KABUL (PAN): President Hamid Karzai's pick for the Ministry of Telecommunication and Information Technology portfolio has said the revenue of the ministry will reach 100 million US dollars next solar year. Seeking a vote of confidence from the Wolesi Jirga, the minister-designate Eng Amirzai Sangin explained his past achievement and future plans for the next five years. He told the lawmakers that the ministry earned $465 millions during the last five years. "The communication ministry's income in 2007 was 85 million US dollars while in 2008 it reached $93 million," Sangin said, adding 99 per cent of Afghans would have access to telephone while 50 per cent to the internet in the next five years. Currently 80 per cent of people in the landlocked country have access to telephone facilities. Around 11.5 million out of 80 percent have been using mobile phones. The nominee said that 70,000 Afghans had been on jobs in five communication companies. He said he would allow the companies to provide video and picture facilities to their customers. Sangin was the only minister in the previous Karzai cabinet who received applause from the parliamentarians. However, he acknowledged there was corruption at his ministry, but he removed some corrupt officials from their posts. In his reply to a question from an MP from eastern Nuristan province, Hawa Alam Nuristani, Sangin said the calling rates of the four private communication companies would considerably be reduced in future. Amirzai Sangin was Telecommunication and Information Technology minister in Hamid Karzai's outgoing cabinet. frm/ma
