According to a new report issued by the international watchdog SIGAR, corruption is eating away all the gains of democracy and country is suffering badly to maintain its existence. According to the report, bribery, corruption and embezzlement is affecting negatively the economy and targets set for collection of taxes have badly affected by mass corruption.

Last year, the tax recoveries were 15% short of the target due to the mass corruption and this year again, it is feared that there would be 20% deficit in tax collection. If the same trend continued in the future as well, the government will remain handicapped for international donations for majority of its expenses and make its budget. International community would help a country for a limited period of time with a hope that sooner or later, the economy of the country would recover and become able to meet its expenses but in case of Afghanistan, it doesn't seem to be happening. If the same trend continued, international community might get disappointed and may quit helping which would be very disastrous not only for the economy but on all the fields of life and entire system of democracy may be derailed and country may again fall victim to militancy and violence.

It is all happening due to the lack of oversight. A special organ of government was established to fight corruption in the country but it seems that the organ has itself become victim of corruption and since its inception; it has failed to show any kind of performance that should have decreased corruption in the country. Regarding corruption, the condition of government including of its ministries, different departments, members of parliament, high and low government officials and all the different organs are blamed the most to be nurturing corruption. In such circumstances, it seems useless to demand from the government to take action against corruption when its own organs are fully involved in it.

A decade long tenure of President Hamid Karzai may be remembered for some positive achievements but it is also on record that corruption, both in government and private sector thrived in this time and became a trademark of all the Afghans. As the new government is to arrive in a few months, so we can only pin our hopes with the new government to take positive and constructive steps to tackle corruption. In this regard, the first and important step can be to start this cleaning process from the doorstep of government after which it can be extended to other parts of the society as well.