Afghanistan is wrestling with a myriad of challenges for many decades. It is not only the issue of terrorism but also poverty and corruption despite having mineral resources. Afghanistan is called “a poor man lying on gold mines” which suggests the fact that it is rich in terms of resources but still suffers from poverty.
Corruption within the government’s machinery is believed to be one of the root causes of the ongoing challenges in Afghanistan. A number of senior officials do not fulfill their responsibilities and commitments. They fight for power and position rather than serving the nation.
If one asks me the reason behind the rapid growth of Chinese economy, I will say that their committed leaders, whose only claim to fame is to serve their nation, are the main drivers of progress. The rule of law is implemented strictly and all are equal before the law. Therefore, they always put the people first and hardly dare engage in corruption. Corrupt officials are detained and prosecuted fairly in China.
Chinese President Xi Jinping said in one of his speeches in 2015 that when he was in the post of a county party secretary, he went to villages by bike to touch the pain and sufferings of the poor from the near. He had to talk to villagers and local officials. He then added, “Avoiding responsibilities is the worst disgrace for an official”. He persists officials to resist the temptation of power, money, and sex.
He mentioned that Chinese folk saying in many occasions which goes, “If an official does not act on the people’s behalf, he would be better going back home and selling sweet potatoes”.
Jiao Yulu, who is considered the symbol of honesty in China, when heard that his son had not paid for a show, he ordered him to send the money to the theater. Hence, this is the honest and committed leaders who push China forward.
To enhance the accountability, it will be very effective if high-ranking officials, including ministers, report their achievements every year, explain their agenda for next year and point out the obstacles before their agenda so that all officials join hand to remove the barriers. It should be noted that provincial governors and even district governors should participate in such an annual session, which will not only enhance the responsibilities but also transparency. On the contrary, if officials are not asked about their agenda and achievements, they will hardly ever feel their responsibilities.
Chinese officials listen to the voice of people and to the voice of their time. They seek to win the trust and support of people and do not engage in an issue that might tarnish their personality in the society, it is what I have realized. Moreover, they do not promise beyond their abilities and economic means.
The second step to be taken to reduce the level of poverty is to promote education. That is to say, the government’s responsibility is to alleviate poverty by facilitating self-sufficiency. It is aptly said, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime”. To reach to a sustainable economic progress, the government needs to promote education and establish vocational institutions so that people could learn knowledge, technic and trade to stand on their own feet and launch their own business. People need to be inspired and encouraged in learning knowledge and vocational education. In short, they first should “take wing” and then “leave the nest”. Promoting knowledge and vocational education is one of the steps that Chinese government takes in alleviating poverty. When people learn education and skill, they will be able to perform their activities in better way, be creative and start their own business.
The contribution of villages to the city and country should not be underestimated. In other words, imbalanced progress will not resolve the challenges. It is very important to bridge the economic gap between the rural and urban areas, this is what China is trying to do. If the government helps farmers to plant crops and fruits or establishes a company for manufacturing goods, they will send them to the city and even export them out of country. In such a case, they will also live a comfortable life and the gap between rural and urban areas will be bridged.
To overcome the challenges, it will be effective to choose the prosperous countries as a role-model and China is one of them which has changed from one of the poorest states to the second largest economy of the world. This country owes its progress to the committed leaders who devoted their lives wholeheartedly to their nation and left no stone unturned in this regard. To reach prosperity, Afghanistan also needs committed leaders and strict rule of law. If corrupt officials are not put to justice and if education is not promoted, there will be no progress, especially in terms of economy in our country.