Saturday May 6, 2017
Kabul (BNA) President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani in a meeting with World Bank’s vice president Jan Walliser at the Presidential Palace here on Wednesday, May 3, 2016, asked organizations and institutions who had good achievements to jointly work for implementation of national programs under a single roof, a presidential statement said.
President Ghani said the government gave priority to national programs with main focus on Afghan children and their education. Walliser, referring to the World Bank experiences and activities, sought information about the Afghan government’s priorities over the next three years and reforms in social and judicial institutions and improvement in implementing agencies’ affairs in Afghanistan.
He called projects the bank had implemented in Afghanistan as effective, saying the general revenue had increased by 7.10 percent in 2016 and 70 percent domestic expenses were paid from the national revenue. Walliser went on saying the World Bank’s assistance for reforms and civil services delivery in Afghan public sector institutions had quadrupled since 2002 up till now – from $225 million to $850 million. He said the World Bank, while considering the Afghan government’s priorities, would also assist mines extraction and other sectors.
President Ghani said the national unity government prioritized national programs and the Afghan children had been main focus and priority. The president said in addition to the Ministry of Education, other ministries should also jointly work and pave the way for education and related facilities for children. About Afghan refugees who returned from neighboring countries last year, the president said the government of Afghanistan had provided shelter to hundreds of thousands of returnees last year.
He said the government through national programs would seriously pay attention to improving living standard and economic situation of women, impoverished individuals and the youth. “Administrative corruption has a negative impact on our people’s life, to curb this phenomenon, we will work in the framework of national programs in order to pave the way for bringing widespread reforms in the capital and provinces,” the president noted. Minister of economy, deputy finance minister, acting minister of mines and petroleum and senior presidential advisor on strategic and public relations were also present on the occasion.
