KABUL (Pajhwok): The Wolesi Jirga on Monday said no changes had been made in the third revised draft budget plan and they would not approve the accounts until salaries of government workers were equalized and the removed projects included in the draft.
The Wolesi Jirga has thrice rejected the budget plan for 1400 fiscal year due to what lawmakers said removal of more than 1,100 provincial projects suggested by them, increase in budget for emergency codes and imbalanced provincial allocations and unequal government salaries.
The third draft of the budget was passed by the Cabinet last Wednesday and was then referred to the Wolesi Jirga for approval.
Today’s session of the Wolesi Jirga discussed the third draft of the budget plan.
Mohammad Arif Rahmani, a lawmaker from Ghazni province, talking to the session, said that no changes had been brought in the third draft and he would not support it.
Karim Attal, a lawmaker from Helmand province, also said that he would not vote for the budget plan as there were no changes based on people’s requirements.
Hamayon Shahidzada, a lawmaker form Farah province, criticized the administrative board of the house and said that the government had agreed to increase government workers’ salaries but some lawmakers tried to plunge the country into crises under foreign conspiracies.
“The administrative board members organized a party yesterday and the speaker of the house proposed $2,000 for each representative to reject the budget plan,” he alleged.
However, a number of other lawmakers strongly reacted to Shahidzada’s statement.
Seddiq Ahmad Osmani, a lawmaker from Parwan province, said that if the government accepted its responsibility, the two sides would reach an agreement over details of the plan.
He said that if the budget approval depended on money, it would have been approved with 200 green cards.
Mir Haidar Afzali, a lawmaker form Kapisa province, about Shahidzada’s statement, said, “This seat is granted to you by the Farah people, not by a government entity, this allegation should be seriously assessed, if Shahidzada has a conscience, he should prove his claim, otherwise he should be dealt with based on the internal rules of the house.”
Wolesi Jirga speaker Mir Rahman Rahmani, about Shahidzada’s remarks, said, “I have evidence that Shahidzada is promised three posts in the customs offices for making these allegations, no one should be accused without evidence.”
“There are people who have no relations with lawmakers, throw parties for them and pay bribes to them to approve government plans,” he claimed.
He added that he could provide evidence about his claims but no one could provide proof of his bribery offer to other lawmakers.
Rahmani said that Shahidzada should apologize for his remarks if he failed to prove his allegations.
He added that lawmakers divided over the budget plan approval would discuss the plan next Wednesday.
Farid Nawakht, deputy spokesman of the Ministry of Finance, said that most suggestions of the lower house had been considered in the final draft of the budget plan and around 1.5 billion afghanis added to the budget for increasing workers salaries.
Mds/ma
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