Ghani stresses rapid NFP implementation

KABUL (Pajhwok): President Ashraf Ghani has said implementation of the National Food Package (NFP) should be accelerated on the account of the second wave of coronavirus in the country.

President Ghani inaugurated the NFP on July 19 and at the time he had said that food items worth $244 million would be distributed to vulnerable families.

However, the Wolesi Jirga rejected the program on July 21 while the government stressed on its implementation.

A statement from the Presidential Palace received by Pajhwok Afghan News said that a meeting chaired by President Ghani discussed the launch of the program in the palace on Wednesday evening.

The meeting, also attended by first vice-president Amrullah Saleh, was briefed about the advancement of the program by officials of the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development, Kabul municipality and the Independent Directorate of Local Governance (IDLG).

The officials said that the program has been launched in 31 of 34 provinces of the country, the statement said.

Ghani thanked the World Bank for its assistance and stressed that implementation of NFP should be accelerated considering the spread of second wave of Covid-19 pandemic in the country.

“The reason the program got delayed was analyzing the nature of second wave of coronavirus, so the assistance reach the entitled people with speed,” he added.

Ghani said that the program should be changed from periodic to continuous so the aid could reach people in time.

Mds/ma

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