Afghanistan rejects reports over dormant anti-corruption drive

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AT-KABUL: The government of Afghanistan has rejected a report by the Transparency International that Afghanistan has failed to struggle a rampant corruption, and said that pragmatic anti-corruption drive has yielded tangible results.

The report said that Afghan government’s efforts in fight corruption were not enough to receive the United Nations’ “durable development goals”.

The durable development goals program offers 16 goals to 193 countries based on which, these countries should eradicate poverty and guarantee the stability for their people’s lives.

“We have made important measures and the new year’s national budget is an example,” said Shah Hussain Mortazawi, presidential spokesperson. He added that reforms were done in the ministries of defense and interior. “The government’s main focus is to institutionalize transparency and accountability.”

The report warned that Afghanistan would not receive the durable development goals including poverty removal, ensuring peace and social justice, unless the government is serious in struggle corruption.

It asked the United Nations to enforce the national unity government to prioritize fight with corruption.

Transparency International had earlier listed Afghanistan as the fourth corrupt country after Somalia, South Sudan and Syria in 2017.

Meanwhile, the Attorney General Office says it has probed more than 1,500 corruption cases including senior government officials. Some of these officials were ousted from their positions while some others were barred from foreign travel.

Separately, the Integrity Watch Afghanistan claims that the government was unsuccessful in fighting corruption and the struggle was yet to be institutionalized.

“The anti-corruption bodies are not independent, there no strong law in fight corruption and political meddling is a big obstacle,” head of the watchdog Sayed Ekram Azali said.