KABUL (Pajhwok): In the past two years, administrative corruption has declined during the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) regime comparing to the level of corruption that existed in the Republic regime, according to residents and experts.
Stressing over the introduction of a legal mechanisms in the country to fight corruption they asked the acting IEA government to allow international anti-corruption watchdogs so that government institutions could be properly monitored.
Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson of the IEA, said administrative corruption had reduced to zero, adding that if corruption is noted in some orgnaisations than immediate steps are taken for its removal. In addition, some anti-corruption watchdogs had been established as well.
Consequences of Administrative Corruption
Administrative corruption has consequences for people in every country especially in underdeveloped countries such as Afghanistan, it has negative impact on the progress and development of a country.
Corruption hamper the legitimacy of a government and pose grave threat to the security and stability of a country, it also have negative impact on the economic progress and development of a country.
Administrative corruption threatened public trust on government and political institutions as well as it cut public hop for the bright future.
The spread of corruption halt the way of several economic and social developments and ultimately people finally suffer the worst consequences of corruption which is the creation of classes in the society.
Administrative corruption in Afghanistan existed from the past which causes several other problems such as violence, ethnic issues and several other problems.
In the past 20 years, Afghanistan was always existed in the list of administrative corrupt countries, but after the takeover of the IEA the incumbent government claimed curtailing corruption in government institutions. Some circles, however, rejected the claim.
According to the Transparency International (TI) last year report, Afghanistan made 24 points progress on anti-corruption index.
Administrative corruption declined, not eradicated
Some experts believed that administrative corruption has declined to some extent but not fully eradicated. According to experts it was expected that IEA would fully restore transparency but it did not happen and administrative corruption still existed in government institutions.
Najibullah Jamai, with the return of the IEA and political change administrative corruption had been curtailed to the greater extent.
He believed there was need for a legal system and introducing mechanisms to fully eradicate corruption. The system should support accountability, media should have greater access to information and legal platforms should be introduced where corrupt elements are investigated in the legal framework.
He said the current government was fully committed to eradicate corruption, adding that this determination should be transformed in a legal framework based on modern day principles.
Jami said the caretaker government should be accountable not only to the people of Afghanistan, but also to the international institutions that work in the fight against corruption, and allow them to visit and supervise the government departments
Referring to the country’s progress on the TI index, he said Afghanistan could not make progress until a legal system of governance and political legitimacy of the system is not defined.
He, however, said the acting government’s anti-corruption efforts were admirable considering the situation in which Afghanistan is going through.
Referring to the comparison with the past regime he said: “Commitment against corruption that existed in the IEA government never existed in the Republic regime.”
He recommended that digital based governance was the best option for the eradication of administrative corruption.
All equal before the law in Islamic system
Jannat Fahim Chakari, a university teacher, said good things happened in the past two years in fight against corruption but the way it was expected from the IEA to fully eradicate corruption but it did not happened and still corruption existed in the government institutions and not fully eradicated.
He said administrative corruption persisted in all government institutions and the government should introduced legal and effective mechanisms to eradicate corruption.
He added the current government anti-corruption performance was good and now people are satisfied with their daily affairs in the government institutions.
Referring to the previous regime in which around 10 anti-corruption watchdogs were operating, he asked the current government to allow international organistations to monitor the government institutions.
He also asked the acting government to provide key government posts to deserving and professional people, did not relay on slogans and officials should visit government institutions themselves and inquire that government performances is in line with the Sharia Law or not.
Azizullah Maarej, another political affairs expert, said corruption has declined now compared to the previous regime. In the past, robbery, theft, corruption, bribes and other illicit activities were on its peak.
“In general, we cannot say that administrative corruption has been completely curbed and eliminated; Corruption still exists, there are reports and videos are available, people complain about corruption in offices, and there is still coercion and bribery, but not to the extent it was in the past.”
Public Views:
Public also shared views on administrative corruption in government offices in the past two years and demanded the government to completely eradicate corruption.
Sher Agha Shahyan, the resident of Baghlan province, said: “administrative corruption was on its peak in the past but now it has been reduced.”
He asked the acting government to allow international anti-corruption watchdogs to monitor government institutions.
Bahadur, the resident of Jalalabad City, said he offered bribes in the traffic department in the past government to perform his activities but during current regime he recently went to the traffic department and without wasting time and money he finished his work.
Syed Mobin Hashami, the resident of Kabul, said: “Corruption reduced but not full eradicated, in Afghanistan it is not possible to eliminate corruption, during republic regime several people were involved while in the current regime fewer hands are involved in corruption.”
An official of the past government who is now in Germany and did not want to be named, asked the government to introduced mechanisms on the bases of which corruption is fully eradicated from the system.
He said he lost his job after the takeover of IEA and he had to pay 3,600 to get passport for himself and his three family members.
Administrative corruption almost zero in Afghanistan
Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson of the IEA, said administrative corruption had reduced to zero, adding that if corruption is noted in some orgnaisations than immediate steps are taken for its removal. In addition, some anti-corruption watchdogs had been established as well
He said in the past corruption was at its peak and currently the situations different and the IEA was committed to eliminate corruption.
Referring to the monitoring of foreign anti-corruption watchdogs, he said: “We still do not trust them because the first thing is that they have not recognized the IEA, secondly, they are related to countries that once had a war or occupation in Afghanistan, common trust is needed and maybe we will cooperate with them later, but now it is too early.”
He said bringing corruption to the zero level was not possible in developed countries as well but efforts had been made to stop corruption from becoming a common thing and culturally acceptable.
According a report five months earlier, Afghanistan scored 24 points and ranked 150th out of total 180 countries in the world on the Transparency International (TI) corruption perception index for 2022.
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