313m afs budget for Paktia too little, say residents

GARDEZ (Pajhwok): Public representatives and residents on Wednesday complained that southeastern Paktia province has been granted a meager 313 million afghanis in the draft national budget for the current fiscal year.

They accused the central government of discrimination against their province and said the allocated budget could not meet their needs.

Taj Mohammad Mangal, a member of the Provincial Council, told Pajhwok Afghan News that projects that were rejected last year due to weak management and protracted procurement process had been included in current year budget for the province.

 He said, “The approval of only one new project of a 600-meter retaining wall for Paktia shows the central government’s discriminative behavior. The rest of projects in the new budget belong to last year.”

Mumtaz Karkhel, another member of the provincial council, termed the budget allocated for Paktia as shameful and said the amount even could not meet a single project.

AhmadullahAhmadi, a civil society activist and a youth parliament member, said residents of Paktia had always given sacrifices for the country but unfortunately they were forgotten in important issues.

 He said 300 million afghanis could not address their province demands and needs at all.

However, Yarbaz Hamidi, a Wolesi Jirga member from Paktia, said dozens of other projects had been included in the draft national budget for the current fiscal year and they had been convinced in this regard.

He said, “Paktia is given enough projects, including roads, bridges, school buildings and other important projects.”

Governor Shamim Khan Katawzai said the draft national budget for the current fiscal year for Paktia had not been fully described.

He said, “ The national budget draft and budget issues for the current fiscal year have not been described well, we have money without national budget and a number of projects worth hundreds million afghanis would be implemented by government departments.”

The Wolesi Jirga  approved the draft national budget for the current fiscal year last (Wednesday). Of the 428 billion afghanis, 289 billion afghanis have been earmarked in general spending. The development budget stands at 139 billion afghanis.

Pk/ma