KABUL - Masherano Jirga or --- upper house of the parliament --- on Sunday approved draft budget for 2017 fiscal year with some recommendations to ensure balance in development countrywide.
According to the finance ministry 287 billion Afghanis set aside for general budget and 178 billion Afghanis for development budget in the next year. 150 billion Afghanis that made 32 percent of the total budget came through national revenue and the remaining budget was dependable on foreign aid.
Thirty six percent of the total budget was allocated for security, 21 percent for infrastructure development, 13 percent for education, six percent for agriculture and the remaining for other sectors, the ministry said.
Under Articles 75 and 98 of the Constitution, the budget should be approved in line with the national development strategy and its implementation should pave the ground for the development of all parts of the country.
Some senators recommended 32 development projects to be executed so that a balanced development could be ensured in the year ahead.
The lawmakers stressed imbalances in the budgetary projections must be rectified to ensure even-handed development of the country and remove the sense of deprivation in certain provinces.
Earlier, Wolesi Jirga Deputy Speaker Haji Zahir Qadir warned if the Supreme Court give its nod against the house decision regarding the seven disqualified ministers the lower house would reject the draft budget.
The lower house has recently disqualified seven ministers over the low spending of development budget. The president, however, referred the case to the Apex Court to take final decision in this regard. (Pajhwok)