged protests over the firing of 1000 employees from the ministry.