KABUL - President Ashraf Ghani on Thursday termed administrative corruption as ‘a national shame’ and said nepotistic appointments on key government posts was a legacy of the past government and needed fundamental reforms.
The president expressed these views at a conference “The way ahead for anti-corruption in Afghanistan’ organized by the European Union (EU).
Ghani acknowledged earlier appointments on important government posts took place based on relations. He stressed the introduction of a mechanism that could ensure qualified individuals were hired on government posts.
The president warned security institutions against laxity in executing their authorities in a proper way and said they would be held accountable for what they were doing. He said some security officials had forgotten their tasks and were found involved in contract biding and other unnecessary engagements.
He said: “We were able to save tens of billions of afghanis in major contracts of the Defence Ministry.” He lamented common citizens were being bothered in an unauthorised manner, a practice terrorists and illegal armed men were known for.
The president said he himself had attended 35 meetings of the National Procurement Council (NPC) and processed major contracts in a proper way. In these meetings, he added, 45 companies were blacklisted due to some reasons and 11 more were added to the number.
The president, however, said a strong political will existed in the government to eradicate corruption, which he called 'a national shame.'
Ghani said the international community had failed in capacity building of Afghan companies, adding millions of dollars were given to a company that merely caught snapshots of roads from satellite and had no idea of the ground realities about road construction and many other things.
Regarding corruption in the Ministry of Education, the president said the menace was not acceptable to him in any ministry or institution.
He termed corruption in public sector as cancer which needed to be cured and reiterated the entire government was committed to getting rid of the stigma. (Pajhwok)