KABUL - A majority of parliamentarians on Monday rejected for a second time the proposed budget for the current fiscal year, saying inequalities in provincial allocations were yet to be corrected.
On March 18, the Wolesi Jirga refused to endorse the accounts due to uneven allocations to provinces and a hefty $80 million (3.9 billion afs) bailout package for the ailing Kabul Bank. Of the 133 legislators present during Monday's session, 62 voted against the budget, while 48 supported it. The rest of lawmakers abstained from voting.
Mohammad Azim Mohseni, a public representative from northern Baghlan province, said since Kabul Bank officials had stolen public money, there was no need for the bailout package.

The bank, which faced a major financial crunch last year after giving out $910 million in bad loans, was put under the government-run Da Afghanistan Bank and renamed as New Kabul Bank.

But Kamal Nasir Asuli, an MP from southeastern Paktia province, alleged political motive behind the rejection of the accounts for the second time.

"The budget should have been approved to prevent a delay in development projects."

Finance & Budget Commission head Amir Khan Yar also believed the budget should have been okayed, because the Ministry of Finance could not afford further amendments due to a shortage of financial resources.

According to ministry officials, the general budget for the last nine months of the current year was 134.3 billion afs, while the development funds amount to 110 billion afs. (Pajhwok)