The Afghanistan Telecom Regulatory Authority (ATRA) claims that Afghan telecom services are at pre-government collapse levels following the Taliban takeover in August. During the coup, some forces burned cell towers and critical infrastructure and the now Taliban controlled ATRA claims the damage has been repaired however the claims have not been independently verified. ATRA has been a controversial agency even before the US-backed regime collapsed with corruption and inefficiency claims. ATRA was previously answerable only to the Director General of the office of the President and the then-President Ashraf Ghani bolstered the power and remit of ATRA, giving it many of the responsibilities of the Ministry of Telecommunications. Parliamentary investigations into the authority were being conducted before the government fell. Former ATRA chairman has stated that the Taliban is eager to use the Internet for its own objectives and to stifle any attempts by political opponents to disseminate information via the same means.