Wolesi Jirga approves 2021 mid-year budget

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Wolesi Jirga or lower house of Parliament on Saturday approved mid-year budget for fiscal year 2021.

The house had earlier rejected the draft budget over allocation of 7.5 billion afghanis as separate fund for the Operational Unit of the Presidential Palace.

The draft again landed in the lower house after some changes, which was approved by lawmakers. Wolesi Jirga members had earlier said the Operational Unit was not a recognizable body for them.

Mir Afghan Safi, head of Wolesi Jirga Finance and Budgetary Commission, said one of the contradictory issues between the Commission and the Finance Ministry was the inclusion of 8.4 billion afghanis loan in the budget, which was unprecedented. The ministry should provide a separate bill of the loan to the house.

He said after the house rejected the draft budget when it was first tabled, the ministry brought positive changes to the draft budget and in the joint meeting of Wolesi Jirga Commissions, all voted for approval of the document.

Without going into details, he said the commission made changes in the normal and development sections of the budget.

Abdul Rauf Enami, another member of the Wolesi Jirga, said: “Allocation of 7.5 billion dollars for the Operation Unit of the Presidential Palace was distributed to other institutions after it was rejected by the house. Currently Operational Wing gets 5 billion afghanis.”

But Khan AqaRezaee, member of the Internal Security Commission, said: “I have objection over the performance of the Finance and Budgetary Commissions’ work, first they termed the draft budget against the law, saying billons of afghanis have been allocated against the law to the Operational Unit, a body not accountable to the house and corrupt at its core.”

He added the Ministry of Public Health had demanded 50 million afs but it was allocated in 830 million afs. “Who made this generosity? From where the Finance Commission provided this amount?”

Finally, Ahmad Shah Ramazan, who chaired the session, asked lawmakers for voting on the draft budget which was approved with majority votes.

Nh/ma

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