Ahmadi’s signature on new banknotes has no legitimacy: WJ

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Wolesi Jirga has rejected the newly printed banknotes as illegal, vowing not to allow their circulation until a new central bank governor gets the trust vote from the lower house.

Acting Da Afghanistan Bank (DAB) head Ajmal Ahmadi was introduced to the Wolesi Jirga in December 2021 for a trust vote but the public representatives rejected him.

Despite losing the Wolesi Jirga’s trust, Ahmadi continues as DAB acting head. Before being introduced to the Wolesi Jirga, Ahmadi had already worked as acting head of the central bank for six months. According to the constitution, no individual could work as acting head for more than two months.

According to some reports, some Wolesi Jirga members had said that Ajmal Ahmadi signed the new banknotes and for this purpose he traveled to Poland where the notes were printed.

Ahmad RaminAyaz, director strategic communication director at the National Procurement Commission (NPC), said that the commission had approved the printing of 380 million afghanis new 10, 20, 50 and 100 banknotes at the cost of over $8.5 million including seven percent tax on December 17, 2020.

Abdul ZahirTamim, assistant head of the Wolesi Jirga National Economic Commission, told Pajhwok Afghan News that Ahmadi’s presence as acting head of DAB was not legitimate and any activity he discharged was against the law, adding that new banknotes should be signed by the head of DAB.

He said information regarding printing of new banknotes had not been shared with them but in the past something relevant to this was shared with public representative. He added due the absence of confirmed and trusted head of DAB, this matter did not progress.

“If the government prints new banknotes under the signature of the incumbent acting DAB head, this will be an illegal step and the Wolesi Jirga will stand against it,” he warned.

QaziNazeer Ahmad Hanafi, head of the Wolesi Jirga Legislative Affairs Commission, said Ahmadi has no legal authority to issue executive orders because his nomination as acting head has been rejected and his tenure as acting head has expired.

He warned it would be dictatorship by the government if Ahmadi’s signature was taken on the new banknotes. “Death to dictatorship,” he remarked.

Pajhwok reached out to DAB on Saturday, but was unable to get their viewpoint about the printing of new banknotes, Ahmadi’s signature on the new notes and his trip to Poland.

But DAB in a statement on Sunday said lately some newly printed banknotes had reached the country and some would be reaching within a year.

The statement said: “On the contrary to Tolo New report, incumbent acting head of DAB Ajmal Ahmad did not sing the notes but former acting head of DAB Wahidullah Nawsher had signed the notes.”

The statement said former acting DAB Head Wahidullah Nawsher had not obtained the trust vote.

“The question is where were these patriotic lawmakers and media at that time?. We want the media not to confuse public minds through propaganda news.”

Lawmaker Hanafi, however, said that Nawsher was not rejected by lawmakers as acting head of DAB but Ahmadi was rejected.

He said if Nawsher had signed the notes, his designation as acting head should have been mentioned.

Part of article 36 of the DAB law says: “Banknotes shall bear the signature of the Governor of Da Afghanistan Bank and the Minister of Finance.” An individual becomes minister or DAB head when he/she gets trust vote from the Wolesi Jirga.

Nh/ma