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    Kunar governor, PRT announces first budget

    KUNAR PROVINCE, AFGHANISTAN

    01.15.2010

    Story by Capt. Tony Wickman 

    Combined Joint Task Force - 82 PAO

    KUNAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan — The Kunar provincial governor announced its first quarterly budget facilitated by the Kunar Provincial Reconstruction Team in the town of Asadabad, Jan. 14.

    Fazlullah Wahidi, Kunar provincial governor, and U.S. Navy Cmdr. Leonard Remias, PRT commander, held a joint press conference to discuss how the $6 million funded by the Commander's Emergency Response Program budget will be divided to meet the needs of the Kunar people.

    "We wanted to involve the Afghan people in decisions and now they are involved in the decision making," Wahidi said. "The demands, requirements and needs will be nominated by the people. The people can share in the priorities and decisions on the projects, and the sectored working groups and districts will introduce suggestions for projects."

    The CERP is not an operating budget, but rather a development budget to provide essential improvements for the entire province. The provincial government is in charge of the budget spending based on priorities.

    "This process helps connect the people to the government," Remias said. "As Governor Wahidi mentioned, we must be transparent and show accountability to the people. We owe that to the people of Kunar province, to Afghanistan and to the American public."

    With the execution of a first budget, another milestone was also reached.

    "This is the first time the government built a (budget). The administration now has the capacity to write (budgets) and to monitor the projects for accountability and transparency," Wahidi said.

    The sectoral working groups, line directors, district governors and the District Development Associations will be working this process, beginning with smaller-scale projects, as the PRT and battlespace owners provide oversight and guidance.

    Wahidi said the budget was for three months and that the government will focus on improving the infrastructure within the province; project selection and funding will be done at district level all the way to the government.

    "Previously the projects were implemented by the PRT, but now the sectoral groups will decide...we will ask the people through the shuras for help. Now we give the people the authority to choose the priority of projects," he said. "The projects will be done by the people, implemented by the people and hire the people from the community. Jobs will be provided to improve the economy."

    Most of the money will be sent to the districts for the local governments for projects, but $2.4 million will be kept by the provincial government to divide among the six sectoral working group directorates.

    "This (money) will be for the projects that exceed the district budgets," Wahidi said. "We gave the money to the district governments as the first requirements because the needs are in the districts."

    To ensure progress with projects and improvements, inspections will be accomplished by the government and the people. This will also prevent corruption and graft by having so many involved in the process, Wahidi said.

    "The DDA shuras will explore the projects, prioritize the projects and present their demands," he said. "The proposals will be prioritized and worked on (by the sectoral working groups)."

    U.S. commanders hope the CERP budget will win the trust of the people in their government by increasing their capacity to govern, while promoting civil infrastructure improvements in Kunar. By carrying out an effective CERP budget, the provincial government, with oversight by U.S. commanders, can immediately assist the Afghan people and support the reconstruction of their country in a transparent and accountable manner.

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 01.15.2010
    Date Posted: 01.15.2010 20:56
    Story ID: 43924
    Location: KUNAR PROVINCE, AF

    Web Views: 236
    Downloads: 173

    PUBLIC DOMAIN