WJ summons financial minister to Parliament

Afghanistan Wolesi Jirga (WJ) – the lower house of parliament on Monday summoned the financial minister and acting head of national Bank due to increase in the price of currencies and decline in revenues.

Problems in collection of taxes, decline in revenues and increasing the price of currencies raise concerns of Parliament representatives.

Representatives criticized increase of corruption in collecting taxes and said no improvements have been made in the working process of the ministry finance.

But the finance minister is said to consider increase of currencies security problems.

Finance Minister Eklil Hakimi told Wolesi Jirga or lower house of parliament that revenue collected from taxes has increased and measure have been taken to ensure transparent collection of taxes.

This comes as Wolesi Jirga decided to once again summon the finance minister on Saturday session to become satisfied.

After more than a decade of western aid projects designed to make the Afghan economy self-sustaining, government revenue continues to fall short of projections, leaving the country in dire economic straits just as foreign funding begins to dry up.

Afghanistan will need more than $7bn annually for the next decade to sustain a functional government and infrastructure and fund the army and police, according to the World Bank. But there are signs that foreign donors might not relish such a commitment.

The Obama administration requested $2.1bn in financial assistance for Afghanistan this year, but Congress has approved only half that amount.

 
Reported by Abdul Aziz Karimi