Saturday May 7, 2016
Kabul (BNA) In a meeting held recently between the authorities of finance ministry of Afghanistan and Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Frankfort of Germany, the bank pledged to provide $878 million to Afghanistan.
According to the authorities of Ministry of Finance of Afghanistan, that assistance would be spent in the sectors of transport, benefiting from natural resources that from among them its $ 20 million will be spent in reducing of natural calamities. Minister of finance, Ekleel Hakimi who was attended in 49th meeting of this bank, addressing the session, expressed his gratitude for ADB assistance, saying that great projects in the fields of energy, transport and water resources would be funded through these assistance that as a result, Afghanistan to become closer to itself-sufficiency. Governor of ADB Thomas Panila in the connection said that ADB is committed for its continued cooperation to Afghanistan and the same is one of greatest contributors to Afghanistan.
On the sideline of this meeting, minister Hakimi had a separate meeting with first deputy governor of ADB and spoke about the preparedness of Afghanistan for attending to Brussels conference, development projects, the future requirements of Afghanistan, priorities and development strategy of Afghanistan and role of ADB in the connation. This meeting was held under the slogan of “cooperation for stability” in Frankfurt of Germany here the other day that was attended by ministers of different countries, governor of Central Bank, merchants, investors, journalists and members of civil society that included of 3000 people. At the same time, the MPs also expressing their optimism over ADB contributions to Afghanistan, adding that the government of Afghanistan should have comprehensive economic programs and designs for continuation of cooperation of donor institutions. They regard consumption of contributions through government budget as one of effective roadmaps for continuation of the same. MP, Hashimi told that this agreement in fact is the restoration of trust lost by Afghanistan in respect to International Monetary Fund (IMF).
At the same time, the witnesses in economic affairs while welcoming the ADB commitment to Afghanistan, laying emphasize that infrastructural projects are one of basic requirements of the people of Afghanistan that within recent thirteen years, less attention were paid. A political and economic witness Akram Aaghah in the connection said that the government of Afghanistan should prepare better development programs for absorption of donor countries’ contributions to Afghanistan. Aaghah emphatically has said that the people of Afghanistan are expecting the contributions to be spent transparently in infrastructural programs of Afghanistan, because the latter is from among those countries that need further commitments and contributions of donor countries in all fields. The Kabul citizens also have different considerations in respect to contribution of donor nations but, they regard transparent consumption of these contributions as one of effective ways for attraction of such cooperation, because, the government of Afghanistan can be accountable before them. One of our citizens, Mohammad Reza believes that the government of Afghanistan should pave the way for attraction of foreign investment to Afghanistan. A Kabul citizen, Mohammad Shir Zai in the connection said: The government should focus further attention of donor nations towards infrastructural projects. Because, despite pouring millions of dollars to this country, the people are grappling with basic problems and challenges in the sector of infrastructural projects. The ADB is from among great financial contributors to Afghanistan and its recent contributions are to be spent in expansion of energy, private sector and development of infrastructures in Afghanistan.
Suraya Raiszada
