KABUL (Pajhwok): The Ministry of Finance (MoF) on Wednesday referred a 462 billion afghanis draft budget for the next fiscal year to the Wolesi Jirga -- lower house of parliament -- for approval.
Afghanistan’s fiscal year begins on December 22. The Meshrano Jirga, which received the proposed budget on November 8, sent it back to the ministry with certain recommendations.
Meshrano Jirga members said most of next year’s projects envisaged in the draft budget were carried forward from 2015. The senators noted a lack of balance in provincial allocations.
Finance Minister Mohammad Eklil Hakimi explained salient features of the draft budget to the Wolesi Jirga today. He put the general spending at 283.3 billion afghanis and development budget 178.5 billion afghanis.
He added there was a six percent increase in the budgetary volume, compared with the current year. Fifty percent of the general budget and 89 percent of the development budget will come from foreign sources.
Completion of important ongoing development projects and some small schemes have been proposed. Most of the budget would go to security, education and health sectors, Hakimi said.
Under Article 98 of the Constitution, the general and development budgets are prepared in light of Meshrano Jirga’s recommendations before being sent to the Wolesi Jirga for final approval.
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