Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Friday, March 29th, 2024

US to Give $19.2m to Ministry of Counternarcotics

US to Give $19.2m to Ministry of Counternarcotics

KABUL - The United States would give $19.2 million (925 million Afghanis) to the Ministry of Counternarcotics to fight drugs under the Good Performance Initiative (GPI), an official said on Saturday.
The money would go to 17 provinces poppy cultivation was brought down to zero or considerably reduced this year, Minister of Counternarcotics Zarar Ahmad Muqbil said before signing an agreement with US ambassador.
Each of the provinces would be paid $1 million for development projects, the minister said. The provinces are Bamyan, Balkh, Ghazni, Ghor, Jawzjan, Khost, Kunduz, Logar, Nuristan, Paktia, Paktika, Panjsher, Parwan, Samangan, Sar-i-Pul, Takhar and Maidan Wardak.

Zabul, Daikundi and Badghis, which saw a considerable reduction in poppy cultivation, would be paid $172,000 to $670,000 each, he said, adding Kandahar and Farah would be provided $500,000 each.
Launched four years back by the support and the international community, the GPI has helped cut poppy cultivation in the country, the world's biggest opium producer. The US has given Afghanistan $138 million since the launch of the program.

US Ambassador Ryan Crocker, speaking on the occasion, said the assistance was aimed at fighting narcotics. The American government would continue long-term assistance in this regard, the top diplomat promised.

On November 29, Independent Directorate of Local Governance (IDLG) head, Abdul Khaliq Farahi, said forced eradication of poppies was prompting support for the Taliban among growers.
"The use of force to eradicate the illicit crop cannot resolve the problem of opium production. A better way to fight the menace is arranging alternatives for farmers," Farahi told a conference, attended by 18 governors.