Sunday May 14, 2017
Kabul (BNA) The MoF has announced that budget of government administrations has been spent less in current year.
Minister of finance Eklil Hakimi submitted a comparative report of budget consumption until Saur 16 (May 6) of 1396 fiscal year to same period of 1394 and 1395 to cabinet meeting. Hakimi added, during this period Afs 70.39 billion ordinary budget and Afs 15.94 billion development budget have been spent that shows decrease comparing to last year. Hakimi said out of total ordinary and development budget of 1396 fiscal year, Afs 188.4 b allocates have been spent and out of total development budget, Afs 4.83 billion optional budget and Afs 11.1 b non-optional have been spent. Hakimi submitted recommendations to cabinet for removal of less budget consumption in 1396 fiscal year and the cabinet confirmed national budget consumption until Saur 17 of 1396 fiscal year in principle. According to MoF information, the cabinet tasked the MoF and MoE to specify those ministries whose development budget has not been spent.
Based on cabinet decision, the ministries should implement those recommendations under the authority of MoF and other recommendations which have infrastructural and basic problems should be prioritized in short, medium and long term and be submitted for taking decision to a meeting led by president with the participation of sectoral ministers. Lack of development budget consumption is one of the serious problems in Afghanistan administrations that have been controversial every year as last year, the house had disqualified ministers due to this reason.
At the same time, MoF submitted a suggestion of increase of Afs 5.2 billion as annex to 1396 fiscal year budget to cabinet meeting. He added, this increase include Afs 48.6 b SISTIKA commitment for unpaid payment of a number of approved contracts of 1395 in ordinary budget of MoD, MoI, Afs 368.5 m in development budget of the ministry of agriculture and MoF from the aids of ADB and WB in the projects of Panj River region and capacity building of CBR project. Economist Saifuddin Saihoon criticized the ministries advisors who cannot defend their consumptions at the presence of MoF and fail to build capacity.
Shukria Kohistani
