KABUL - The Afghan government has signed a financial document of the National Food Package (NFP) scheme with the World Bank (WB) to assist 4.5 million families, a statement from the Presidential Palace said on Thursday.
The document was signed by Acting Finance Minister Abdul Hadi Arghandiwal and WB Representative for Afghanistan Henry Kerali.
Addressing the signing ceremony, President Ashraf Ghani said that NFP was not a charity but basic rights of people which would be implemented in line with the Constitution and the Islamic Republic framework.
He said that Dastarkhwan --- a piece of cloth on which food is served ---- was a beautiful word of the Afghan culture as it brought people together.
“When it comes to a Melli Dastarkhwan, it means equality among Afghans as enshrined in the Constitution.”
The president said had people possessed electronic ID cards and been there a proper money transfer system, there would not have been the need for implementing this program through three institutions.
Ghani said 4.5 million families would benefit from the NFP and termed it an unprecedented move in the history. He added in the first phase 123 districts, in the second stage 235 district, 14 cities and 19 provincial capitals would see the scheme’s implementation.
The president thanked the WB and said: “We need to change our administrative models and the big trust is that financial resources are being offered to the masses instead of written on paper.”
Mujib Rahman Karimi, minister of Rural Rehabilitation and Development, said the scheme would cover 123 districts and 12,896 villages in 34 provinces, which accounted for 1.8 million families to benefit from the scheme.
It is worth mentioning that the Wolesi Jirga or lower house had already rejected this scheme and termed it against the law as it did not go through a formal procedure. (Pajhwok)