Undeniably, Afghanistan’s economy is the worst hit by consecutive quacks of corruption. Subsequent to putting the cabinet in place, an end to prevalent corruption will render one of the foremost challenges for both president and chief executive and the cabinet. However, accomplishment of significant tasks requires credible individuals hoisted for corresponding ministries, capable of ridding the departments out of calamities of corruption.
The rumors of partial prosecution case of multibillion dollar Kabul bank scandal diffused not, followed by Ministry of defense multimillion dollar scandal. The media reports unearthed, the ministry of defense officials plotted and executed a misappropriation of over $100 million. This undoubtedly is a great deal of manipulation of position or authority and misuse of public property. The government must enforce its authority, inflicting stricter terms of punishment to those involved behind the plot, once are charged.
The National Unity Government (NUG) took the issue into consideration apparently whilst promising to closely investigate cases of corruption in government institutions and we know that at the moment corruption has expanded to government administrations including the Ministry of Defense (MoD) and others as per statement of Freshta Amini, a member of the Economic Commission at the House of Representatives. Following the rumors of allegations the President Ghani assigned a commission to investigate the agreements has presented its report to the president, and the president will make a decision based on the suggestions by the committee. However, there seems not any sign of government’s interest in the aforesaid issues as weeks past couldn’t crystallize the formation of authorized commission.
The commission reviewing the fuel contracts in the Ministry of Defense has confirmed the corruption to the amount of $100 million in MoD contracts, but officials at the Fuel Importing Companies Organization said that based on the documents that they have received, the level of corruption is over $200 million USD. Extensive corruption pertaining to the MoD’s fuel contracts has seen people, including Hazrat Omer Zakhailwal come under suspicion as well as the senior MoD and other government officials.
Connecting the dots one assumes, without having sought the aids of concerned officials this plot would never have hatched.
We have to admit the core reason behind the failure to strengthen the backbone of Afghan economy is the severe security problems and deep-rooted corruption. It is anticipated the new government will work out a plan to eradicate this great menace. As the problem of security and corruption persist, there seems to be a declining chance of betterment, and people will still have to wait for actual prosperity.
Unluckily, the system of general amnesty to potential power abuser are chained fast to the ground, given number of influential personalities involved in money embezzlement from public offices, heinous crime against citizens and power misuse were given amnesty without being subjected to strict measures entailing answerability. This attitude of government had discouraged new investments with remnants intended to downsizing and withdrawing a dire omen for progress of country needs immediate reversal by practical measures. This implies that the expanding role of government in development has placed the bureaucracy in a monopolistic position and has enhanced the opportunities for unlimited administrative misappropriation.
A similar reservation is highlighted formerly, by Integrity Watch Afghanistan, unearthing New Kabul Bank also suffering financial losses. The former Kabul Bank plunged into deep crisis after a run on deposits in 2010 when reports surfaced $935 million had been stolen from the bank by its chief executives and stakeholders. According to investigation of head of Integrity Watch Afghanistan the government had so far recovered about a third ($228 million) of the $977 million stolen money has been recovered, over the past five years. The recovered money included $179 million in cash and the rest in form of properties the government had seized from the accused. Following the case the government has sentenced to jail for five years the two former heads of the bank, founder Sher Khan Fernod and former Chief Executive Haji Khalil Ferozi, who were convicted in the initial inquiry of taking $810 million of the stolen money. Regretfully the head of Integrity Watch also declared the New Kabul Bank faced losses amounting to $50 million and the losses had been on the increase.
This is a grave state of worsening affair that presses hard the already wrecked economy of Afghanistan and utter negligence of government to tackle the peril of corruption. This is an undeniable fact either government is unwilling or hapless before powerful power abusers. President Ghani had earlier avowed to re-open the inquiry into the theft from the bank, fulfilling a campaign promise to make fighting corruption a priority. Following that he has issued a presidential decree to prosecute the case but the concerned officials had done nothing till date. It’s therefore the New Kabul Bank has also plunged into the depth of corruption. An identical apprehension is raised by Integrity Watch too.
The year’s long war destroyed economic infrastructures completely and dragged Afghanistan towards annulment. No significant progress has been made albeit elongated international efforts to revive Afghanistan’s economy improve the living standard of people and create greater job opportunities provided that the menace of corruption constantly depleted the rate of progress is minimized. This only happens when every penny is deemed public divine asset and must be used for the welfare of ordinary masses.
The ten-year international effort has failed to create job opportunities and millions of Afghans, today, are suffering the negative impacts of unemployment. The consistency of unemployment in the country is doing much to widen the gap between people and the government. Afghans, risking their lives, travel to other countries of the world to seek better living condition. In this way the work force of Afghanistan is utilized by other countries whilst Afghanistan itself is in dire need of reconstruction and development works. The first thing it can do is to root out corruption that seems to be aiding all sorts of crimes including insurgency, unemployment and trust deficits.