Afghanistan National Development Strategy

Islamic Republic of Afghanistan

Afghanistan National Development Strategy
1387 – 1391 (2008 – 2013)
A Strategy for Security, Governance, Economic Growth & Poverty

Reduction

‫ﺑﺴﻢ اﷲ اﻟﺮﺣﻤﻦ اﻟﺮﺣﻴﻢ‬
In the Name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful
‫ﺴ ِﻬ ْﻢ‬
ِ ‫ﺣﺘﱠﻰ ُﻳ َﻐ ﱢﻴﺮُو ْا ﻣَﺎ ِﺑ َﺄ ْﻧ ُﻔ‬
َ ‫ن اﻟّﻠ َﻪ َﻻ ُﻳ َﻐﻴﱢ ُﺮ ﻣَﺎ ِﺑ َﻘ ْﻮ ٍم‬
‫ِإ ﱠ‬
Verily, never will Allah change the condition of people unless they
change it themselves (013,011)
VISION FOR AFGHANISTAN
By the solar year 1400 (2020), Afghanistan will be:

A stable Islamic constitutional democracy at peace with itself and its neighbors, standing
with full dignity in the international family.
A tolerant, united, and pluralistic nation that honors its Islamic heritage and the deep
seated aspirations toward participation, justice, and equal rights for all.
A society of hope and prosperity based on a strong, private-sector led market economy, so-
cial equity, and environmental sustainability.
OUR GOALS
The Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS) serves as Afghanistan’s Poverty

Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) and uses the pillars, principles and benchmarks of the Af-
ghanistan Compact as a foundation. The pillars and goals of the ANDS are:
1. Security: Achieve nationwide stabilization, strengthen law enforcement, and improve

personal security for every Afghan.
2. Governance, Rule of Law and Human Rights: Strengthen democratic processes and in-
stitutions, human rights, the rule of law, delivery of public services and government ac-
countability.
3. Economic and Social Development: Reduce poverty, ensure sustainable development

through a private-sector-led market economy, improve human development indicators,
and make significant progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
A further vital and cross-cutting area of work is eliminating the narcotics industry, which
remains a formidable threat to the people and state of Afghanistan, the region and beyond.
Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS) i

Map of Afghanistan
iii Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS)

Foreword
iv Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS)

In the name of Allah, the most Merciful, the most Compassionate
Six and half years ago, the people of Afghanistan and the international community joined hands to
liberate Afghanistan from the grip of international terrorism and to begin the journey of rebuilding a
nation from a past of violence, destruction and terror. We have come a long way in this shared jour-
ney.
In a few short years, as a result of the partnership between Afghanistan and the international community,
we were able to create a new, democratic Constitution, embracing the freedom of speech and equal rights
for women. Afghans voted in their first-ever presidential elections and elected a new parliament. Today
close to five million Afghan refugees have returned home, one of the largest movements of people to
their homeland in history.
Thousands of schools have been built, welcoming over six million boys and girls, the highest level ever
for Afghanistan. Hundreds of health clinics have been established boosting our basic health coverage
from a depressing 9 percent six years ago to over 85 percent today. Access to diagnostic and curative ser-
vices has increased from almost none in 2002 to more than forty percent. We have rehabilitated 12,200 km
of roads, over the past six years. Our rapid economic growth, with double digit growth almost every
year, has led to higher income and better living conditions for our people. With a developing road net-
work and a state-of-the-art communications infrastructure, Afghanistan is better placed to serve as an
economic land-bridge in our region.
These achievements would not have been possible without the unwavering support of the interna-
tional community and the strong determination of the Afghan people. I hasten to point out that our
achievements must not distract us from the enormity of the tasks that are still ahead. The threat of
terrorism and the menace of narcotics are still affecting Afghanistan and the broader region and ham-
pering our development. Our progress is still undermined by the betrayal of public trust by some
functionaries of the state and uncoordinated and inefficient aid delivery mechanisms. Strengthening
national and sub-national governance and rebuilding our judiciary are also among our most difficult
tasks.
To meet these challenges, I am pleased to present Afghanistan’s National Development Strategy

(ANDS). This strategy has been completed after two years of hard work and extensive consultations
around the country. As an Afghan-owned blueprint for the development of Afghanistan in all spheres
of human endeavor, the ANDS will serve as our nation’s Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper. I am con-
fident that the ANDS will help us in achieving the Afghanistan Compact benchmarks and Millen-
nium Development Goals. I also consider this document as our roadmap for the long-desired objec-
tive of Afghanization, as we transition towards less reliance on aid and an increase in self-sustaining
economic growth.
I thank the international community for their invaluable support. With this Afghan-owned strategy, I
ask all of our partners to fully support our national development efforts. I am strongly encouraged to
see the participation of the Afghan people and appreciate the efforts of all those in the international
community and Afghan society who have contributed to the development of this strategy. Finally, I
thank the members of the Oversight Committee and the ANDS Secretariat for the preparation of this
document.
Hamid Karzai
President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
Foreword v
Message from the
Oversight Committee
For the preparation of the Afghanistan National Development Strategy
vi Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS)

We are pleased to present the Afghanistan National Development Strategy, which reflects the com-
mitment of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to poverty reduction and private sector-led economic
growth for a prosperous and stable Afghanistan. The ANDS Oversight Committee (OSC) was man-
dated by the Government to produce a Millennium Development Goals-based national strategy that
is Afghan-owned and meets the requirements for a Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper. The OSC met
on a regular basis to design, discuss and oversee the development of the strategy, including the iden-
tification of the needs and grievances of the people, and the prioritization of resource allocations and
actions. To embrace ‘Afghanization” and ownership, the OSC facilitated inclusive and extensive con-
sultations both at national and sub-national levels.
Sustained fiscal support and continuous evaluation and monitoring are essential now to meet the
challenges ahead related to ANDS implementation. The democratic aspirations of the Afghan people
are high, yet financial resources remain limited. While much has been accomplished since 2001, more
remains to be done as we move from “Compact to Impact”. The Afghan Government with support
from the international community must act decisively, strategically, and with an absolute commit-
ment to the ANDS goals and vision.
We look forward to working with our government colleagues, civil society representatives, tribal eld-
ers and religious scholars, the private sector, the international community and, most importantly, fel-
low Afghans to implement the ANDS, to help realize the Afghanistan Compact benchmarks and Mil-
lennium Development Goals.
Prof. Ishaq Nadiri

Senior Economic Advisor to the President Ahmad Zia Masoud Dr. Rangin Dadfar Spanta
Chair, ANDS and JCMB First Vice-President Minister of Foreign Affairs
Dr. Amin Farhang

Dr. Anwar-ul-Haq Ahady Sarwar Danish Minister of Commerce and
Minister of Finance Minister of Justice Industry
Dr. Zalmay Rassoul

Dr. Jalil Shams National Security Haneef Atmar
Minister of Economy Advisor Minister of Education
Message from the Ovresight Committee vii

Acknowledgments
viii Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS)

The Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS) could not have been developed without the generous
contribution of many individuals and organizations. The ANDS was finalized under the guidance of the Over-
sight Committee, appointed by HE President Hamid Karzai and chaired by H.E. Professor Ishaq Nadiri, Senior
Economic Advisor to the President and Chair of the ANDS Oversight Committee. The committee included: H.E.
Rangeen Dadfar Spanta, Minister of Foreign Affairs; H.E. Anwar-ul-Haq Ahady, Minister of Finance; H.E. Jalil
Shams, Minister of Economy; H.E. Sarwar Danish, Minister of Justice; H.E. Haneef Atmar, Minister of Education;
H.E. Amin Farhang, Minister of Commerce; and H.E. Zalmai Rassoul, National Security Advisor.
We would like to sincerely thank the First Vice-President and Chair of the Economic Council, H.E. Ahmad Zia
Massoud. Special thanks are also due to H.E. Hedayat Amin Arsala, Senior Minister and H.E. Waheedulah Shah-
rani, Deputy Minister of Finance and the Ministry of Finance team. In addition, we would like to thank the Su-
preme Court, the National Assembly, Government Ministries and Agencies, Provincial Authorities, Afghan Em-
bassies abroad, national Commissions, the Office of the President, Civil Society Organizations, and International
Community.
All Ministers, deputy ministers and their focal points, religious leaders, tribal elders, civil society leaders, all
Ambassadors and representatives of the international community in Afghanistan; and all Afghan citizens. Na-
tional and international agencies participated actively in the ANDS consultations. Their contributions, comments
and suggestions strengthened the sectoral strategies, ensuring their practical implementation. Thanks are also
due to the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation for their significant contributions to the subnational consultations.
Special thanks are further due to the Presidents Advisors, Daud Saba and Noorullah Delawari for their contribu-
tions, as well as Mahmoud Saikal for his inputs. We are also indebted to the Provincial Governors and their staff
for their contributions, support and hospitality to the ANDS preparations.
Special thanks go to Wahidullah Waissi, ANDS/PRS Development Process Manager, for his invaluable contribu-
tion and for the efforts of his team of young Afghan professionals who dedicated themselves tirelessly to com-
pleting the I-ANDS, Afghanistan Compact and the full ANDS in consultation with both national and interna-
tional partners. The Sector Coordinators included Rahatullah Naeem, Farzana Rashid Rahimi, Shakir Majeedi,
Attaullah Asim, Mohammad Ismail Rahimi, Zalmai Allawdin, Hedayatullah Ashrafi, Shukria Kazemi, Saifurah-
man Ahmadzai, and; the Sub-National Consultations Team consisted of Mohammad Yousuf Ghaznavi,
Mohammad Fahim Mehry, Shahenshah Sherzai, Hekmatullah Latifi, Sayed Rohani and Osman Fahim; and Prof.
Malik Sharaf, Naim Hamdard, Saleem Alkozai, Mir Ahmad Tayeb Waizy, Sayed Shah Aminzai, Khwaga Kakar
and Mohammad Kazim. Thanks to Nematullah Bizhan for his special contribution from the JCMB Secretariat. We
are also indebted to the many national and international advisers who supported this effort. In particular, we
would like to thank Zlatko Hurtic, Paul O’Brien, Jim Robertson, Barnett Rubin, Peter Middlebrook, Richard
Ponzio, Anita Nirody, Shakti Sinha, Ashok Nigam, Christopher Alexander and Ameerah Haq.
Finally, I would like to thank all who contributed towards this endeavor in preparation of the first Afghanistan
National Development Strategy, a milestone in our country’s history and a national commitment towards eco-
nomic growth and poverty reduction in Afghanistan.
Adib Farhadi,
Director, Afghanistan National Development Strategy, and
Joint Coordination and Monitoring Board Secretariat
See complete list of contributors in next page.
Acknowledgments ix
In addition to the mentioned names, tens of other Afghans (men and women) had direct role in the preparation
of this first ever Afghanistan’s noble development strategy, who devoted their time and energy, and without
their valuable efforts, the completion of this huge and highly important task would have been impossible. And, it
would have unjust not mentioning their names. These names, categorized as under, include:
FROM THE ANDS & JCMB SECRETARIATS

Shahpoor Taqat, Ahmad Fahim Ebrat, Khaled Hares, Lutfullah Dinarkhil, Mohammad Arif Hushang, Ahmadul-
lah Kakar, Nazeef-ur-Rahman Jawad, Mursal Asmati, Samiullah Nazemi, Fardeen Sediqi, Habib Noor Marwat,
Sousan Rasuli Rahimi, Assadullah Zarmalwal, Durukhshan Esmati, Abdul Moien Jawhary, Ellaha Baheer,
Khwaga Kakar, Wida Yalaqi, Fauzia Asefi, Ziauddin Zia, Gul Ghutai Najeeb, Hamid Majidee, Sayed Mohammad
Ameen Habibi, Jawid Shinwari, Zabiullah Zaki, Mohammad Karim Osmani, Qais Mehraban, Abdul Mateen Wal-
izada, Babrak Noorzad, Abdul Razeq Fakur, Qahir Shafai, Khwja Gharib Fitri, Shafiqullah Qaderi, M. Nabi
Sroosh, Mir Mohammad Javid Qahari, Sameera. Muheb, Sayed Hamed Daqiq, Ahmad Siroos Popal, Ahmad
Shah Safi, Ahmad Shah Aminzai, Ahmad Khalid Asghari, Abdul Sabour fazil, Hamid Hashimi, Mohammad
Ilyas, Hameed Sayedy, Shafiqullah Ibrahimi, Ab.Ghafar, Habibullah Maiwand, Mustafa Ahmadzai, Haji Sham-
suddin, Eng. Bahawuddin Baha, Barat Ali, Khalid Malik Asghar, Ahmad Zia Kechkini, Muhammad Mustafa
Mustaan, Abdullah Waziry, Mohammad Naeem, Husnia Hushang, Khalid Islam, Jafar Asifi, Ajmal Payman,
Abdullah Barakzai Herawi, Sear Zafar, Emilie Jelinek, Helen Ólafsdóttir, Amy Paunila, Sorabh Sinha, Subhash
Misra, Atul Gupta, Kara Johnston Molina, Ismail Ali Khan, Peter Middlebrook, Shanthini Dawson, Nipa Baner-
jee, Andrew Pinney, Sarah Lister and Andja Cosic.
EDITORS
Azam Rahnaward Zaryab, Habibullah Rafi, Sarwar Azarakhsh, Razaq Mamoon, Jawid Farhad, Prof Mohammad
Yunus Toghyan, Prof Mohammad Nabi Salehi, Prof Sayed Jamaluddin Hashimi, Martha Fay, Trent Bertrand,
Richard Filmer and James Corbishley.
GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS
Their Excellencies, Mohammad Karim Khalili, General Abdul Rahim Wardak, Zarar Ahmad Moqbel, Abdul
Karim Khoram, Noor Mohammad Qarqeen, Dr. Mohammad Azam Dadfar, Mohammad Ismail Khan, Hamidul-
lah Qaderi, Hosn Bano Ghazanfar, Sohrab Ali Saffary, Dr. Sayed Mohammad Amin Fatimie, Obaidullah Ramin,
Eng. Mohammad. Ibrahim Adel, Eng. Amirzai Sangin, Mohammad Ehsan Zia, Karim Barahowie, Eng. Yousef
Pashtun, Gen. Khodaidad, Sher Mohammad Etebari, Dr. Farooq Wardak, Abdul Salam Azimi, Mohammad Omar
Zakhilwal, Amrullah Saleh, Abdul Qadeer Fitrat, Mir Abdul Ahad Sahiby, Dr. Abdul Jabbar Sabit, Abdul Bari
Rashid, M. Anwar Jigdalak, Dr. Abdul Matin Edrak, Dr. Sharif Sharifi, Mustafa Zahir, Ahmad Mushahid, Abdul
Rahman Ghafori, Abdul Rauf Bari, Fatima Gilani, Dr. Seema Samar, Azizullah Lodin and Ezatullah Wasifi.
Some former ministers, who have contributed to the ANDS process during their postings with the government
are the followings: Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, Ali Ahmad Jalali, Sayed Makhdoom Raheen, Eng. Nematullah Ehsan
Jawid, Habibullah Qaderi, Mohammad Akbar Akbar and Jawid Lodin.
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Their Excellencies, Prof. Sebghatullah Mojadidi, Mohammad Yunus Qanoni, Khial Mohammad Hussaini, Abdul
Jabbar Shelgari, Zahira Ahmadyar Mowlai, Tahira Mirzad, Sultan Jan Khaksar, Taiba Zahidi, Mohammad Nasir
Attai, Rahima Jami, Saadat Fatai, Sayed Mustafa Kazimi, SafarMohammad kakar, Mohammad Amin Qani, Dr.
Fatima Aziz, Mohammad Rangeen, Mushwani, Dr. Habiba Danish, Samia Aziz Saddat, Haji Musa Khan,
Roshanak Wardak, Pacha Khan Zadran, Gul Pacha Majeedi, Fazl-u-Rehman Samkani, Sayed Ghulam Farooq
Meerani, Haji Faqir, Delbar Nazari, Eng. Mohammad Arif Zarif, Alhaj Mula Tarakhil, Quderia Yazdan Parast
and Shinkai Zaheen Karookhil.
PROVINCIAL GOVERNORS
Their Excellencies, Haji Din Mohammad, Habiba Sarabi, Meerajuddin Pattan, Shir Ahmad Khosti, Dr. Usman
Usmani, Abdul Jabar Naeemi, Abdullah wardak, Abdul Jabar Taqwa, Abdul Satar Murad, Bahlol Bahej, Gul
Agha Shirzai, Gulab Mangal, Lutfullah Mashal, Sayed Fazlullah Wahidi, Haji Shahlezi Dedar, Assadullah Wafa,
Mohammad Tamim, Nuristani, Arsala Jamal, Rehmatullah Rehmat, Juma Khan Hamdard, Dr. Akram Khpalwak,
Assadullah Khalid, Delbar Jan Arman, Assadullah Hamdam, Abdul Hakim Munib, Alhaj Mawlawi Bahruddin
Baloch, Sayed Hussain Anweri, Alhaj Baz Mohammad Ahmedy, Mohammad Ashraf, Nasiri, Abdul Jabar
Haqbeen, Mohammad Haleem Yousufzai, Eng. Mohammad Ismail, Abdul Latif Ibrahimi, Munshi Abdul Majeed,
Atta Mohammad Noor, Mohammad Hashim Zaray, Sayed Mohammad Iqbal Munib, Abdul Haq Shafaq, Qazi
Enyatullah Enayat, Eng. Mohammad Essa, Sultan Ali Uruzgani and Khawaja Khalilullah Seddiqi.
x Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS)

HEADS OF PROVINCIAL COUNCILS
Qari Samiullah, Habib-u-Rehman, Mohammad, Janan, Ustad Abdul Hakim, Farid Shafaq, Munawar Khan, Maw-
lawi, Ihsanullah, Fazal Hadi Muslim, Iamaaduddin Abdul Rahimzai, Abdul Wali, Rahmatullah Rashidi, Taj Ali
Khan Sabir, Miakhil Zazai, Waziri, Ahmad Wali Karzai, Haji Mohammad Hashim, Mawlawi Hamdullah, Haji
Mohammad Gul, Haji Sediq Khan, Abdul Qais Roshan, Dr. Hamayun Azizi, Daud Ghafoori, Qari Dawlat, Dr.
Mahiuddin, Mawlawi Abdullah, Mawlawi Lutfullah, Rehmani, Farhad Azeemi, Mawlawi Abdul Hai, Mawlawi
Abdul Ghani, Haji Sarajuddin, Sayed Farukh Shah Jinab, Raihana Azad and Poya.
THOSE NATIONALS AND INTERNATIONALS WHO HAD CONTRIBUTED IN THE FOLLOWING ANDS SECTORS:
SECURITY SECTOR
Ab. Malik Qurishi, Acbar Quraishi, Hamayon Tandar, General Abdul Hadi Khalid, General Muhebullah Muheb,
General Mohammad Taher Nazem, General Muslim, General Mashodullah, Col. Mohammad Taher, Abudul
Zia,, General Ghiasee, Jamil Shamyana, Sayed Zahoor Rasuli, Aziz Ahmadzai,, Khalid Zekria and Dr.
Mohammad Haider Reza.
GOVERNANCE & PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION REFORM SECTOR

Sultan Shah Akifi, M. Akbar Akramzada, Abdul Qadeer, Barna Karimi, Gheyas Wardak, Rahela Sidiqi, Sayed
Zabiullah Sawayz, Asmatullah Ramzi, M. Sami Nabi, Dr, Daud Najafi, Monema Mansoor, Abdul Saboor, S.
Noorullah Hashimi, Eng. Abdul Wasi, Amanullah Afshari, Zia Langahary, Fouzia Amini, Shazia Darwish, Moh.
Ibrahim Safai, Ajmal Ayan, Zalmai Hotak, Amin Shafiee, Diana Nawazi, Jamal Nasir, Eng. Moh. Emal Azimi,
Qurban Ali Rahimi, Mahesh Shukla, Verginia Sheffield, Kawun Kakar and Zia Frahmand.
JUSTICE & RURAL OF LAW SECTOR

Dr. Abdul Malik Kamawi, Dr. Qasem Hshimzai, Mohammad Isahq Alko, Abdul Aleem Samadi, Temorsha Sta-
nekzai, Mohammad Sediq Zhobal, Dr. Arif, Kawun Kakar, Hamidullah Amiry, Sayed Jalal Jalal, Munir Ahmad
Pathang, Afizullah Noorestani, Zia Frahmand, Najim Animashaun, Sara Rezogli, Daniele Canistri,, Katherine
Blanchette and Dr. Martine Lau.
RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS SECTOR

Shir Ali Zarif, Abdul Wali Basirat, Dr. Rezai, Sayed Norrullah Murad, Maulawi Esrarullhaq, Maulawi Dahee-ul-
Haq, Maulawi Muslem, Prof Asadullah Jahidi and Prof Lutfurahaman Sayedi.
TRANSPORT & CIVIL AVIATION SECTOR

Raz Mohammad Alami, Ghulam Ali Rasikh, Dr. Mohammad Yaqub Rassuli, Mohammad Ramazan Shafaq,
Robert Kamphuis, G.K.Singh, Dr. Mohammad Wali Rassoli, Adel Shah, Saleem Bedya, Eng. Assadullah Oriakhel,
Sohail Kaker, Patyal Ghorzang, Delbar Abdi, Eng. Qiamudin Jalalzada, Jamal Nasir, Raz Mohammad, Eng. Wais
Ahmad, Salem Shah Ibrahimi, Eng. Khalilurahman, Eng. Satar Salim, Arsalan Ghalieh, Roya Husseni, Amin
Shafiee, Diana Nawazi, Eng. Mohammad Azim, Eng. Waheedullah, Azizi, Pushpa Pathak, Dr. Hassan Abdullahi,
General Munir Mangal, General Noorudin, Greg Gajewski, Barna Karimi, Mohammad Qurban Haqqjo and
Ahmad Shah Hemat.
ENERGY SECTOR
Eng. Mir M. Sediq Ashan, Eng. Zia Gul Saljuki, Eng. Ghulam Rabani, Eng. Hashim, Eng. Sarwar, Eng. Wahid,
Mary Louise, Arsalan Ghalieh, Salem Shah Ibrahimi, Eng. Khuzhman Ulomi, Eng. Mohmmad Farid Fazaly, Eng.
Abdul Qudos Hamidi, Eng. Wais Ahmad, Roya Husseni, Amin Shafiee, Diana Nawazi, Russell Profozich and
Matthew W. Addison.
WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT SECTOR

Eng. Shojaudin Ziaie, Eng. Sultan Mahmood, Hans Husselman, Paul Collins, Eng. Sayed Sharif Shobair,
Mohammad Qasim Naimi, Eng. Pir Mohammad Azizi, Eng. Dad Mohammad Baheer, Ghulam Hassan, Eng.
Mohammad Naim Tokhi, Eng. Qiamudin Jalalzada, Mohammad Qasim Salehi, Abdul Hashim Hikmat, Eng. Ab-
dul Waheed Hamidi, Eng. Fahimullah Ziaee, Eng. Waheedullah Majeed, Eng. M. Ali Akbari, Roya Husseni,
Amin Shafiee, Diana Nawazi and Jamal Nasir.
INFORMATION & COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY SECTOR

Baryalai Hassam, Ajmal Ayan, Muhammad Aimal Marjan, Oliver Dziggel, Bhupal Nanda
URBAN DEVELOPMENT SECTOR

Eng. Said Osman, Eng. Abdul Hasib Latifi, Jamal Nasir, Richard Geier, Pushpa Pathak, Fernando Da Cruz,
Jolyon Leslie,, Eng. Abdul Khaliq Nemat, Eng. Ibrahimi, Srinivasa Rao Podipireddy, Barna Karimi, Eng. Qia-
mudin Djalalzada PhD, Dr. Hassan Abdullahi, Eng. Waheedullah Azizi, Mahmoud Saikal, Mohammad Qurban
Haqjo and Ahmad Shah Hemat.
Acknowledgments xi
MINES & NATURAL RESOURCES SECTOR
Eng. Chaman Shah Ahmadi, Eng. Abdul Wakil, Eng. Sadeq, Eng. Khuzhman Ulomi, Eng. Mohmmad Farid
Fazaly, Eng. Masoom, Eng. Mohammad Akram Ghiasi, Eng Abdul Qudos Hamidi and M. Heydari.
EDUCATION AND CULTURE SECTOR

Dr. Abdul Ghafor Ghaznavi, Abdul Wassay Arian Mohammad Azim Karbalai, Asadullah Zamir Mohmmand,
Ab.Rahim Husainyar, Mohammad Esa Rezaie, Mohammad Ghous Bashir, Mohammad Hussain Farahmand,
Abdul Rahim Wardak, Abdul Rahim Nasiri, Mohammad Musa Rahimi, Deen Mohammad Safi, Fazel Ahmad
Fazelyar, Richard Filmer, Sardar Mohammad Roshan, Mohammad Ibrahim, Dr. Mohammad Yahya Wiar,
Mohammad Razaq Noori, Javeed Attaee, Jena Haidari, Wakil Ahmad Bayan and Stephen Vardigans.
MEDIA, CULTURE AND YOUTH SECTOR

Sayed Omar Sultan, Mohammad Zahir Ghauss, Najibullah Manalai, Shams Zardasht, Shams, Zalami Hotak,
Brendan Cassar, Yadgar Safi, Mohammad Ismail Aslami, Masonari, Rasuli and Ghulam Farooq Sawab.
HEALTH & NUTRITION SECTOR

Dr. Faizullah Kakar, Dr. Aqila Noori, Dr. Ahmad Jan, Dr. Wali, Dr. Daud Karimi, Dr. Zarmina, Nazira Rahman,
Charlotte Dufour and Marghalry Khara.
AGRICULTURE & RURAL DEVELOPMENT SECTOR

Pir Mohammad Azizi, Mohammad Asif Rahimy, Eng. Rahman Habib, Nasrullah Bakhtani, Eng. Wais Aahmad
Barmak, Salem Shah Ibrahimi, Arsalan Ghalieh, Amin Shafiee, Diana Nawazi, Roya Husseni, Cristy Ututalum,
Joji Tokeshi, Loren Flaming and Clemence J. Weber.
SOCIAL PROTECTION SECTOR

Wasil Noor Mohmand, Mohammad Ghous Bashiri, Mazari Safa, Mazhgan Mustafawi, Naqibullah Hamdard,
Sayed Asghar Haidari, Samimullah Sultani, Sanjeev Shirvastav, Zahidullah, Wahidullah Barekzai, Dr. Sayed
Ahmad Zia Bina, Feroz Ali, Shahbaz Khan, Khawaja Gharib Fitri, Zia Ahmad Jalal, Eng. Habibullah Yanoor, Eng.
Sardar Mohammad, Eng. M. Sediq Hasani, Ajmail Karimi, Seeta Giri, Nasir Ahmad Popal, Nooria Banwal, Hus-
sain Ali Moeen, Mohammad Ibrahim Safi, Mohammad Yahya Wiar, Dr. Shir Shah Bayan, Samiulhaq Sami, Elisa-
beth Rousset, Carol Le Duc, Abdul Ghani Kazimi, Naseer Ahamd Ayani, Naysan Adlparvar, Khalid Khoshbin,
Abdul Rahim Wardak, Abdul Rahim Nasiri and Zlatko Hurtic.
REFUGEES, RETURNEES & IDPS SECTOR

Abdul Qadir Ahadi, Fazel Ahmad Azimi, Abdul Bari Rostaee, Khwja Gharib Fitri, Zia Ahmad Jalal, Abdul Qader
Zazai, Zahida Shahidi, Sayed Rahim, Dr. Mohammad Yahya Wiar, Mohammad Zia Farahmand, M. Daud Pan-
jshiri, Mohammad Erfani Ayoob, Mohammad Sediq Rasoli, Eng. Habibullah Yahoor, Naseer Ahmad Ayani,
Khalid Khoshbin, Ahmad Qais Munhazim, Malang Ibrahimi, Sardar Wali Wardak, Mohammad Nader Farhad,
Salwator Lembardo and Ewen Macleod.
PRIVATE SECTOR DEVELOPMENT SECTOR

Dr. Mustafa Mastor, Dr. Shah Mehrabi, Waheed Qaderi, Ahmad Farid Nabi, Anwar Aryan, Mozaml Shinwari,
Ateeq Nosher, Mustafa Aria, Ghazaal Habibyar, Waleed Payenda, Zia Ur Rahman, Lejla Catic Hurtic, Lisa
Pinsley, Mohammad Mamoon Sarwary, Mirwais Ahmadzai, Ziauddin Zia, Sharif Sharifi, Said Azim Hossainy,
Hafizullah Wali Rahimi, Mohammad Shah Hashimi, Abdul Wassay Haqiqi, Bashir Ahamd Seyat, Heydayatullah
Watanyar, Mohammad Yousuf Rajabi, Shah Mohammad Jan, Mohammad Azim Wardak, Tarana Wafi, Ahmad
Feroz Rasikh, Mohammad Yousuf Jabarkhail, Khalid Yousufzai, Najib Wardak, Ahmad Shah Taheri, Yousuf
Nuristani, Haji Khalilurahman, Mohammad Asif Ferozan, Shakib Noori, Seliman Fatimi, Gulam Mohammad
Aylaqi, Shiren Aga Sakhi, Khanjan Alkozai, Popalzai Popal, Omar Zakhiwal, Eng. Rahman Habib, Wahidullah
Nosher, Sayed Hassan, Safi Popalzai, Sardar Mohammad Nabard, Jaweed Zeerak, Megal Leric, Derin Daivs,
Nick Polite, Martin Kipping, Shafiq Gaohari, Garig Alison, Trend Brathernad, James Corbishly, Kety Walsh, Flip
Kabnis and Mikaila Eglan.
GENDER EQUITY
Sayeda Mujgan Mustafavi, Palwasha Kakar, Mazari Safa, Fauzi Habibi, Nafisa Kohistani, Marghaler Khara, Ghu-
lam Farooq Sawab, Karima Salik, Jeena Haidary, Monema Mansoor, Nooria Banwal, Gulrukh Badakhshy, Has-
san Ali Moeen, Ahmad Zai Munsef, Mohammad Jahid, Mohammad Zahir, Nazia Faizee, DR. Hamida, Tamim
Lomani, Gul Ghotai, Zohera Hafizi, Eng. Najiba, Noorzia Kohistani, Cliana Nawazi, Shahperay, Latifa, Meryam
Aslan, Ermie Valdeavilla, Huma Sabri, Latifa Hamidi, Ahmad Sulaiman Hedayat, Ajab Niaji, Marzia Alam,
Henri-Francois Morand, Ian Holland, Shipra Bose, Blanka Simunkova, Habibullah Wahidi, Mirwaise Sadaat,
Rosanita Serrano, Hasin Safi, Jan Reynders, Muhahid Rustaqi, Barbara Ammirati, Nesrin Hannoun, Murwarid
Ziaee, Saleha Kaliq, Shah Mahmood Miakhail, Husai Wardak, Mohammad Payab, Palwasha Hassan, Nabila
xii Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS)

Musleh, Wahidullah Popalzai, Makiko Kabota, Raju Malla-Dhakal, Sousan Reesor, Saifora Paktiss, Sara Rezoagli,
Laura Raccion, Sofia Orrebrink, Inger Sangnes, Pieter Leenlingt, Amina Omeri, Ishaq Shanwari, S. M. Shah, Anna
Wordsworth and Deborah Smith.
COUNTER NARCOTICS
Dr. Zafar Khan, Dr. Mohammad Yahyia Wiar, Abdul Haleem Wahidi, Mohammad Farooq Yaqoobi, Abdul Sa-
laam Ghiasi, Abdul Samad, Hamidulalh Amiri, Homayoon Paikar, Nicola Lee, Divid Macdonald, Tesbehullah
Kan Shinwari and Amin Shaifee
ANTI CORRUPTION
Dr. Mohammad Qasim Hashimzai, Kawun Kakar, Hamidullah Amiry, Ali-Reza Mowhadi, Dr. Kamawi, Dr. Arif,
Mohammd Qasim Halimi, Mohammad Monir Patang, Sayed Jalal Jalal, Rahela Hashim Sidiqi, Zabiullah Sawayz,
Abdul Halim Marefat Almas, Mohammd Yuosuf Jalal, Sayed Amin Amin, Ibrahim Safi, Zai Frahmand,, Jamal
Nasir, Ghulam Dastgir Meezan, Sanzer Kakar, Micheal Mota, Lary Sage, Jack Dougherty, Khwaga Kakar and
Divad Watt.
REGIONAL COOPERATION
Enayatullah Nabiel, Eng. Zia Gul Saljuki, Kadir Nur, Mir Mohammad Sediq Eshan, Shakti Sinha, Mohammad
Ramazan Shafaq, Eng. Hashim, M. Ghous Bashiri, Ziauddin Zia, Said Azim Hossainy, Azim Wardak, Mahmoud
Saikal, Mohammad Mamoon Sarwary, Fazel Ahamd Bahrami, Feroz Rasikh, Saifullah Abid, Dr. Elham, Jack
Dawtri, Eng. Salik and Mohammad Reza Jawad.
ENVIRONMENT
Mustapha Zaher, Eng. Dad Mohammad Baheer, Sayd Mohmmad Rahimi, Asif Zaidi, Belinda Bowling, Fatemah
Shams, Suliman Salari and Erin Hannan.
THE NON GOVERNMENTAL AND CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS

Mohammad Hashim Mahyar, Eng. Aziz Rafiee, Afifa Azim, Lida Yaqoubi, Sayed Fazlullah Wahidi, Anja de beer,
Dr. M.Saeed Niazi, Eng. Jan Mohammad, Rahmatullah Kamran, Asmatullah Alizai, Roya Rahmani, Jamila Af-
ghani, Sultan Maqsood Fazel, Fahim Hakim, Jawid Nader, Naysan Adalparvar, Haroon Shams, Grant Walton,
Christen Dyness, Michael Scott Braunschweig, Tilly Reed, Razia Hassani, Sohiala yarzad, Eng. Hakim Gul
Ahmadi, Eng. Sayed Rahim Sattar,Eng. Bariali Omerzai, Abdul Ahad Maihanyar, Naeem Asghari, Abdul Halim,
Firoz Ali Alizada, Saifora Barekzai, Sheila Sameme, Sayed Jawed Quanee, Eng. Khial Shaha, Bahara Sarwary,
Soraya Parlika, Laila Langari, Mary Akrami and Richard Blane.
MINISTRY REPRESENTATIVE IN SUBNATIONAL CONSULTATIONS

Pair Mohammad Khan, Mohammad Nasim, Safar ali, Sakhi khan, Mohammad Akbar, Abdul Samad, Said Ab-
dulqahar, Zabihullah, Zakrya khan, Mohammad Kazim, Wahidullah, Mohammad Yousuf, Qasim khan,
Mohammad Sarwar, Mohammad shah, Abdul Wakel, Bakht Muner, Amir Muhammad Noori, Abdulghafoor,
Abdul Ghiyas khan, Painda Mohammad khan, Mohibullah, Ahmad Nabi Farahi, Khwaja Dawa jan, Wafiullah,
Abdul Mukhtar, Abdullkhaliq,, Tasbihullah Shinwari, Eng. Khalil Mangal, Mir Abdullah, Abdul Khaliq Faizi,
Bismellah Khan, Ali Reza Mohadi, Said Ahmadllah, Abdull Rahman Azizi, Asadullah Wahdat, Said Abdullah,
Haji Abdul Qader, Abdul Qadir, Haji Bismellah, Qazi Fazluddin, Dawlat mohammad, Mohammad Ibrahim Sa-
fai, Sadiqullah Reshtya, Muhibullah, Abdul Alim, Mohammad.Zia farahmand, Mohammad farooq Azizi, Nasir
Ahmad Karimzai, Sultan Ahmad, Haji Abdul Wasy, Lal Mohammad Noori, Asdullah barakzai, Hamidullah,
Mehrabuddin, Fida, Ghulam, mohammad, Sultan mohammad, Hamdullah, Sultanullah, Mohammad Naem,
Nahed Nazari, Sahed baqi Amiri, Gull ghutai, Arifa Samadi, Tamim lonami, Sallahudin Faizi, Sayed baqir Amiri,
Ahmad zubair rahel, Gullrokh, Ismail, Shirin Sahar, Khan Muhamad, Abdul Mallek Qazi, Abdul Muheb, Ali dost
Shahab, Muhamad Tayeb, Munir Mahrwar, M.meelad, Mahrwar, Abdul Rafi Sahel, Mohammad Humayoon, Dr.
Noormuhamad Niyazi, Pacha khan, Mirza Ahmad, Abdul Rahim Hassanyar, Dr. Habibullah, Sayed Ahmad, Dr.
Dost, Dr. Mohammad Naem Abi, Hasan Husainy, Dr. Raoufi, Said Ahmad Gawhari, Dr. Sadiq, Mohammad Na-
sim, Zahidullah, Dr. Irag Feroz, Dr. Mohamad Said, Dr. Dawood, Said Ahmad Ghori, Dr. Ahmad Jawed, Dr.
Rabi, Dr. zekrya, Dr. Shokohmand, Dr. Mohammad Tawab, Dr. Dostyar, Mahbob Wazirwall, Nazar Mohammad,
Mohammad Ibrahim, Abdul Saboor Qazi, Said Ahmad Shah, Miram Jan, Hamidullah Baha, Mohammad Nasim,
Eng. Hashim, Azizullah, Eng. Faiz, Eng. Ashuqullh, Eng. Rozbeh, Eng. Dad Mohammad, Eng, Mohammad
Qasem, Eng. Ali Ahmad, Eng. Mohammad Nabi, Dawood, Eng. Gull bahram, Dr. Mohammad Den, Eng. Abdul-
lah Eng. Ali Ahamd, Eng. Alif Khan, Aminullah Mahmod, Mohammad Musa Afzali, Abdul Qasim, Ali
Mohammad, Eng. Rahmatullah, Eng. Saifurahman, Eng. Idress Angar, Eng. Zaringul Sarter, Eng. Maruf, Eng.
Ajmal, Mohammad Ashraf, Ahmad khlid, Azizurahman, Humayoun, Eng. Zaringull Shinwari, Eng. Kabir, Eng.
Abdul Razeq, Shawali Khan, Mohammad Reshad, Abdul Mohib, Mohammad Akbar Lodin, Mohammad Farooq
Umer Yar, Abdul Sabor, Roullah, Mahram Ali, Mohammad Naeem Khan, Mohammad Ali, Dinullah,
Mohammad Omer, Ghulam Nabi, Niaz Mohammad, Hassibullah Amini, Muhamad mateen, Muhammad Mehdi,
Yar Muhammad, Haseeb Mehridin, Khwga Mehrabudin, Abdul Basir, Taheera, Shahnawaz Khan, Abdul Rashid,
Acknowledgments xiii
Shah Muhammad, Hamidi, Abdul Raziq, Mohammad Sabor, Mir Husain, Abdul Salam Shanawaz, Sabur Shir-
zad, Shah Muhamood, Ghulam Rabani, Abdul Salam Khan, Abdul Ghiyas, Dr Fazilludin, Hafizullah, Abdul-
raziq, Rahimi, Nasrullaha Bakhtani, Shah Muhammad, Dr. Akram Karimi, Mohammad Karim Banwal, Eng. Ab-
dulqader Zahin, Eng. Shabir Ahamad, Muheburahman, Abdul Maruf Panjshiri, Eng. Mohammad Jafar, Abdul
Nasir Qani, Eng. Mohammad Rahim, Eng. Habibulllah, Eng. Abdul Wali, Eng. Omer, Eng. Shafiq Zhobal, Noor
Ali, Eng. Lutfullah, Ahamdullah, Feridoon Ahmadi, Eng. Asadullah, Hamyoon, Abdul Baqi Shaidi, Eng. Jan
Mohammad, Eng. Mohammad Ismail, Abdulwajeed Wajeed, Sayed Gulam Shah, Eng. Mohammad Ameen, Eng.
Mohammad Essa, Aminullah Nasiri and Eng. Faizullah.
ANDS PROVINCIAL FOCAL POINTS

Wais Munib, Lal Mohammad Walizada, Faiz Mohammad Daqiq, Jan Mohammad, Eng. Shabir Ahmad, Eng.
Noorzai, Aziz-ur-Rehman, Amin Ahmad Daqiq, Ahmad Wali Hakimi, Aminudin Baidar, Shah Muhamood, Haz-
rat Gul Abid, Eng Hamid Shah, Mohammad Tahir, Haji Mohammad Ayoub Zurmati, Mohammad Rahim Ra-
himi, Dr. Habib Rehman Romal, Eng. Mohammad Hashim, Khawaja Khalilullah Sediqi, Eng. Fariadoon
Ahmady, Eng. Abdul Nasir, Eng. Taj Mohammad Zulal, Abdul Bayes, Abdullah Samandari, Eng. Shah Hussain
Atif, Abdul Rashid, Abdul Wasay Muslih, Haji Abdul Rehman, Eng. Sayed Hamidullah, Bismilah Bariz, Ghulam
Abu Baker Hajizada, Eng. Mohammad Hashim Eshphary, Salman Ali Sediqi and Mohmmad Ali Najafi.
xiv Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS)

Acknowledgments xv
Table of Contents
xvi Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS)

Map of Afghanistan ......................................................................................................................................... iii
Foreword............................................................................................................................................................. iv
Message from the Oversight Committee...................................................................................................... vi
Acknowledgments.......................................................................................................................................... xvi
Acronyms and Abbreviations......................................................................................................................... xx
Glossary of Afghan Terms .......................................................................................................................... xxiii
INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................................. 1
Background .......................................................................................................................................................... 1
Achievements Since 2001.................................................................................................................................... 1
Afghanistan’s Challenges .................................................................................................................................. 3
International Support for Afghanistan ............................................................................................................. 5
The Afghanistan National Development Strategy ......................................................................................... 5
PART I .................................................................................................................................................................. 3
PROCESS, GOALS AND POLICY DIRECTIONS....................................................................................... 3
CHAPTER 1 ......................................................................................................................................................... 5
THE ANDS: AN OVERVIEW .......................................................................................................................... 5
Security.................................................................................................................................................................. 5
Governance, rule of law, justice and human rights ........................................................................................ 6
Economic and social development .................................................................................................................... 7
Cross-Cutting Issues.......................................................................................................................................... 13
Enhancing Aid Effectiveness and Aid Coordination.................................................................................... 14
Implementation and Monitoring of the ANDS ............................................................................................. 15
CHAPTER 2 ....................................................................................................................................................... 17
THE PARTICIPATORY PROCESS AND PROVINCIAL DEVELOPMENT PLANS ......................... 17
Organizing principles and participation process ....................................................................................... 17
Consultation process ......................................................................................................................................... 19
Provincial Development Plans (PDPs)............................................................................................................ 20
Prioritization and sequencing of the PDPs..................................................................................................... 21
Integration of the PDPs into ANDS ................................................................................................................ 21
Outcomes from the provincial development planning process .................................................................. 22
Prioritization of the pillars................................................................................................................................ 22
Regional variation in priorities ........................................................................................................................ 24
Conclusion .......................................................................................................................................................... 25
CHAPTER 3 ....................................................................................................................................................... 27
THE POVERTY PROFILE ............................................................................................................................... 27
Data collection, poverty measurements and estimates ................................................................................ 27
Poverty estimates............................................................................................................................................... 28
Poverty in Afghanistan: main characteristics of inequality ......................................................................... 29
Most important causes of poverty: poverty correlates ................................................................................. 31
Who the poor are: the most vulnerable groups ............................................................................................. 33
Policy framework for poverty reduction........................................................................................................ 33
High priority sector policies for poverty reduction ...................................................................................... 34
Conclusion .......................................................................................................................................................... 36
PART II............................................................................................................................................................... 37
THE NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY ...................................................................................... 37
CHAPTER 4 ....................................................................................................................................................... 39
MACROECONOMIC FRAMEWORK ......................................................................................................... 39
Linking growth with poverty reduction and employment creation .......................................................... 40
Contents xvii
Growth Projection and Strategy ...................................................................................................................... 44
Fiscal policy ........................................................................................................................................................ 46
Monetary policy ................................................................................................................................................. 49
Financing the ANDS.......................................................................................................................................... 51
Conclusion .......................................................................................................................................................... 52
CHAPTER 5 ....................................................................................................................................................... 54
SECURITY ......................................................................................................................................................... 54
Current situation................................................................................................................................................ 54
Policy framework............................................................................................................................................... 56
Security institutions........................................................................................................................................... 57
‘Right-Financing’ Security Sector Reform ...................................................................................................... 59
Sound Administration, Justice and Judicial System ..................................................................................... 60
Relations with nieghbors and international allies......................................................................................... 60
Conclusion .......................................................................................................................................................... 60
CHAPTER 6 ....................................................................................................................................................... 62
GOVERNANCE, RULE OF LAW & HUMAN RIGHTS ........................................................................... 62
Governance, Public Administration Reform and human rights ................................................................. 62
Justice .................................................................................................................................................................. 65
Religious affairs ................................................................................................................................................. 69
Conclusion .......................................................................................................................................................... 71
CHAPTER 7 ....................................................................................................................................................... 75
ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT .......................................................................................... 75
Private sector development.............................................................................................................................. 75
Energy ................................................................................................................................................................. 79
Water and irrigation .......................................................................................................................................... 84
Agriculture and rural development................................................................................................................ 89
Transport............................................................................................................................................................. 95
Information and Communications Technology ............................................................................................ 98
Urban development......................................................................................................................................... 103
Mining ............................................................................................................................................................... 108
Health and Nutrition....................................................................................................................................... 111
Education .......................................................................................................................................................... 116
Culture, youth and media .............................................................................................................................. 123
Social protection............................................................................................................................................... 126
Refuges, returnees and internally displaced persons ................................................................................. 132
Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................................ 136
CHAPTER 8 ..................................................................................................................................................... 146

CROSS-CUTTING ISSUES .......................................................................................................................... 146
Regional cooperation....................................................................................................................................... 146
Counter narcotics............................................................................................................................................. 147
Anti-corruption ................................................................................................................................................ 149
Gender equity................................................................................................................................................... 150
Capacity development .................................................................................................................................... 152
Environment..................................................................................................................................................... 153
Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................................ 154
PART III ........................................................................................................................................................... 155

AID EFFECTIVENESS AND COORDINATION..................................................................................... 155
CHAPTER 9 ..................................................................................................................................................... 157

AID EFFECTIVENESS AND COORDINATION..................................................................................... 157
Paris Declaration and Afghanistan Compact............................................................................................... 157
xviii Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS)

Current situation: assessment of aid effectiveness...................................................................................... 157
Aid effectiveness strategy framework .......................................................................................................... 158
Implementation and monitoring ................................................................................................................... 162
Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................................ 164
PART IV ........................................................................................................................................................... 165

IMPLEMENTATION AND MONITORING ............................................................................................ 165
CHAPTER 10 ................................................................................................................................................... 167

IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORK ........................................................................................................ 167
Lessons learned during the Interim ANDS.................................................................................................. 167
Implementation framework and integrated approach ............................................................................... 168
Implementation Plan and the ANDS implementation cycle ..................................................................... 168
Implementation Cycle..................................................................................................................................... 169
Role of the National Budget and the MTFF ................................................................................................. 170
Role of the MTFF ............................................................................................................................................. 172
Role of the Control and Audit Office (CAO) ............................................................................................... 173
Budget management framework, prioritization and funding requirements for the implementation of
the ANDS.......................................................................................................................................................... 173
National implementation structures ............................................................................................................. 174
Sub-national implementation structures ...................................................................................................... 174
Coordination structures.................................................................................................................................. 175
Integrating conflict management into sector strategies.............................................................................. 175
Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................................ 175
CHAPTER 11 ................................................................................................................................................... 177

MONITORING FRAMEWORK .................................................................................................................. 177
ANDS monitoring and evaluation principles.............................................................................................. 177
Institutional structure...................................................................................................................................... 178
Monitoring and evaluation reporting ........................................................................................................... 180
Indicators for monitoring ............................................................................................................................... 180
Monitoring and evaluation framework ........................................................................................................ 182
Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................................ 182
CHAPTER 12 ................................................................................................................................................... 187

CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................................ 187
APPENDICES.................................................................................................................................................. 190
Contents xix
Acronyms and Abbreviations
xx Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS)

AC Afghanistan Compact DAB Da Afghanistan Bank (Central Bank of
ACBAR Agency Coordinating Body for Afghan Afghanistan)
Relief DABM Da Afghanistan Breshna Moassessa (the
ADB Asian Development Bank Afghan electric utility)
ADC Area Development Councils DAC District Advisory Committee
AfCERT Afghanistan Cyber Emergency Response DCN District Communication Network
Team EC European Commission
AFMIS Afghanistan Financial Management Sys- ECOTA Economic Cooperation Organization
tem Trade Agreement
AGO Attorney General’s Office EPAA Export Promotion Agency of Afghanistan
AIHRC Afghanistan Independent Human Rights EPHS essential package of hospital services
Commission EU European Union
AISA Afghanistan Investment Support Agency FCCS Foundation for Culture and Civil Society
ANA Afghanistan National Army FDI Foreign Direct Investment
ANDMA Afghanistan National Dis-aster Manage- FSMS Food Security Monitoring Survey
ment Authority GDP Gross Domestic Product
ANP Afghan National Police GIAAC General and Independent Administration
ANSA Afghanistan National Standards Author- Against Corruption and Bribery
ity GIS Geographical Information System
ANSF Afghan National Security Forces GoA Government of Afghanistan
ANWP Afghanistan National Welfare Program GSM Global System Mobile
APPPA Afghanistan Participatory Poverty As- Ha Hectare
sessment HCS Health Care Service
ARCSC Administrative Reform and Civil Service HIPC Heavily Indebted Poor Countries
Commission HIV Human immunodeficiency virus
ARDS Afghan Reconstruction & Development HIV/AIDS Human Immune-deficiency Vi-
Services rus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syn-
ARDZ Agriculture and Rural Development drome
Zones HNS Health and Nutrition Sector
ARTF Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund HNSS Health and Nutrition Sector Strategy
ASYCUDA Automated System for Customs Data IAGs Illegal Armed Groups
ATRA Afghanistan Telecommunication Regula- I-ANDS Interim Afghanistan National Develop-
tion Authority ment Strategy
AUWSSC Afghanistan Urban Water Supply and IARCSC Independent Administrative Reform and
Sewerage Corporation Civil Service Commission
BPFA Beijing Platform for Action IATA International Air Transport Association
BPHS basic package of health services ICAO International Civil Aviation Organization
CAO Control and Audit Office ICCD Inter-ministerial Commission for Capac-
CAR Central Asian Republics ity Development
CARD Comprehensive Agriculture and Rural ICE Inter-Ministerial Commission on Energy
Development ICT Information and Communications Tech-
CAREC Central Asian Regional Economic Coop- nology
eration IDLG The Independent Directorate for Local
CASA Central and South Asia Governance
CBN Cost of Basic Needs IDP Internally Displaced Persons
CCCG Cross Cutting Consultative Group IDPs Internally Displaced Persons
CDCs Community Development Councils IEC Independent Electoral Commission
CEDAW Convention on the Elimination of all ILO International Labor Organization
forms of Discrimination against Women IMF International Monetary Fund
CG Consultative Group ISAF International Security Assistance Force
CIS Commonwealth of Independent States Air Command
CMRS Central Monitoring and Reporting Sys- IT Information Technology
tem IWRM Integrated Water Resources Management
CN counter narcotics JCMB Joint Monitoring and Coordination Board
CNPA Counter Narcotics Police of Afghanistan Km Kilometer
CNTF Counter Narcotics Trust Fund KWH Kilowatt-Hour (Unit of electric energy)
CSO Central Statistics Office LOTFA Law and Order Trust Fund
CSTI Civil Services Training Institute M&E Monitoring and Evaluation
MoCIT Ministry of Communications & Informa-
tion Technology
MCN Ministry of Counter Narcotics
MDGs Millennium Development Goals
Acronyms and Abbreviations xxi

MEAs Multilateral Environmental Agreements PAR Public Administration Reform
MIS Management Information Systems PAYG Pay-as-you-go
MoD Ministry of Defense PDPs Provincial Development Plans
MoE Ministry of Economy PFM Public Financial Management
MoE Ministry of Education PIO Project Implementation Office
MoF Ministry of Finance PIP Public Investment Program
MoFA Ministry of Foreign Affairs PPA Power Purchase Agreement
MoHE Ministry of Higher Education PRDP Pro-active Regional Diplomacy Program
MoI Ministry of Interior PRSP Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper
MoJ Ministry of Justice PRT Provincial Reconstruction Team
MoLSAMD Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, Martyrs PRTs Provincial Reconstruction Teams
and the Disabled RBA River Basin Agency
MoM Ministry of Mines RED Rural Road Evaluation Model
MoPH Ministry of Public Health RIMU Reform Implementation Management
MoU Memorandum of Understanding Unit
MoUD Ministry of Urban Development SAARC South Asian Association for Regional
MoWA Ministry of Women’s Affairs Cooperation
MRRD Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and De- SCO Shanghai Cooperation Organization
velopment SCWAM Supreme Council for Water Affairs Man-
MTFF Medium Term Financial Framework agement
MW Megawatt SEPS South-East Power System
NABDP National Area-Based Development Pro- SMEs Small and Medium Enterprises
gram SNC Sub-National Consultation
NAPWA National Action Plan for the Women of SOE State Owned Enterprises
Afghanistan SPECA Special Program for the Economies of
NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization Central Asia
NDCS National Drug Control Strategy SPS Sanitary and Phyto-sanitary
NEPA National Environmental Protection TA Tripartite Agreement
Agency (GoA) TAG Technical Advisory Group
NEPS North-East Power System TWG Technical Working Group
NGO Non-Governmental Organization TWGs Technical Working Groups
NIRA National Internet Registry of Afghani- UN United Nations
stan UNAMA United Nations’ Assistance Mission to
NRAP National Rural Accessibility Program Afghanistan
NRVA National Risk and Vulnerability Assess- UNCAC United Nations Convention Against Cor-
ment ruption
NSC National Statistical Council UNDP United Nations Development Program
NSDP National Skills Development Program UNHCR United Nations High Commission for
NSP National Solidarity Program Refugees
NVETA Proposed National Vocational Education UNICEF United Nations International Children's
and Training Authority Emergency Fund
ODA Official Development Assistance UNIFEM United Nations Development Fund for
OECD Organization for Economic Cooperation Women
and Development UNODC United Nations Office on Drugs and
OEF Operation Enduring Freedom Crime
OMO Open Market Operations USAID United States Agency for International
OSC Oversight Committee Development
OSCE Organization for Security and Coopera- WATSAN Water and Sanitation Committees
tion in Europe WB World Bank
P&G Pay and grading WCS Wildlife Conservation Society
PAG Policy Action Group WTO World Trade Organization
xxii Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS)

Glossary of Afghan Terms
Amu Darya A river originated from Pamir mountain and flowing in the northern region of
Afghanistan
Bank-e-Milli National Bank
Darya River
Gozar Smallest Administrative Unit inside the Urban area
Imam An Islamic leader, often the leader of a mosque
Jirgas Local Consultation Meetings
Kareze Underground canals connecting wells uses as traditional irrigation system
Kuchi Nomad
Loya Jirga Grand Council, ”Grand Assembly of elders”
Madrassa A school, where mostly Islamic Studies are concerned
Meshrano Jirga Senate (Upper House of Assembly)
Mirab A person responsible for water management in a community
Sharia Islamic Laws
Shura Traditional or Local Council (Shuras, pl)
Taqnin Law making, legislation
Ulama Religious Scholars
Wolosi Jirga National Assembly (Lower House of Assembly
Zakat Islamic concept of tithing and alms. It is an obligation on Muslims to pay 2.5%
of their wealth to specified categories in society when their annual wealth ex-
ceeds a minimum level. In addition, Zakat is one of the basic principles of Is-
lamic economics, based on social welfare and fair distribution of wealth.
AFGHAN CALENDAR
1. Hamal March 21 7. Meezaan September 23

2. Saur April 21 8. Aqrab October 23
3. Jawza May 2 9. Qaus November 22
4. Sarataan June 22 10. Jaddi December 22
5. Asad July 23 11. Dalwa January 21
6. Sunbula Aug 23 12. Hoot February 20
Glossary of Afghan Terms xxiii

INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND rupted or in many cases, ended, as it was for all
girls and women... Today Afghanistan has
Following almost three decades of war, the among the highest rates of illiteracy in the
challenges facing Afghanistan’s development world. Yet despite these desperate conditions,
remain immense. By 1380 (2001/02), the rav- the country can claim some remarkable
ages of conflict had bestowed upon Afghan achievements since 2001. The progress that has
citizens and the incumbent administration an been made should be measured against the
inheritance of debt not wealth. With the Tali- desperate conditions that prevailed at the time
ban dominating the political landscape from of the fall of the Taliban. While Afghanistan
1375 (1996) onwards, Afghanistan had been still faces enormous challenges, the progress
moving backwards in all aspects. The results that has been made gives cause for optimism
of war, the destruction of core institutions of that with the Afghan people’s determination to
state and a heavily war torn economy led to rebuild their lives and their country, a trans-
unrivaled levels of absolute poverty, national formation to a peaceful and prosperous can be
ill health, large scale illiteracy and the almost achieved.
complete disintegration of gender equality.
Today, despite six years of reconstruction, at a The goals of the ANDS for the next five years
cost of billions of dollars, the path to prosperity ought to be viewed against what has been ac-
from extreme poverty remains as distant as complished during the last six years. Only
ever. Insecurity, poverty, corruption and the some of the most significant achievements can
expanding narcotics industry signify that while be mentioned here.
the challenges facing Afghanistan have
changed in nature, they have not necessarily
changed in magnitude. Yet, the price of secur- Political achievements:
ing peace and freedom at this pivotal moment In 1380 (2001/02) the Bonn Agreement estab-
in history will be nothing compared to the long lished a roadmap for the political trans-
term costs of failure to both Afghanistan and formation of Afghanistan to a legitimate
the international community. Averting failure democratic state. The targets set in the
and establishing Afghanistan on a virtuous Bonn Agreement were fully met on time
path towards peace, stability and prosperity and included:
are therefore the cornerstones of the new Af-
ghan National Development Strategy (ANDS). The Transitional Administration was estab-
At the core of the ANDS is a policy of Afghani- lished to guide the process. It derived its
zation, meaning that ANDS has been fully de- authority through an Emergency Loya Jir-
veloped and owned by Afghanistan. ga, the first genuinely representative Af-
ghan national meeting in decades.
In 1383 (2004) Afghanistan adopted its first
ACHIEVEMENTS SINCE 2001 constitution in 30 years, which laid the po-
In 2001 Afghanistan was a devastated country litical and development foundation for the
in virtually every respect. The political, social country and established legal protections
and economic structures of the country had for private property and a market econ-
been severely damaged or completely de- omy.
stroyed. Massive numbers of Afghans had left Free and fair democratic elections for President,
the country as refugees, had died during the the National Assembly and Provincial
conflict or were severely disabled. Every fam- Councils were conducted. Seventy-six per-
ily paid a price; many were left to cope with the cent of eligible voters participated in the
loss of main breadwinner. For the young peo- presidential election. Women were elected
ple who remained, education had been dis-
Introduction 1
to 27 percent of the seats in the National nearly 40,000 are female. Fifty thousand of
Assembly. these teachers have received in-service
teacher training.
After the successful completion of the Bonn
Agreement, Afghanistan and the interna- Major advances have been made in extending
tional community entered into a new part- health care services throughout the country
nership, based upon the Afghanistan and in rebuilding a decimated educational
Compact, which was agreed to at the Lon- system. The percentage of the population
don Conference of 1384 (2005). The Com- living in districts where the Basic Package
pact set ambitious goals for comprehensive of Health Services is being implemented
state building, setting benchmarks in all has increased from 9 percent in 2003 to 82
sectors of security, governance, and devel- percent in 2006.
opment, including the cross-cutting goals
Over 2.5 million people have benefited from
of counter-narcotics and regional coopera-
social protection arrangements covering (i)
tion.
martyrs’ families; (ii) disabled due to war-
In 1385 (2006) the new National Assembly be- related disabilities; (iii) orphans and chil-
gan its work, including the approval of a dren enrolled in kindergartens; (iv) victims
new cabinet; a new Chief Justice and other of natural disasters; (v) pensioners; and (vi)
judges for the Supreme Court; and the Na- unemployed.
tional Budget. A new Attorney General
Measurable progress has been achieved since
with a mandate to fight corruption was ap-
2003 in improving rural livelihoods. Al-
pointed. New Provincial Governors were
most 20,000 km of rural access roads (i.e.,
named.
all weather, village-to-village and village-
The disarmament, demobilization and reinte- to-district centre roads) have been con-
gration of ex-combatants have been com- structed or repaired, increasing access to
pleted. Today the national army and police markets, employment and social services.
forces are close to full strength. Afghani- More than 500,000 households (36 percent
stan is no longer a safe haven for terrorists. of villages) have benefited from small-scale
irrigation projects. Currently, 32.5 percent
of the rural population has access to safe
Social and Humanitarian Achieve- drinking water and 4,285 improved sanita-
ments: tion facilities have been provided. More
Since 1381 (2002), more than five million Af- than 336,000 households have benefited
ghan refugees have returned home. In from improved access to financial services.
1385 (2006) 342,925 Afghan refugees re- Some 18,000 Community Development
turned from Pakistan and Iran and 1,004 Centers [CDCs] have been established and
from other countries. More than 150,000 are implementing community-led devel-
returnees benefited from the assistance opment projects. Efforts have made to as-
package provided by UNHCR. sist the poorest and most vulnerable.
The Government has so far distributed 30,000

residential plots of land to needy returning Economic Achievements:
refugee families. Macroeconomic stability has been maintained,
From under one million in 2001 the school based upon disciplined fiscal and monetary
population has grown to 5.7 million in 2007 policies. A new unified currency was suc-
and new enrolments into Grade 1 have cessfully introduced; inflation has re-
ranged between 12-14 percent per annum mained low while the exchange rate has
in the last 5 years. Two million of the chil- been stable.
dren enrolled are girls—a 35 percent in- Sixteen private commercial banks have been
crease in five years. The number of schools licensed; a leasing and financing company
has trebled to 9,062 in 2007, including 1,337 is operating; an equity fund is underway to
all girls and 4,325 co-educational schools. invest in local businesses. There are also 13
Similarly, the number of teachers has in- microfinance institutions providing ser-
creased seven-fold to 142,500 of whom
2 Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS)

vices to almost 200,000 active clients in 27 Major advances have been made in opening up
provinces. the telecommunications sector to private
sector investment under an “investment
State owned enterprises are being privatized,
friendly” regulatory framework aimed at
corporatized or liquidated.
maintaining a competitive market for ser-
A lively, free and privately owned media sector vices, and phone subscribers have in-
has developed, encouraging people to ex- creased from less than 20 thousand to more
press their political views freely – and than five million in less than six years.
daily.
A rapid urbanization process has seen the ur-
The legal and commercial infrastructure is be- ban population increase to almost a quarter
ing put in place for a market oriented of the total population. Despite the pres-
economy. sures of rapid urbanization, two million
urban residents (31 percent of the total ur-
Electricity capacity has almost doubled com-
ban population) have benefited from in-
pared to 2002.
vestments in water supply; investment in
Over 12,000 kilometers of roads have been re- sanitation in major cities between 2002 and
habilitated, improved, or built. This in- 2007 has helped 12 percent of the popula-
cludes the ring road system, national tion.
highways, provincial roads and rural
Afghanistan has world class mineral deposits
roads.
that are being opened up for exploration
Kabul International Airport has been expanded and development. The first major invest-
and extensively rehabilitated. ment for developing the Aynak copper de-
posits in central Logar province was re-
Private airlines have entered the aviation sector
cently announced, an almost $3 billion in-
and established air links throughout the
vestment that followed on an extensive
region.
evaluation of tenders from nine major in-
A key bridge investment has opened up direct ternational mining companies.
road links to Tajikistan and greatly reduced
transportation time to Urumqi in China, When seen against the desperate conditions
one of the fastest growing trade hubs in the that prevailed in the country in 2001, these
world. achievements constitute an impressive record.
The ANDS sets goals for the next five years that
Two million urban residents have benefited
will require even greater achievements.
from investments in water supply; 12 per-
cent of the populations benefited from in-
vestment in sanitation in major cities be- AFGHANISTAN’S
tween 2002 and 2007.
CHALLENGES
About 35,000 water points, 59 water networks
and 1,713 reservoirs and 23,884 demonstra- Few countries have simultaneously faced the
tion latrines have been constructed. range and extent of challenges with which the
people and Government of Afghanistan must
More than three million people have benefited now contend. After nearly three decades of
directly from the rural water supply and continuous conflict, the country emerged in
sanitation activities in the country. late 2001 as a truly devastated state with its
Approximately one third of the provinces re- human, physical and institutional infrastruc-
ported some improvement in access to ture destroyed or severely damaged. In late
clean drinking water during the consulta- 1380 (2001/02), the UN Human Development
tive process under the ANDS. Report ranked Afghanistan as the second poor-
est country in the World. In addition to the
Irrigation Rehabilitation has been given high widespread poverty, the Government must
priority over the past four or five years. Of deal with continuing threats to security from
some 2,100 rehabilitation projects, ap- extremists and terrorists, weak capacity of gov-
proximately 1,200 have been completed ernance and corruption; a poor environment
and placed back into commercial service. for private sector investment, the corrosive ef-
Introduction 3
fects of a large and growing narcotics industry; Economic governance is weak. The Govern-
and major human capacity limitations ment is pursuing comprehensive economic
throughout the public and private sectors. reform, including the introduction of new
Meeting these challenges and rebuilding the commercial laws and regulations, but the
country will take many years and require con- establishment of institutions needed for ef-
sistent international support. fective implementation and enforcement
are largely lacking and will take years to
The successful transformation of Afghanistan develop.1
into a secure, economically viable state that can
Afghanistan’s commercial connections to re-
meet the aspirations of the Afghan people, live
gional and global economies were severely
at peace with itself and its neighbors and con-
disrupted and must be redeveloped. The
tribute to regional and international stability
development of a competitive private sec-
will depend upon the effective utilization of all
tor will depend on establishing access to
available human, natural and financial re-
foreign markets and developing viable ex-
sources. In this partnership a critical role must
port activities.
be played by the private sector. Significantly
reducing poverty will require substantially in- Critical markets for land and finance are
creasing employment, which depends on main- largely undeveloped, limiting the ability of
taining high rates of economic growth in the private investors to establish and operate
years ahead. It is not sufficient to rely on the businesses. Property rights are often con-
Government and the international community tested or difficult to defend.
to sustain the high rates of investment needed
Afghanistan is experiencing high population.
to generate levels of employment necessary to
Continued rapid population growth will
have a major impact on reducing poverty. As
dramatically increase the levels of invest-
the macroeconomic projections presented in
ment that will be required to substantially
Chapter 4 indicate, a substantial increase in
reduce poverty.
private investment will be essential if signifi-
cant progress is to be realized in meeting the
Both the Government and the international
social and economic objectives of the country.
community recognize that prolonged aid de-
pendency will undermine the chances of
Afghanistan is a country with significant po-
achieving sustained economic growth and pov-
tential for economic development. It has sub-
erty reduction. However, given the major limi-
stantial water, agricultural and mineral re-
tations in the economic environment that must
sources and is well positioned to become a
be addressed, the successful transition to a
trade and business hub linking the markets of
competitive market economy will require sus-
Central Asia, the Middle East, South Asia and
tained commitment by the Government, with
China. The potential exists for sustainable eco-
the support of the international community.
nomic growth in the future. However, there
Simply creating conditions in which the private
are a number of fundamental limitations in the
sector can operate alone will not be sufficient.
economic environment that must be addressed
Increased efforts by both the Government and
if these efforts are to succeed:
the donor community to attract Afghan and
foreign investors are needed if the goals of the
The country’s “hard infrastructure,” including
ANDS are to be realized.
roads and reliable supplies of water and
power, is inadequate to support rapid and
Social and economic development will also be
sustained economic growth.
severely curtailed if the insecurity problem is
The corresponding “soft infrastructure”, which not resolved. Despite the considerable efforts of
includes the human and institutional ca- the Government and the international commu-
pacity necessary for an economy to func-
tion, is also extremely limited. Consider-
able emphasis is being given to developing
1
capacity in both the public and private sec- Many of the government’s initiatives in this area are described
in “A Policy for Private Sector Growth and Development” pre-
tors and to institutional development, but sented at the Enabling Environment Conference, Kabul, June
these efforts will take time. 2007.

nity, security has steadily deteriorated since international community established goals for
1382 - 1383 (2003/04- 2004/05) in some parts of state building, setting benchmarks in the core
the country. Ongoing cross-border activities, sectors of security, governance, and develop-
particularly in the southern and southeastern ment, including the cross-cutting goal of coun-
provinces, have resulted in several areas being ter-narcotics. To implement its obligations un-
effectively off limits to meaningful develop- der the Afghanistan Compact, the Government
ment assistance. developed the Afghanistan National Develop-
ment Strategy (ANDS) to clarify existing condi-
The lack of stability reduces the ability of aid tions, establish objectives and define the poli-
agencies and the Government to operate in cies, programs and projects needed to achieve
many areas and to effectively implement pro- those objectives. The international community
jects and programs. The impact of these limita- made new pledges of financial and security
tions typically falls most heavily on the poor. assistance and set out to improve its coordina-
Insecurity also increases the cost of doing busi- tion by renewing and upgrading the UN Assis-
ness and undermines private sector growth tance Mission for Afghanistan (UNAMA),
and development.2 The difficulties in main- headed by a Special Representative of the Sec-
taining security contribute significantly to two retary General with enhanced powers for coor-
closely related issues: increasing corruption in dination.4
the public sector and the rapid growth of the
narcotics industry. There is a consensus that The ANDS represents an important milestone
corruption in Afghanistan is widespread and in the effort to rebuild Afghanistan. Since late
has been getting worse.3 Public corruption 1380 (2001/02), a large number of reports, con-
represents a major disincentive for private in- ferences and strategies have focused on Af-
vestment, substantially increasing the costs and ghanistan’s challenges.5 In addition, the Gov-
risks of doing business. A lack of security in ernment and the international community have
some parts of the country has created condi- entered into a series of agreements concerning
tions in which poppy cultivation has flour- the direction of and support for the country’s
ished, feeding a growing narcotics industry development efforts, including notably the
that both funds terrorist activity and feeds pub- Bonn Agreement, the commitment to the Mil-
lic corruption. Although poppy cultivation has lennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the
been greatly reduced in 29 of the 34 provinces, Afghanistan Compact. The ANDS builds on all
in the remaining five it has seen explosive of these to provide a comprehensive and inte-
growth to where Afghanistan accounts for grated strategy that reflects recent experience
around 90 percent of the world’s opium pro- and current conditions.
duction.
THE AFGHANISTAN
INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
FOR AFGHANISTAN STRATEGY
After the fall of the Taliban, the international The Afghanistan National Development Strat-
community responded not only militarily but egy (ANDS) represents the combined efforts of
by moving to supply Afghanistan with the in- the Afghan people and the Afghan Govern-
stitutional and financial resources needed to ment to comprehensively address, with the
start the state building process. In 1384 - 1385 support of the international community, the
(2005/06 - 2006/07), the Afghanistan Compact major challenges that face the country... The
agreed to between the Government and the
4
Afghanistan has also placed special emphasis on good relations
2
The World Bank “Investment Climate Assessment” reported with its neighbors, particularly Pakistan. The two countries con-
that companies are typically spending as much as 15 percent of vened a joint Peace Jirga in August 2006, and Afghanistan looks
total sales on security costs. forward with hope and optimism to enhanced cooperation with
3
Pakistan.
In the 2005 Transparency International “Corruption Perceptions
5
Index,” Afghanistan ranked 117th (of 158); two years later the Details for many of the key documents can be found in the
country was ranked 172nd (of 179). bibliography.
Introduction 5
ANDS reflects the government’s vision, princi- projects that directly target the poorest and
ples and goals for Afghanistan, which are or- most vulnerable groups for assistance. Poverty
ganized under three pillars: (i) Security; (ii) reduction programs are both emphasized in the
Governance, Rule of Law and Human Rights; strategy for social protection and integrated
and (iii) Economic and Social Development. into the design of strategies across other sectors
The strategy is based upon a careful assessment of the economy.
of current social and economic conditions; it
offers clear intermediate objectives; and it iden- The remainder of the ANDS is organized as
tifies the actions that must be taken to achieve follows:
these national goals. The ANDS focuses main-
ly on the next five years, but it also reflects Af- Chapter 1: Provides an overview of the ANDS.
ghanistan’s long-term goals, which include the
Chapter 2: Explains ANDS extensive participa-
elimination of poverty through the emergence
tory process to ensure ownership.
of a vibrant middle class, an efficient and stable
democratic political environment and security Chapter 3: Presents the poverty profile of
throughout the country. the country, a key foundation for the
ANDS evidence-based policy approach.
Despite the full commitment of the Govern-
Chapter 4: Presents the macroeconomic
ment and the considerable assistance being
framework for the economy. It discusses
provided by the international community, it
the policies intended to maintain economic
will not be possible to fully achieve all of these
stability, the initial planning on resource al-
objectives during the next five years. Therefore
locations for the ANDS period and the total
it is essential that well defined priorities be es-
resources available for the implementation
tablished that reflect the relative contributions
of public sector programs and projects
of potential policies, programs and projects
through the external and core budgets.
towards reaching these goals. This is a difficult
process. The contribution of any project to in- Chapter 5: Presents the strategies and priorities
creasing economic growth is uncertain and is relating to the Security pillar.
inevitably contingent on progress in other ar- Chapter 6: Presents the strategies and pri-
eas. It requires a careful analysis of benefits orities relating to the Governance, Rule of
versus costs, and comparisons with alternative Law, Justice and Human Rights pillar.
investments.
Chapter 7: Presents the sector strategies and
The ANDS is the product of extensive consulta- priorities relating to the Economic and So-
tions at the national, provincial and local levels. cial Development pillar. This addresses
A comprehensive ”bottom-up” approach that private sector development, energy, trans-
took into account all aspects of social and eco- port, mining, education, culture, youth and
nomic life and fully reflects the diversity of media, agriculture and rural development,
people in all parts of the country was used in public health, social protection and refu-
developing the ANDS. Considerable effort was gees, returnees and internally displaced
made to ensure that sub-national consultations persons.
(i.e., outside of the central government in the Chapter 8: Discusses critical cross-cutting is-
capital Kabul) identified the priorities of the sues that have an impact across all sectors.
Afghan people living in each of the 34 prov- These include regional cooperation,
inces.6 In addition, a comprehensive series of counter-narcotics, anti-corruption, gender
sector and ministry strategies were developed equality, capacity building and environ-
to address all aspects of social and economic mental management.
development. The result of this inclusive proc-
ess is a national strategy that is fully reflective Chapter 9: Discusses aid effectiveness meas-
of the aspirations of the Afghan people. The ures that need to be taken jointly by the
Government is committed to programs and Government and the international commu-
nity.
Chapter 10: Discusses the integrated approach
6
The Provincial Development Plans (PDPs) that were developed implementation framework of the ANDS.
as part of this process are presented in ANDS Volume III.

Chapter 11: Discusses monitoring, coordination Volume III: Discusses the participatory process
and evaluation requirements of the ANDS. used in developing the ANDS, 34 Provincial
Development Plans and development priori-
Volume II: Includes 17 sector strategies, six ties.
strategies for cross cutting issues and 38 indi-
vidual ministry and agency strategies.
Introduction 7
PART I
PROCESS, GOALS
AND POLICY
DIRECTIONS
CHAPTER 1
THE ANDS: AN OVERVIEW

The overriding objective of the ANDS is to sub- it. In so doing, a broad choice of poverty ac-
stantially reduce poverty, improve the lives of tions based on the specific concerns of the poor
the Afghan people, and create the foundation has been established for each province, as well
for a secure and stable country. This requires as each district.
building a strong and rapidly expanding econ-
omy that is able to generate abundant em- Key issues identified by stakeholders included:
ployment opportunities and greatly increased (i) lack of access to clean drinking water in all
incomes. The ANDS establishes the Govern- provinces; (ii) needed improvements to provin-
ment’s strategy and defines the policies, pro- cial roads; (iii) the poor quality of public ser-
grams and projects that will be implemented vices; (iv) poorly trained teachers and doctors;
over the next five years, as well as the means (v) the lack of alternatives to poppy cultivation;
for effectively implementing, monitoring and (vi) the lack of vocational training for returnees
evaluating these actions. The goals included in and disabled people; (vii) poor access to elec-
the ANDS are fully consistent with the com- tricity; and (viii) corruption within the public
mitments entered into in previous strategies administration, particularly with respect to the
and agreements and build on the considerable security services. The Government has exam-
progress that has been achieved since 1380 ined a range of poverty actions based on the
(2001). While the focus of the ANDS is on the specific concerns of the poor, including vulner-
next five years, it will be adjusted in response ability, conflict sensitivity, insecurity and gov-
to changing circumstances—it is intended to be ernance.
a “living document.”
The ANDS lays out the strategic priorities and
The ANDS serves as the country’s Poverty Re- the policies, programs and projects for achiev-
duction Strategy Paper (PRSP). As such, it es- ing the Government’s development objectives.
tablishes the joint Government/international These are organized under three pillars: (i) Se-
community’s commitment to reducing poverty; curity; (ii) Governance, Rule of Law and Hu-
describes the extent and patterns of poverty as man Rights; and (iii) Economic and Social De-
it now exists ; presents the main elements of velopment.
the strategy to reduce poverty; summarizes the
projects and programs that will assist the poor;
and provides a three-year macroeconomic SECURITY
framework and a three-year policy matrix for Security and stability in all parts of the country
these efforts. The PRSP has been prepared are essential for economic growth and poverty
based on an inclusive consultative process to reduction. Afghanistan still faces a number of
ensure broad participation and support, while serious challenges before it can assume full re-
also ensuring that policies are based on evi- sponsibility for this. International terrorists
dence. A public policy dialogue with all key and domestic extremists prevent the Govern-
stakeholders was carried out across all prov- ment from establishing effective control in
inces, allowing government officials, private some areas, particularly in the south and
sector representatives, NGOs, the media and southeast. The large-scale production of nar-
ordinary citizens an opportunity to discuss lo- cotics continues to provide funds to these
cal conditions and concerns. This allowed groups. Unexploded ordinance remains a sig-
these many communities to participate in de- nificant threat to Afghans, with some five thou-
fining the poverty problem as they experience sand citizens either killed or wounded in mine
The ANDS: An Overview 5

explosions since 1380 (2001/02). Currently on- issues must be addressed, including: (i) the ex-
ly two of the country’s 34 provinces are com- istence of multiple and often parallel structures
pletely clear of land mines. The long-standing of state and non-state governance entities; (ii)
presence of illegal armed groups in different the confusion over core center-periphery ad-
parts of the country is hindering efforts to em- ministration and fiscal relations; (iii) weak pub-
power local democratic institutions. Some of lic sector institutions and underdeveloped gov-
these groups have close links to police or even ernance and administrative capabilities; (iv)
belong to local governments. This situation en- high levels of corruption; (v) fiscal uncertainty;
courages corruption and is considered a key (vi) weak legislative development and en-
obstacle in cracking down the narcotics indus- forcement; (vii) weak political and parliamen-
try. tary oversight capacities; (viii) weak commu-
nity and civil society institutions; (ix) limited
The Government is fully committed to, and is capacity within the justice system; (x) gender
giving the highest priority to: (i) implementing inequality; and (xi) underdeveloped human
an integrated and comprehensive national se- rights enforcement capacities.
curity policy and strategy; (ii) building a robust
security sector reform program; (iii) strength- If significantly improved governance is not
ening civil and military operations and coordi- rapidly achieved it will be difficult to make
nation; (iv) increasing the role of security forces substantial progress with respect to security
in counter-narcotics activities; and (v) strength- and economic development. An emerging po-
ening the civilian components of security enti- litical and administrative vacuum will be filled
ties. Detailed Compact benchmarks have been by non-state structures driven by illegal and
established to measure progress in improving narcotic interests, not by the Government.
capacity within the security organizations and
improving actual security.
Religious affairs
Significant progress has been made since 1380 The Government will focus on the following
(2001/02) in strengthening the ANA and ANP. priorities: (i) improve the infrastructure for re-
For example, militias have been integrated into ligious affairs, such as mosques, shrines, holy
the Ministry of Defense (MoD), with a reduc- places, and religious schools; (ii) improve the
tion in total numbers in the militia. A multi- training and capacity of Imams, preachers, reli-
sector donor support scheme has been estab- gious teachers and other scholars to raise pub-
lished under which individual donors are allo- lic awareness and to teach; (iii) finalize a com-
cated responsibility for overseeing support for prehensive culture curriculum for primary and
each of the key elements of the reform, includ- higher education; (iv) strengthen Hajj arrange-
ing: disarmament, demobilization, and reinte- ment systems for Afghan pilgrims; (iv) support
gration of ex-combatants; military reform; po- efforts by religious organizations to help allevi-
lice reform; judicial reform; and counter- ate poverty and protect vulnerable groups; (v)
narcotics. The ANP has been receiving exten- support efforts of other government agencies to
sive training and equipment from the interna- improve literacy, speed the resolution of dis-
tional community. putes and contribute to strengthening of the
national solidarity. The expected results in-
clude: (i) reforms implemented in line with Is-
GOVERNANCE, RULE OF lamic values; (b) improved infrastructure and
LAW, JUSTICE AND HUMAN financial sustainability of religious affairs, par-
RIGHTS ticularly of the religious education system; (iii)
greater participation of Islamic scholars in rais-
In 1379 (2000/01). the World Bank assessed the ing awareness about importance of implemen-
“quality” of Afghanistan’s governance institu- tation of key reforms; (iv) a greatly strength-
tions as falling in the bottom one percent of all ened role of the religious institutions in pro-
countries. Progress since 2001 includes the grams aimed at reducing poverty.
adoption of the constitution; successful parlia-
mentary and presidential elections, and pro-
gress in improving the livelihood and welfare
of women and other disenfranchised groups.
Despite some progress, a number of significant

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL ministries and other agencies to administer leg-
islation in an unbiased and predictable manner.
DEVELOPMENT
The economic and social development strategy, Privatization and corporatization of state
vision, objectives and expected outcomes have owned enterprises is an on-going program that
been prioritized within the overall macro-fiscal is on schedule. It represents an important step
framework to allow a logical progression of in expanding the scope for private sector
investments that systematically overcome the growth and development. These steps will: (i)
core binding constraints to growth and social improve general levels of efficiency in the
development. An integrated approach focuses economy; (ii) assist in eliminating corruption;
investments through the sector strategies (iii) encourage better resource allocation, and
summarized below. The sector strategies were (iv) generate increased government revenues.
developed based on strategies first put forward
by individual ministries and groups of minis- An open trade policy will facilitate a competi-
tries. Although ministerial strategies were the tive environment for private sector develop-
starting point, the sector strategies are broader ment, avoid the high costs incurred with pro-
than those of the ministries for several very tectionist policies and facilitate Afghanistan
important reasons. First, the sector strategies in becoming better integrated as a “trading hub”
many cases involve actions and programs that in the region. Any proposals to provide protec-
need to be undertaken by several ministries. tion to particular industries will be evaluated
Considerable attention has therefore been giv- with a proper “economy wide” perspective that
en to developing better coordination between fully accounts for the costs and benefits from
ministries through Inter-Ministerial Commit- such actions, including the negative impacts on
tees. The sector strategies have also taken ac- other firms and on the consumers who must
count of donor activities being implemented pay higher prices. Increased priority will be
outside of ministries and informed by the Pro- given to regional economic cooperation initia-
vincial Development Plans (PDPs). The success tives aimed at developing regional transporta-
of the sector strategies will be heavily depend- tion and transit infrastructure, facilitating re-
ent on resource effectiveness, revenue en- gional trade and investment flows and devel-
hancement and fiscal sustainability, human oping Afghanistan as a regional business hub
and natural resource development and invest- linking Central and East Asia with the Middle
ments in productive and trade-based infra- East and South Asia.
structure and private sector driven develop-
ment. A second major component of the private sec-
tor development strategy attempts to encour-
age increased private sector investment by cre-
Private Sector Development ating investor friendly regulatory frameworks
The ANDS strategic objective is to enable the for private sector operations in the develop-
private sector to lead Afghanistan’s development of natural resources and infrastructure.
ment within a competitive market-based econ- This approach has been very successful in the
omy in which the Government is the policy telecommunications sector, where phone usage
maker and regulator of the economy, not its went from fewer than 15,000 subscribers under
competitor. The establishment of a strong ena- a state monopoly to more than five million sub-
bling environment for a competitive private scribers as private investments in cellular
sector is an on-going effort by both the Gov- communication were encouraged. Significant
ernment and donors. Almost all sector strate- initiatives are included in the sector strategies
gies involve the development of new legisla- for energy, mining and agriculture based on
tion. The Government will enact and imple- leased access to state lands to strengthen these
ment key laws and amendments to establish investor friendly regulatory frameworks. Pilot
the basic legal and regulatory framework that projects and innovative initiatives are being
will encourage private sector involvement in investigated to allow public funding to support
social and economic development. Almost all private sector activities in the provision of edu-
sector strategies involve institutional strength- cation services, vocational training and public
ening that is designed to improve the ability of health services.

Another closely related component of the strat- regulatory agencies, staff capacity and in-house
egy is based on a concerted effort by the Gov- functions will be reoriented to market practices.
ernment and the donor community to more The Government will assess its sector assets
vigorously promote private sector investment. and establish a plan for liquidation, restructur-
Given the limited capacities in the public sector ing and commercialization or sale. In particu-
and in the nascent domestic private sector, lar the Government will provide more support
much of this effort will focus on trying to en- for the corporatization and commercialization
courage foreign firms with the expertise, ability of national power operations. All these efforts
to manage risk and access to financial resources will begin even as donor funded projects work
to take advantage of the many opportunities to remove the severe constraints to the energy
that exist for investment in Afghanistan. Ef- and power sectors, and will lay the framework
forts at investment promotion will be designed for a more commercial energy system in the
to convince these investors that they are both coming years.
needed in Afghanistan and that they will be
able to operate profitably with full government
support consistent with maintaining a competi-
Mining
tive environment. While geological studies of Afghanistan have
been conducted over the last 50 years, due to
political, social and economic factors, 90 per-
Energy
cent of the territory of Afghanistan has not
The ANDS strategic objective for energy is an been systematically studied. However the lim-
energy sector that provides reliable, affordable ited results have been highly promising: over
energy increasingly based on market-based 400 mineral occurrences have been identified,
private investment and public sector oversight. including Aynak copper, coal and a number of
The immediate task of the ANDS strategy, with small and medium mines such as gold, silver,
assistance from the donor community, is to ex- platinum, zinc, nickel, emerald, lapis, ruby,
pand availability at a price that covers cost (for tourmaline, fluorite, chromate, salt, radioactive
all but the poorest members of society) and to elements and numerous deposits suitable for
do so in the most cost effective manner. The construction materials. The availability of sig-
Government will also take steps to provide the nificant oil and gas fields in Afghanistan has
basis for the transition of the sector from public been well known for almost 50 years.
to private provision of electricity. As the Af-
ghan energy sector moves from primarily state The ANDS strategic objective in the mining
owned operations to a more private market sector is to encourage legitimate private in-
orientation, new institutional arrangements vestment in the sector so as to substantially
will be established. increase government revenues, improve em-
ployment opportunities and foster ancillary
Until recently the focus in the energy sector has development. Implementation of the strategy
been on using donor funds and contractors to will help to develop effective market-based
rehabilitate and expand the infrastructure of policies, promote and regulate sustainable de-
the government-owned electric company velopment of minerals and ensure that the na-
DABM, with virtually no attention being given tion’s geological resources are progressively
to establishing an environment that would en- investigated and developed. The Ministry of
courage increased private investment in the Mines is undergoing a transition from being
sector. This will change with a major effort to primarily a producer of minerals and other
set up a transparent regulatory framework and commodities to a policy making and regulatory
a pricing system designed to encourage private institution. For mining and minerals, the em-
sector investment. A new market-oriented pa- phasis is on the exploration, extraction and de-
radigm, significant institutional changes and livery to market; for hydrocarbons the empha-
considerable capacity development will be es- sis is on exploration and development. There is
tablished under guidance from the Inter- great potential for the mining sector. The test
Ministerial Commission for Energy (ICE). will be in moving quickly from the success in
Streamlined government oversight and greater attracting investment in the Aynak copper de-
reliance on private sector investment is essen- posits to the development and exploration of
tial. As the energy line ministries shift from the many other mineral resources of the coun-
production-based institutions to policy making try.

Water Resources major river basins in the country, with an even-
tual devolution of responsibilities down to in-
Agriculture accounts for 95 percent of the dependent River Basin authorities.
country’s water consumption. In the 1970s,
some 3.3 million hectares were cultivated using
various irrigation methods. At present, be- Transport
cause of civil conflict and drought, only about
The ANDS strategic goal for the transport sec-
1.8 million hectares of land are being irrigated.
tor is to have a safe, integrated transportation
Of this, only 10 percent is being irrigated using
network that ensures connectivity and that en-
properly engineered systems; the remainder
ables low-cost and reliable movement of people
are dependent on traditional irrigation meth-
and goods domestically as well as to and from
ods, some of them based on run-offs from or
foreign destinations. The strategy will contrib-
use of aquifers that are being degraded by deep
ute to achieving the following targets estab-
water wells and insufficient investment in re-
lished in the Afghanistan Compact: (i) Af-
charge basins. Significant donor investment
ghanistan will have a fully upgraded and
has gone toward rehabilitating damaged or
maintained ring road, as well as roads connect-
degraded irrigation systems, but little has been
ing the ring road to neighboring countries by
done in terms of making new investments in
1387 (2008/09) and a fiscally sustainable sys-
the structures needed to increase efficiency in
tem for road maintenance by 1386 (2007/08);
water use. There is a lack of resources needed
(ii) by 1389 (2010/11), Kabul International Air-
to improve water management, including a
port and Herat Airport will achieve full Inter-
lack of skilled human resources. Information
national Civil Aviation Organization compli-
systems are now being reconstituted, but there
ance; Mazar-i-Sharif, Jalalabad and Kandahar
is little reliable hydrological, meteorological,
will be upgraded with runway repairs, air
geo-technical and water quality data; what data
navigation, fire and rescue and communica-
is available indicates that un-regulated deep
tions equipment; seven other domestic airports
well drilling may be depleting aquifers that are
will be upgraded to facilitate domestic air
essential to water supplies and traditional irri-
transportation; and air transport services and
gation systems (Karezes and springs). The in-
costs will be increasingly competitive with in-
frastructure and equipment needed to effi-
ternational market standards and rates; and (iii)
ciently conserve and utilize water resources are
by 1389 (2010/11), Afghanistan and its neigh-
also insufficient, as are the economic mecha-
bors will achieve shorter transit times within
nisms necessary to regulate water use and in-
Afghanistan by means of cooperative border
vestments for water supply, sanitary systems,
management and other multilateral or bilateral
irrigation, and hydropower generation.
trade and transit agreements.
Efficient management of Afghanistan’s water
The Government continues to give high prior-
resources is essential for social and economic
ity to rehabilitate a badly damaged road sys-
development and will require public sector
tem. This includes: (i) completion of a fully
involvement. Until now, both Government and
upgraded and maintained ring road and con-
donors have under-invested in better water
nector roads to neighboring countries; (ii) im-
resource management, with negative conse-
proving 5,334 km of secondary (national and
quences for the productive capacity of the
provincial) roads, and (iii) improving and
economy and the lives of the people. Within
building 6,290 km of rural access roads as a key
the water resources sector, feasibility studies
to increasing rural livelihoods and reducing
will be completed and investments will be
poverty and vulnerability in rural areas. Better
made in the storage facilities, recharge basins,
rural roads will improve market access and
multi-purpose dams and irrigation systems
opportunities for rural households. The actual
required to improve water sector management
allocation of resources among these three areas
for both agricultural and non-agricultural uses.
of planned activity will depend on the esti-
These efforts will augment on-going efforts to
mated rates of return from analysis of propos-
rehabilitate and improve management in exist-
als put forward for funding by the international
ing systems. Over time there will be a move-
community or by the ministries involved in
ment away from a project by project focus on
implementing the transport sector strategies. A
rehabilitation to an Integrated Water Resource
Transport Sector Inter-Ministerial Working
Management (IWRM) system geared to the five
Group will be formed that will coordinate the

ministries in the sector to assure that invest- vices; (ii) improved institutional coordination
ments are properly coordinated to obtain the and monitoring of key urban indicators; (iii)
highest returns and greatest impact on the pov- increased access to basic services for urban
erty reduction goals. Careful consideration households; (iv) phased regularization of ten-
will be given to increasing employment oppor- ure for 50 percent of households living in in-
tunities, and assuring that the local resources or formal settlements; (v) upgrading public ser-
funds channeled through local communities vices and facilities, including new urban area
are effectively used to maintain the rural roads development; (vi) increased availability of af-
established as part of this strategy. fordable shelter, including a 50 percent increase
in the number of housing units and a 30 per-
cent increase in area of serviced land on the
Information and Communications market, coupled with access to affordable fi-
Technology nance, and (vii) an improved urban environ-
In 1381 (2002/03), Afghanistan had fewer than ment with green areas and open spaces
15,000 functioning telephone lines for a popula-
tion of approximately 25 million, one of the More is now being done under the ANDS to
lowest telephone penetration rates in the devolve authority to municipalities. The urban
world. The Government, with donor assis- development strategy is designed to improve
tance, adopted major policy reforms for the ICT urban governance through: (i) decentralization,
sector, moving rapidly to establish the legal participatory processes, market-based ap-
framework and regulatory arrangements to proaches, and improved regulations; (ii) capac-
promote private sector investment, which ity building at all levels of urban governance;
quickly resulted in a competitive environment (iii) establishing a clear national land policy,
and the rapid growth of mobile phone use from including urban informal settlement policy; (iv)
almost nothing to a present subscriber base of improved revenue generation in cities through
over five million. This development is one of direct cost recovery for and economic pricing of
the major success stories of in the implementa- urban services, property-based taxes, and use
tion of the private sector-based development of computer systems; (v) expanding urban up-
strategy. Greater efforts will be made under grading pilots, including phased regularization
the ANDS to adopt a similar investor friendly of informal settlements, and programs to meet
regulatory framework for development of nat- the immediate housing, tenure security and
ural resources and infrastructure. With respect service needs of the poor and vulnerable; (vi)
to telecommunications, the ANDS strategic ob- increasing the supply of serviced land through
jective is to expand access to mobile phone ser- development of new urban areas, especially
vice to 80 percent of the country and greatly within the cities, to meet the present and future
increase access and use of the Internet by con- housing needs of the people; (vii) improving
sumers, the private sector and the Government. city-wide basic infrastructure and services, in
particular water supply, sanitation, roads and
green areas; and (viii) rehabilitation of urban
Urban Development heritage facilities and sites.
The ANDS strategic objective for urban devel-
opment is to greatly improve the management Education
of urban areas through devolution of authority
and responsibilities to municipalities in a way Efforts to improve education, which started in
that improves urban infrastructure and ser- 1380 or 1381 (2001/02 or 2002/03), were fo-
vices, reduces urban poverty, allows urban cused on getting 1.5 million children into the
residents to live safe, healthy and productive primary/secondary school system. There are
lives and encourages cities to grow and pros- now more than six million children at primary
per. Effective management of the rapid ur- and secondary school. In addition, universities
banization process will make a significant con- have reopened and there are increasing oppor-
tribution to the recovery of the country. As of tunities for vocational training. There are now
2005, nearly a quarter of Afghanistan’s popula- 52,200 students enrolled in institutions of high-
tion lived in urban areas. Outcomes will in- er education. Although the expansion of edu-
clude: (i) strengthened municipal capacity to cation has been impressive, there is an urgent
manage urban development and deliver ser- need to improve the quality of education. This
is one area where programs designed to meet

benchmarks defined in terms of enrolment or lished and or expanded and historical or heri-
coverage fail to give adequate consideration to tage sites will be protected. Media legislation
the quality of the service being provided. In- will be enacted to provide a stable and predict-
creased priority will be given to teacher train- able environment in which a largely privately
ing and other mechanisms to encourage private run and independent media can operate. Media
sector investment in educational activities. will be employed as an educational tool in ad-
dition to entertainment. Key priorities include
Vocational training will become an increasing country-wide coverage of public Afghan media
focus of attention. There is an urgent need to (radio and television), an increased number of
address problems in the vocational education hours of public broadcasting, and improved
sector that include staff shortages, overbuild- quality of programming. State-owned media
ing, lack of standardization in training courses, will be used to promote and convey informa-
and qualifications that are difficult for potential tion on gender policies, public health and na-
employers to assess. A new organization, the tional security. Extensive reforms have been
National Vocational Education and Training introduced to assist youth within the education
Authority (NVETA), will be established and strategy. These include expansion of the educa-
will: (i) manage, but not operate, all vocational tion system; rehabilitation programs for young
training institutions; (ii) set minimum core people whose education may have been limited
competencies for courses, carry out accredita- because of the security situation, and reforms
tion, and inspect vocational institutions to en- to vocational education to provide youth with
sure that they meet minimum standards, and marketable skills and better employment op-
(iii) call for tenders by ministries or by the pri- portunities.
vate sector to operate vocational training facili-
ties owned by the Government.
Health and nutrition sector strategy
The potential role of the private sector has been By all measures, the people of Afghanistan suf-
expanded considerably in this strategy. In the fer from poor health. The country’s health in-
primary and secondary education area there dicators are near the bottom of international
will be an expansion in private and NGO indices, and its people fare far worse, in terms
schools, encouraged by a more accommodating of their health, than in any other country in the
regulatory environment. In higher education region. Life expectancy is low, infant, under-
the university cooperation plans that have al- five and maternal mortality is very high, and
ready commenced will allow universities in there is an extremely high prevalence of chron-
Afghanistan to interact and be supported by ic malnutrition and widespread incidence of
recognized foreign universities. NVETA will micronutrient deficiency diseases. Substantial
contract with private sector groups or NGOs improvements in the health system and the
for provision of educational services. Some health status of the people of Afghanistan have
areas will be left to the private sector, including been achieved in recent years, but a number of
preschool education. remaining challenges and constraints must be
addressed if continued progress is to be made,
including: (i) inadequate financing for many of
Culture, media and youth
the key programs; (ii) reliance on external
The ANDS strategic objective for this sector is: sources of funding; (iii) inadequately trained
(i) to create awareness and foster a sense of health workers; (iv) lack of qualified female
pride in the country’s history, future, culture health workers in rural areas; (v) dispersed
and achievements; (ii) to document and pre- population, geographical barriers and a lack of
serve cultural artifacts and heritage sites; (iii) to transportation infrastructure; (vi) low levels of
ensure an independent and pluralistic media utilization for certain health services, especially
that contributes to an open and democratic so- preventive services; (viii) variable levels of ser-
ciety, and (iv) to foster a sense of confidence vice quality; (ix) insecurity in some provinces,
among the young that they can contribute to making it difficult for program implementa-
and benefit from a stable and prosperous coun- tion, recruitment and retention of staff, expan-
try. An accessible and well maintained cultural sion of service coverage and monitoring at the
artifacts data base and the cultural artifacts col- provincial and central levels; (x) lack of effec-
lection held by the Ministry will be expanded. tive financial protection mechanisms for poor
In the longer term, museums will be estab- households to receive the care they need with-

out experiencing financial distress, and (xi) lack The CARD strategy describes a road map for
of mechanisms to provide effective support to the way forward in which poverty reduction
and regulation of for-profit private sector clin- through economic regeneration is the central
ics and pharmacies. objective. The overall focus is to support the
poorest and most vulnerable segments of rural
Programs have been designed to expand and society. Proposed interventions will include a
improve the system and to try and target vul- range of measures that will differ by group and
nerable groups with preventive or curative region, but all are designed to help diversify
programs. The Ministry of Public Health incomes, and will include income support, di-
(MoPH) will review and develop relevant legal rect provision of assets, skills training and
and regulatory mechanisms, such as accredita- market opportunities.
tion systems, that govern health and health
related work in the public and private sectors. The second main component of the strategy,
The goal of the regulatory system will be to the Agriculture and Rural Development Zones
facilitate competitive and cost effective provi- (ARDZ) program, is the Government’s ap-
sion of services, carrying out its broader man- proach to expanding commercial activities and
date to not only contract out service provision increasing agricultural productivity. The
to civil and private groups but also to facilitate ARDZ recognizes that geographic priorities
growth of the ”for profit” sector. The MoPH have to be set in support of the development of
will review, develop and enforce relevant legal commercial agriculture. These geographic pri-
and regulatory instruments that govern health orities will be used to target infrastructure,
and health related work to safeguard the public utilities and other support by various minis-
and ensure service quality. The MoPH will tries. The Government will release publicly
work to identify, encourage, coordinate review, held land to increase private sector investment
and in some cases conduct research to advance through a competitive bidding process. Fur-
evidence-based decision making and the for- ther, the Government will continue to investi-
mulation of new policies, strategies and plans. gate and implement measures to increase fi-
nancial and technical support that can be util-
ized by private firms to expand operations.
Agriculture and Rural Development This will ensure that the process of transform-
The ANDS strategic objective for the agricul- ing underutilized state land into commercially
ture and rural development sector is to jointly viable agro-processing enterprises will begin as
use private investment and public sector sup- quickly as possible.
port for efforts to transform agriculture into a
source of growth and means of livelihood for
Social Protection
the rural poor.
The ANDS strategic objective for social protec-
Agriculture has traditionally been the main tion is to assure that the benefits of growth
activity for much of Afghanistan’s population, reach the poor and vulnerable, either through
particularly in the most remote and vulnerable the attention directed toward these groups in
areas. While non-farming activities account for the design of programs and projects aimed at
large amounts of time, many of these are re- stimulating growth or more directly, through
lated to processing, transporting or marketing carefully targeted support programs. Since
agricultural goods. The agriculture and rural 2002, the social protection sector has signifi-
development strategy establishes ambitious cantly improved in all areas: social support,
plans for a series of programs that are designed pension distribution and disaster preparedness.
to achieve an improved quality of life for rural Cash transfer benefits have been established for
citizens—one in which food security is assured, families who lost household members and the
basic services are provided, incomes increase disabled as the main instrument of the social
for households actively engaged in legal activi- support and national solidarity with the vic-
ties, employment opportunities expand and tims of the war. The MoLSAMD has estab-
people live in a safe and secure environment. lished its departments in all provinces and
Activities are grouped into two main compo- strengthened its capacity for targeting and co-
nents: a Comprehensive Agriculture and Rural operating with NGOs and donors. Around 2.5
Development (CARD) and the Agricultural and million people have been covered with some
Rural Development Zone (ARDZ) initiative. type of public arrangement for social protec-

tion. Efforts will now focus on: (i) improving in local internal displacement in the southern
efficiency of public arrangements for social risk provinces of Helmand and Uruzgan due to
management; (ii) diversifying market-based clashes with terrorist groups. Within the re-
arrangements for social risk management; (iii) gion, the principal legal and operational
strengthening informal arrangements for social framework for voluntary repatriation is pro-
risk management; (iv) capacity building and vided by the Tripartite Agreements (TA)
restructuring in the MoLSAMD, and (vi) im- signed between Afghanistan, UNHCR, Iran
proving partnership with civil society and and Pakistan respectively. These agreements
NGOs to enhance aid coordination. The main are serviced by regular meetings of Tripartite
principle for future social support will be to Commissions at both ministerial and working
enhance fiscal sustainability by focusing on the levels.
most vulnerable and supporting the “poorest of
the poor.” Finally, strengthening the pub- It is very probable that period of high levels of
lic/NGOs/private sector partnership will sup- mass and voluntary repatriation are over. The
port the Government’s intention to remain refugees’ long stay in exile, poverty, and diffi-
mainly in the area of policy making and regula- cult conditions in many parts of Afghanistan
tion setting while the private sector and NGOs are likely to prove difficult obstacles to over-
take increasing responsibility for service deliv- come in the future. Security, lack of economic
ery. opportunities (employment) and social services
(health and education) continue to limit return
and reintegration. The most significant chal-
Refugees, returnees and internally lenges for the future will be: (i) ensuring peace
displaced persons (IDPs) and security in areas of refugee origin; (ii) im-
The ANDS strategic objective with respect to proving the Government’s abilities to negotiate
refugees, returnees and IDPs is to efficiently effectively with its neighbors on refugee, dis-
manage their voluntary return and their reinte- placement and migration issues; (iii) improving
gration into productive participation in society. the political, economic, social and organiza-
World-wide experience has indicated that tional absorption capacities in key sectors and
large, unplanned, and essentially involuntary areas, and (iv) developing an implementation
returns which have to be managed as emer- plan and resources to support its execution
gency influxes generate a range of negative over a number of years.
consequences. Therefore the planned and vol-
untary return of refugees and IDPs return is the
guiding principle for the sector strategy.
CROSS-CUTTING ISSUES
Since 1383 (2004/05) , the Government has giv-
More than five million persons have returned en considerable attention to a set of issues that
to their homes since 2002. Their reintegration cuts across all the critical sectors, in the belief
into society has been challenging but there has that the overall success of the ANDS will be in
no been no pattern of discrimination against jeopardy if these issues are not effectively ad-
returnees. There is some evidence of secondary dressed. These cross cutting issues involve (i)
migration of returnees from places of refuge to regional cooperation; (ii) counter-narcotics; (iii)
cities and back to the neighboring countries. anti-corruption; (iv) gender equality; (v) capac-
The latter occur most noticeably in border ity development, and (vi) environmental man-
provinces. Population movements have largely agement.
normalized with socio-economic factors largely
replacing security and politics as key motiva- The regional cooperation initiatives are in-
tors. The number of IDPs has also fallen sig- tended to increase access to power; generate
nificantly since 1380 or 1381 (2001/02 or revenues by way of through transit trade; re-
2002/03). Currently there are an estimated duce impediments to trade and expand both
129,000 IDPs displaced by past drought and import and export opportunities; increase in-
conflict, with an additional 29,000 who were vestment and contribute to improved employ-
more recently displaced by fighting in the ment and business opportunities; facilitate the
southern provinces. The majority of the one free flow of goods, services, and technology;
million IDPs identified in 2002 have returned to allow the costs or benefits of development of
their homes. During 2007 there was some rise common resources to be shared; reduce re-

gional tensions and facilitate regional efforts to institutional responsibility will be with the In-
reduce cross border crime and terrorism, and ter-ministerial Commission for Capacity De-
facilitate the voluntary return of refugees. velopment (ICCD), which will serve as a single
reporting point for both government and do-
Counter-narcotics programs are designed to: nors. ICCD will provide a coordinated ap-
(i) disrupt the drugs trade; (ii) strengthen and proach to support the effective management of
diversify legal rural livelihoods; (iii) reduce the funds and aid flows, to cut down on duplica-
demand for illicit drugs and improve treatment tion and to ensure that critical capabilities for
for drug users, and (iv) strengthen state institu- program and project implementation are well-
tions combating the drug scourge within cen- defined and (most importantly) that capacity
tral and provincial governments. Provincial development and technical assistance pro-
governors will be responsible and accountable grams are properly focused on meeting these
for the process of control and management of critical needs.
counter narcotics intervention in their jurisdic-
tion, with support from MCN. Environmental protection efforts are geared
to: restoration and sustainable use of range-
The National Anti-corruption Strategy is lands and forests; conservation of biodiversity;
based on the following key goals: (i) enhancing preservation of Natural and Cultural Heritage
government anti-corruption commitment and sites or resources; encouragement of commu-
leadership; (ii) raising awareness of corruption nity based natural resource management, pre-
and evaluating the effectiveness of anti- vention and/or abatement of pollution; and
corruption measures; (iii) mainstreaming anti- improved environmental management, educa-
corruption into government reforms and nation and awareness. Throughout all sectors,
tional development, and (iv) strengthening the any environmental costs will be fully ac-
legal framework for fighting corruption and counted for in appraisals aimed at ensuring the
building an institutional capacity for effective benefits of proposed programs or projects.
implementation of the United Nations Conven-
tion Against Corruption (UNCAC).
ENHANCING AID
The ANDS goal for Gender equality is an Af- EFFECTIVENESS AND AID
ghanistan where women and men enjoy secu- COORDINATION
rity, equal rights and equal opportunities in all
spheres of life. The National Action Plan for The Government has implemented processes to
Women focuses on three main outcomes: (i) increase the monitoring of aid-funded activities
government entities embracing “gender equal- and to improve the efficiency of implementa-
ity” in their employment, promotion, policy tion. The Aid Coordination Unit in the Minis-
making and budgetary allocations; (ii) measur- try of Finance has responsibility for issues re-
able improvements in women’s status as evi- lated to the delivery and monitoring of external
denced by reduced illiteracy; higher net en- assistance. The Government would like to see
rollment ratio in educational and training pro- increased core budget support (direct budget
grams; equal wages for equal work; lower ma- support), giving greater ownership and ena-
ternal mortality; increased leadership and par- bling a more effective allocation of resources
ticipation in all spheres of life; greater eco- based on needs and priorities. Channeling aid
nomic opportunities and access to and control through established trust funds is also effec-
over productive assets and income; adequate tive, with the Government able to access funds
access to equal justice; reduced vulnerability to on an as-needed basis. Pooling of donor funds
violence in public and domestic spheres. and also significantly reduces the duplication of
(iii) greater social acceptance of gender equality effort and leads to better coordination, man-
as evidenced by increased participation by agement, and effectiveness. This is especially
women in public affairs and policy discussions. so with technical assistance grants.
The ANDS Capacity development objective Efforts to increase capacity to implement the
is to ensure that the skills needed to effectively Core Development Budget more efficiently will
implement programs and projects included in result in higher donor contributions, aiding
the ANDS exist or can be developed within the coordination. Equally important is the Gov-
required time frame for implementation. The ernment’s accountability to Afghan citizens on

how aid funds have been spent. The MoF’s external budget are aligned with the ANDS
Public Expenditure Financial Accountability objectives and priorities.
(PEFA) framework is crucial to this process.
The ANDS provides the framework for priority At the national level, several structures will
aid delivery. Aid delivery will be greatly im- link policy, planning, budgeting and monitor-
proved where Government, civil society and ing of the ANDS. The National Assembly is
the international community align expendi- responsible for legislation to create an enabling
tures with the ANDS priorities. Further, the environment for security, economic growth
Government will work with civil society or- and poverty reduction. The Council of Minis-
ganizations and Provincial Reconstruction ters headed by the President is the highest level
Teams to ensure that these activities are also decision-making body, providing overall policy
aligned with the ANDS priorities and goals. guidance and direction under existing legisla-
tion. The ANDS Oversight Committee (OSC),
composed of senior ministers, will oversee and
IMPLEMENTATION AND coordinate the overall ANDS implementation
MONITORING OF THE ANDS process. Line ministries and other government
agencies will also be responsible for implemen-
The success of the ANDS depends on effective tation. The MoF will play an important role by
implementation. The National Budget is the making sure that the program and projects of
central tool for implementing the ANDS. Giv- the line ministries are costed out, prioritized
en this, all line ministries will first develop or and integrated into the National Budget. The
align their programs and projects with the OSC will play a key role in coordinating overall
ANDS Sector Strategies; sector program and efforts to implement the ANDS. Moreover, the
projects will then be costed out and re- Ministry of Economy will strengthen this me-
prioritized against the medium-term budget chanism by coordinating the work of the line
ceilings. Based on this, the ANDS Public In- ministries at the operational level. The Joint
vestment Program (PIP) will be prepared to Coordination and Monitoring Board will re-
enable the full integration of the ANDS into the main the highest Government-donor mecha-
medium term budget in accordance with the nism in charge of coordination and monitoring,
MoF’s ongoing activities to introduce program which will cover not only the Afghanistan
budgeting. Furthermore, the Government will Compact but the entire ANDS. The Consulta-
improve its absorption capacity and fiduciary tive and Working Groups will continue to be
practices to encourage donors to implement the key forums for improving aid coordination
their projects through the National (Core) and ensuring alignment of the donor programs
Budget or, if this is not possible, to assure that and projects with the ANDS.
programs or projects implemented through the

CHAPTER 2
THE PARTICIPATORY PROCESS AND PROVINCIAL

DEVELOPMENT PLANS
Public support for the successful implementa- ORGANIZING PRINCIPLES
tion of the ANDS is essential. For that reason,
Government has developed the ANDS in a AND PARTICIPATION
thoroughly participatory manner over the last PROCESS7
three years, with the goal of seeding a grass
The Government undertook extensive and
roots democracy, ensuring ownership of the
thorough consultations, far exceeding the
policy by people from all corners and all walks
depth and quantity of consultations usually
of life: civil society, the private sector, religious
undertaken as part of a Poverty Reduction
establishments, the international community
Strategy Paper PRSP process. The aims of the
and all government institutions, at both na-
consultation process were to:
tional and sub-national levels. In the course of
developing the ANDS, the Government has
build a national consensus with respect to the
undertaken a public policy dialogue with all
Government’s overall vision, development
key stakeholders, embarking on a province-
strategy, and greater understanding of the
based planning process with the goal of bring-
pace at which national development could
ing the Government closer to its people, and
realistically take place;
the people closer to their Government. The
outcomes and lessons learned from this con- ensure that citizens had a real impact on de-
sultation exercise have provided thousands of velopment and implementation of public
Afghan citizens an opportunity to participate policy;
in discussions on national development policy
ensure ownership by the Government, which
and strategy.
is critical for successful strategy imple-
mentation;
National consultations involved virtually all
governmental and major civil society institu- be as inclusive as possible in order to capture
tions, including non-Governmental Organiza- the opinions and views of different
tions (NGOs), cultural associations, religious groups, thereby ensuring that a represen-
communities, the private sector, influential tative strategy capable of addressing the
individuals, experts and the international needs and priorities of all citizens would
community. Sub-national consultations in- emerge, and in the process ensure Gov-
volved discussions with provincial governors ernment fulfillment of the participatory
and representative bodies, village councils, requirements of the PRSP;
parliamentarians from each province, local
lay the groundwork for a sustainable process,
civil society, representatives of Provincial Re-
which would last beyond the life of the
construction Teams (PRTs) and prominent
individuals in all 34 provinces of Afghanistan.
More than 17,000 people, 47 percent of whom 7
Participation is the process by which stakeholders influence
were women, directly participated in the con- and share control over priority setting, policymaking, resource
sultation process. The consultations focused allocations, and/or program implementation. While there is no
blueprint for participation, because it plays a role in many dif-
on all pillars of ANDS. This section summa- ferent contexts and for different purposes, the Government has
rizes the participatory and consultative proc- worked hard to design a meaningful participatory process as part
ess and the lessons learned... of the future ANDS.
The Participatory Process 17

development of the full ANDS, and ensure The consultation process was designed to re-
regular input into Government decision- flect the structures of Government at national,
making processes, thereby creating a par- provincial and district levels, guided by the
ticipatory process which will be institu- programmatic structure provided in Figure
tionalized over time; and 2.18
Strengthen the capacity of the Government to

consult widely on its strategies, as well as
8
to facilitate broader input into its policy- Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness, 2005
(http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/11/41/34428351.pdf).
making.
Figure 2.1. ANDS oversight structure
ANDS Oversight Structure

Office of the President / Oversight Committee / Joint Coordination and Management Board (JCMB) / External Advisory Group (EAG)
SECURITY GOVERNANCE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Pillar 1 Pillar 2 Pillar 3 Pillar 4 Pillar 5 Pillar 6 Pillar 7 Pillar 8

Good Infrastructure Education & Health & Agriculture Social Economic
Security Governance Natural Resources Culture Nutrition Rural Development Protection Governance / PSD
National Consultation Process

Eight Consultative
National Assembly / Sub-cabinet Committees Technical
Quarterly Meetings
Consultative Groups /Working Groups / Technical Working Groups Working Groups
(80-100 participants)
Private Sector / Afghan Diaspora
Cross Cutting Issues
34 Provincial SNC Provincial Consultation Process Parliamentarians

Meetings / 10,000 Provincial Governors / Provincial Development Committee (PDC) and Civil Society
Stakeholders Community Development Councils (CDCs) Engagement
Shuras / Traditional Structures / PRTs
500 participants Private Sector, Media and Civil Society Consultation Process
In nationwide Religious / Private Sector / National Media
conference; Grassroots Organizations / Civil Society Groups
over 1000 in Kabul NSP/CDC
Cross Cutting
CG met throughout Cross Cutting Issues
I-ANDS Period Regional Cooperation / Counter Narcotics / Anti-Corruption / Gender Equity / Capacity Building / Environment
Consultations brought together central and cooperation, some of the outcomes of the
provincial decision-making institutions. Valu- process have addressed cross-cutting issues.
able outcomes and lessons have been learned This is particularly so where national and sub-
as part of this process, which are being used to national planning, budgeting and financing
strengthen the policy, planning and budget intersect. Consultations have been ongoing
formulation. As the consultation design al- throughout the development of the ANDS
lowed for ministerial and cross-ministerial (figure 2.2).

Figure 2.2. ANDS timeline 1385 – 1388 (2006-2009)
ANDS
ANDS ANDS
draft
Sector consultation
ANDS ANDS Ministries ANDS First ANDS
ANDS Strategies finalized and
Process Work strategies approved Progress
Consultations integrated the Final
Lunched Plan prepared by the and
Lunched into the First Draft of the
at JCMB approved ANDS Pilot Cabinet Update
Draft of ANDS
Consultations
the ANDS prepared
Launched
National & Sub-National consultation and Research ongoing One Year of ANDS Iplementation (HIP)
Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug... Mar
2006 2007 2008 2009
CONSULTATION PROCESS nates the efforts of all partners in the proc-

ess, and reports the results to the President,
Consultations were conducted with primary the National Assembly, and the UN Secre-
and secondary stakeholders from the: tary General as well as to the international
(i) national; (ii) sub-national; (iii) international; community and the public. Between quar-
and (iv) private sector, civil society, religious terly meetings, the JCMB Secretariat coor-
and traditional communities. Through the con- dinates activities that keep the benchmarks
sultation process the Government has at- on track. The JCMB serves as the official
tempted to connect newly formed central and link between the Consultative Groups
provincial governance structures and ensure (CGs) as well as between the Technical
co-ordination of the development process. The Working Groups (TWGs) and the OSC.
following section provides a very brief sum- Other important national stakeholders in-
mary of the important strategy design process. volved in the process include (a) the na-
tional assembly; (b) sub-cabinet commit-
National Consultation Process: The day to day tees; (c) consultative and technical working
preparation of the ANDS was managed by groups and (d) the private sector and
the ANDS Directorate, with the supervi- members of the Afghan diaspora.
sion of a Presidential Oversight Committee,
chaired by the Senior Economic Advisors. Sub National Consultation Process:9 The sub-
The Oversight Committee (OSC) was national consultation process of the ANDS
formed to direct the development and im- represented the first significant dialogue
plementation of the ANDS. The committee between the central Government and the
is composed of Cabinet Ministers, includ- provinces, and was designed to strengthen
ing the Ministers of Finance, Foreign Af- centre-periphery relations. The outcome of
fairs, Economy, Commerce, Justice, Educa- this consultation process included the for-
tion and the National Security Advisor, mulation of 18,500 village- based develop-
and meets bi-monthly to monitor the pro- ment plans, leading to 345 district devel-
gress of implementation of the Afghanistan opment plans, which were ultimately con-
Compact, I-ANDS and the ANDS. Within solidated into 34 Provincial Development
the framework of the various Consultative Plans (PDPs). This process involved con-
and Technical Working Groups, each Min- sultation between parliamentarians, pro-
istry and Agency developed its individual vincial authorities, provincial development
strategy, coordinated within the sector committees, village Shuras, local Ulama,
wide approach that underpins the ANDS.
These strategies cut across the three pillars 9
The sub-national consultation process and how the PDPs were
and seventeen sectors. The Joint Coordina- developed and informed policy will be discussed in greater detail
tion and Monitoring Board (JCMB) coordi- in the next section.

the international community (including the tors has been invaluable. 11 As part of the
Provincial Reconstruction Teams) and most economic diagnostic and PDP work, pro-
importantly ordinary Afghan citizens. vincial discussions were held to discuss the
These PDPs identified needs and key de- private sector development strategy in the
velopment priorities for each province. five largest commercial cities, which cul-
Both the National (top-down) and sub- minated in the “Enabling Environment
national (bottom-up) processes were de- Conference” held in Kabul in Month 1386
veloped into the sector strategies, with a (June 2007).
move towards the formulation of Sector
Poverty diagnostic consultations: The Gov-
Wide Approach and Programmatic Budg-
ernment’s participatory approach to poverty
eting.
diagnostics involved inviting poor communi-
International Consultation Process: Engage- ties and their institutions to participate in de-
ment between the Government and the in- fining, analyzing and monitoring poverty as
ternational community has been substan- they experience it. This work was also con-
tially guided by the Bonn process, which ducted in the most remote and conflict affected
set high level political goals: the Securing communities of Afghanistan. In so doing, a
Afghanistan Future exercise, the Afghani- broad choice of interventions have been estab-
stan Compact and the MDG process. The lished for each province, and each district.
international community was involved in Government has considered a range of poverty
the ANDS consultation process through the actions based on specific concerns of the poor,
External Advisory Group (EAG). Among which include vulnerability, sensitivity to con-
other issues, this organ focuses on imple- flict, insecurity and governance. As a result of
mentation of the principles of the Paris this grass roots planning, a variety of poverty
Declaration. The ANDS Secretariat pro- reduction interventions have been considered
vides support to these structures to en- to address specific local concerns.
hance coordination and effectiveness and
linkage with the national consultation
process. The international community was PROVINCIAL DEVELOPMENT
extensively involved in the development PLANS (PDPS)
and preparation of the ANDS.
Provincial Development Plans (PDPs) were
Consultation with the Civil Society, Private developed for all 34 provinces of Afghanistan
Sector and Media: The Government car- in order to provide a coordinated framework
ried out extensive consultation with civil for the Government and the international
society groups, including: (a) the religious community to undertake sector programs and
establishment; (b) village shuras10; (c) non- projects at the sub-national level. The linking
governmental and not-for-profit agencies; of consultation to the provincial based plan-
(d) cultural associations; (e) human rights ning process has allowed local communities to
organizations; (f) grassroots associations reprioritize, sequence, plan and be involved in
lated to women’s affairs, youth develop- the implementation of projects. The PDPs de-
ment and disability; and (g) Water and veloped through the Sub National Consulta-
Sanitation Committees (WATSAN). Six tions ensure that the priorities in the ANDS
Afghan coordination bodies and partner reflect the best interests of the Afghan people
NGOs were extensively engaged during and are the product of the three rounds of Sub-
the development of the Sector Strategies.
Moreover, throughout the process the me-
dia has been actively reporting on the 11
In addition to the feedback, comments and support of a number
ANDS, through newspapers, TV, radio and of CSOs, the Agency Coordinating Body for Afghan Relief
(ACBAR) and the Foundation for Culture and Civil Society
Internet. The role that civil organizations (FCCS) undertook extensive research in 12 provinces, contribut-
have played at different levels as facilita- ing invaluable poverty data for the ANDS, as teams were sent to
tors, communicators, advocates and moni- remote, poverty stricken areas in both rural and urban settings, in
order to inform the sector strategies. This information was used in
conjunction with findings from the National Risk and Vulnerabil-
ity Assessment surveys over the past five years, to ensure that the
10
Traditional village councils. ANDS policies are pro-poor and representative of the more dis-
advantaged segments of society.

National Consultations that took place across jects were identified for each province. The
Afghanistan March 2007-March 2008. Sub National Consultations (SNCs) served as
an opportunity for these ideas, in the shape of
The PDPs have informed policy formulation, Community Development Plans (CDPs) and
articulated the goals and needs of the people District Development Plans (DDPs), to be con-
and provided valuable direction for formulat- solidated and improved, and for a consensus
ing sector strategies and the overall ANDS. on them to be reached with a wider audience in
During the Sub National Consultations (SNCs), the province before being incorporated into
preparation for the PDPs was based on the fol- PDPs. Priority projects from the eight sectors
lowing: across the 34 provinces therefore represent a
list of activities that respond to the most urgent
line ministry strategies and plans; needs in each province. These are being
mapped into the national budget process.
priorities of rural communities, including those
set out in Community and District Devel-
opment Plans; PRIORITIZATION AND
priorities of urban communities, including SEQUENCING OF THE PDPS
those set out in Urban Plans;
Aligned with National Programs, the provin-
priorities of vulnerable social groups including cial priority projects form the basis on which
Kuchis, refugees, returnees and Internally implementation of the ANDS will take place at
Displaced Persons (IDP) and the disabled; the local level. Out of the 80 projects priori-
and tized during the SNC process, the most critical
priorities of women, who attended the consul- were aligned with the five most crucial sectors
tations with an average of 47 percent par- and prioritized into tiers. Tier one projects rep-
ticipation.12 resent the most urgent tasks. This has allowed
for a logical resource allocation and prioritiza-
tion process to be carried out. Provincial budg-
Development of Provincial Profiles eting, as a component of the National Program
The PDPs contain a profile of each province Budgeting Reform Progress, is also informed
based on information from the National Risk by the provincial prioritization process. It aims
and Vulnerability Assessment (NRVA) and to empower local authorities and increase the
UNFPA’s Socio-Economic and Demographic appropriateness of resource allocation. This is
Profiles. These profiles provide a geographic, currently being piloted in 10 provinces and will
poverty-based social picture of the province be extended to a further 10 in 1387 (2008/09).
and perspectives on the state of provincial de-
velopment. Opportunities for poverty allevia-
INTEGRATION OF THE PDPS
tion have been included with the agreed goals
and needs for each pillar. This provides a INTO ANDS
guide to potential development in each prov- The data from the SNCs and PDPs was fully
ince, especially for the most urgent local needs. incorporated into ANDS in the following ways:
Priority Projects For each Sector Strategy comments gathered

from the SNCs from a provincial perspec-
Ten projects have been prioritized for each sec- tive have been a starting point for address-
tor and for each province aligned with the fis- ing the country’s most urgent needs.
cal envelope of ministries within the outreach
of national programs. In total, 80 priority pro- Prioritized projects will be aligned with minis-
tries’ national programs. This will enable a
more transparent provision of services and
12
A nomad woman from Balkh province stated that this was the a more clearly defined implementation and
first time she had attended a meeting of nomad women of this monitoring mechanism.
province in order to present her opinions for the welfare and
prosperity of the country. “We would be glad if the government The prioritization process will assist ministries
continues to pursue such policy. Nomads like any other people in
the society would also benefit from this process”. Farida Kochi,
with effective resource allocation; provin-
representative of Balkh‘ Source: ANDS Sub-national Consulta- cial projects highlighted as the most urgent
tion, 1386 (2007).

should be seen as priority action by the between villages and district and provincial
ministries. centers, access to basic services such as schools
and clinics; (iii) improvement of low quality
services emerged as a key priority throughout
OUTCOMES FROM THE the country, especially with respect to poorly
PROVINCIAL DEVELOPMENT trained teachers and doctors; (iv) lack of alter-
native livelihoods to the cultivation of poppies;
PLANNING PROCESS (v) lack of vocational training for returnees and
One of the most valuable outcomes of the sub- disabled people; (vi) poor access to electricity
national consultations was the clear indication (cited in 80 percent of the PDPs), and (vii) cor-
that the 34 provinces have different develop- ruption within the public administration (men-
ment priorities. The PDPs have formed an inte- tioned in 80 percent of the PDPs, particularly
gral part of Government policy formation, pri- within the security services).
oritization, sequencing and resource allocation.
In addition, two national overriding considera-
tions emerged as critically important to any PRIORITIZATION OF THE
intervention: the importance of preserving the PILLARS
country’s Islamic religious principles, culture
and lifestyle, and ensuring equity of access to The eight ANDS pillars have been prioritized
resources and intervention. with the help of qualitative information from
the PDPs. This has been illustrated in two
Security emerged as a top priority in two-thirds ways. Figure 2.3 shows the proportional repre-
of the PDPs, most strongly in the south and the sentation of priorities within the top five sec-
east of the country. In these regions, security is tors across the 34 provinces. Unsurprisingly,
perceived as the basis on which all other devel- with 80 percent of the population relying on
opment depends. some form of agriculture, it appears as a clear
national priority. In order, the key priorities
Key issues identified by stakeholders13 include: are:
(i) lack of access to clean drinking water in all
Agriculture
provinces, for both domestic use and through-
Security
out institutions such as schools and clinics; (ii)
Education
improvement of provincial roads, with 83 per-
Governance
cent referring specifically to the need for terti-
Health
ary road services, to improve communication
Private sector
Roads
13
For a detailed breakdown and analysis of provincial priorities, Infrastructure (energy and water) and social
sequencing and integration into Sector Strategies see Volume iii protection.
of the ANDS.
Figure 2.3. Proportional representation of sectors across all 34 provinces

Table 2.4 shows the top priorities for provinces, Table 2.4. Sectors/pillars and the number of
shown for all 34 provinces. Thus in 17 out of 34 provinces in which they are a top priority
provinces security can be seen as the absolute
Sector or Pillar No. of provinces
number one priority. Roads is shown as a sub
Security 17
sector since people articulated this as a separate
Infrastructure 5
requirement from other infrastructure devel- Education 4
opment (health is not mentioned because al- Employment 3
though it appears numerous times in the top Roads 3
five priorities for provinces, it is not considered Agriculture 2
the top priority in any province). Governance 1
Figure 2.5. Top priorities of provinces – primary ranking

Figure 2.6. Top priorities of provinces – secondary ranking
Figure 2.5. Top priorities of provinces – tertiary ranking
REGIONAL VARIATION IN In the South and South East regions the major
priority is security.
PRIORITIES
In the West and Northern regions priorities are
From a regional analysis some general similari- mainly employment generation and infra-
ties can also be seen from the above map: structure development.

In the North East and Central Highlands the Community. The PDPs have made possible the
main priorities are provision of roads, edu- prioritization of provincial sectoral goals. It is
cation and agriculture. envisioned that the participation of all parts of
the community in formulating the ANDS will
The clearest message to be obtained from a continue throughout implementation of the
provincial level analysis is that every province strategy. Lessons learned have been formally
is unique in its needs, goals and priorities and integrated into the policy, planning and budg-
this should be a major consideration within the eting processes, including ongoing concerns
resource allocation process. about regional cooperation, conflict manage-
ment, counter-narcotics, anti-corruption, gen-
der, the environment and capacity building. It
CONCLUSION is assumed that integration of provincial level
The ANDS results from an extensive process of planning, budgeting and implementation with-
consultations with crucial players at the inter- in the national development process will en-
national, national, provincial and grassroots sure that the process is relevant and account-
levels. The insights provided by these consulta- able.
tions have served to highlight both national
and local priorities to form a holistic vision of
the country’s development strategy, while
keeping in mind the experiences of the interna-
tional

CHAPTER 3
THE POVERTY PROFILE

In developing the ANDS, Government has con-
sistently pursued a pro-poor growth strategy. DATA COLLECTION,
By pro-poor is meant the adoption of growth POVERTY MEASUREMENTS
enabling policies and targeted social protection
investments that result in bringing poor people
AND ESTIMATES
out of extreme poverty at an accelerated pace. The Government has undertaken extensive as-
In practice, this means that Afghanistan seeks sessments to improve its understanding of the
to ensure that the incomes of its poorest citi- determinants of poverty and the impact of
zens rise faster than the average growth of the growth and poverty reduction programs on
economy. Key findings of the Spring 1385 different income groups. In addition to the
(2006/2007) or 1386 (2007/2008) National Risk NRVA studies, the Government has relied on
and Vulnerability Assessment (NRVA) showed information from the Participatory Poverty As-
42 percent of Afghans living below the poverty sessments conducted by ACBAR (Agency Co-
line had an income of US $14 per capita per ordinating Body for Afghan Relief) and the
month. Moreover, an estimated 45 percent of FCCS (Foundation for Culture and Civil Soci-
the population was unable to purchase suffi- ety). ACBAR launched the Afghanistan Pilot
cient food to guarantee the world standard Participatory Poverty Assessment (APPPA) in
minimum food intake of 2,100 cal/day. An- several provinces to improve collective under-
other 20 percent were living just above the standing of different poverty perspectives, its
poverty line, and remained highly vulnerable. analysis and formulation into the ANDS pov-
erty reduction strategy.
In addition to the high incidence of consump-
tion disparity, there is a significant difference
in poverty levels among provinces, and be- Data Collection: National Risk and
tween rural (36 percent) and urban (21 percent) Vulnerability Assessments
communities. For example, the depth of pov- Information on the specific nature of poverty in
erty (the poverty gap) in the Northeast appears Afghanistan is restricted by limitations of qual-
to be higher than in the South, whereas the av- ity and quantity. The NRVA is the principal
erage distance between the poor and the pov- source of data, which is. based on limited
erty line seems to be larger in Badakhshan than household surveys. The 2005 NRVA covered
in Zabul. Parwan and Logar provinces have approximately 31,000 households, allowing
poverty rates of less than 10 percent while Dai- national and provincial poverty rates to be as-
kundi has a poverty rate of 77 percent; and sessed. While the 1383 (2004/05) OR 1384
among all groups,women and Kuchis experi- (2005/06) NRVA survey was a substantial im-
ence the lowest level of welfare. Gender ine- provement on previous studies, it also had sev-
quality is an important characteristic of poverty eral weaknesses, as just one season was cov-
in Afghanistan. The vast majority of women do ered. To overcome this, a separate survey was
not participate in paid work, making them conducted in Spring 1385 (2006/07) OR 1386
highly dependent on their husbands or fami- (2007/08).
lies. The literacy rate among women is much
lower (19 percent) than for men (40 percent) Ongoing data collection includes the planned
while the net primary school enrollment rate 1385/86 (2007/08) NRVA survey (principally
for girls (6-9) is around 21 percent; for for boys funded by the EC). This study will cover all
it is28 percent. seasons and the consumption module includes
The Poverty Profile 27

assessment of more food items and non-food the number at 708 Afghani per capita per
items. Moreover, stronger emphasis has been month, equal to US $14, because of the shift in
placed on survey design and the collection and the exchange rate.
computation of high quality data.
POVERTY ESTIMATES
Sub-national Consultation and the Pilot
The latest NRVA survey (Spring 1385 (2006/07)
Participatory Poverty Assessment
indicates that 42 percent of the population lives
The ANDS sub-national consultation process below the CBN poverty line (figure 3.2). That
has contributed to a far deeper understanding is, almost half of the Afghan population is un-
of the specific nature of poverty in the Afghan able to purchase a basic food basket to provide
context. Consultations were held in all prov- 2,100 calories consumption per day.
inces, with discussions on critical priorities for
poverty reduction such as education, health,
water and sanitation, agriculture and social
protection. Women comprised 46 percent of
those who took an active part in these discus-
sions.14
Box 3.1. Voices of the poor

“The poor are the ones with an empty stom-
ach,” or “the poor are the ones who do not
have enough milk to make yogurt.” Fur-
thermore, Afghan citizens describe poverty
“as being an incapacity to plan for the fu-
ture,” and the poor as “those who are unable
to foresee what will happen tomorrow.” One
man in Bamiyan province defined poverty
by saying, “The poor are the ones who can
be sick today and dead the next day”.
Interviews by: MoWA, 2007
Poverty measurement: cost of basic

needs analysis
The Cost of Basic Needs (CBN) represents the
level of per capita expenditure at which the
members of a household can be expected to
meet their basic needs, comprising food and
non-food items. An analysis based on NRVA
1383 (2004/05) OR 1384 (2005/06) yielded a
CBN poverty line for Afghanistan of about 593
Afghani per capita per month, or around US
$14 (at 1383 (2004) OR 1384 (2005/06) prices).
An update of that assessment last Spring put
14
‘A nomad woman from Balkh province stated that this was the
first time she had attended the meeting on behalf of nomad wom-
en of this province in order to present her opinions for the welfare
and prosperity of the country. “We would be glad if the govern-
ment continues to pursue such policy. Nomads like any other
people in the society would also benefit from this process”. Fari-
da Kochi, representative of Balkh‘ Source: ANDS Sub-national
Consultation, 1385 (2006/07 OR 1386 (2007/08).

Figure 3.2. Regional poverty comparisons
Seasonality and poverty (2004/05) OR 1384 (2005/06) NRVA, a 25 per-

cent increase in the number of people living
Poverty levels in Afghanistan vary by season. below the poverty line would means that 53
This further compounds the understanding of percent of the Afghan population is living in
poverty in Afghanistan. The Food Security poverty. A 25 percent downward shift would
Monitoring Survey (FSMS) suggests that reduce the poverty rate to 14 percent. Table 3.4
households tend to have the richest consump- highlights the potential impact of consumption
tion in summer following the harvest, with shocks on poverty incidence.
more restricted food consumption during win-
ter, especially in March.15 Table 3.4. Impact of consumption on poverty
rate16
Box 3.3. Seasonality and poverty Base case 5% shock 10% shock
Sector
During apring we plant, in winter we har- (% poverty) (% poverty) (% poverty)
vest so in autumn and winter we have Kuchi 30% 33% 38%
enough food. At the end of winter and the Rural 36% 40% 45%
beginning of spring we do not have Urban 21% 25% 29%
enough.” Female participant, Shawak vil- Total 33% 38% 42%
lage, Badakhshan.
Source: APPPA final report, Month, 1386 POVERTY IN AFGHANISTAN:
(March 2008) MAIN CHARACTERISTICS OF
INEQUALITY
Vulnerability Afghanistan has the lowest level of economic
The 1383 (2004/05) OR 1384 (2005/06) NRVA inequality in South Asia as measured by the
showed that 20 percent of the population is Gini coefficient Significant inequality does ex-
living very close to the poverty line, which in- ist between many segments of Afghan society,
dicates thateven very small consumption however. The variation in poverty among the
shocks can tip many additional people into po- rural, Kuchi REMINDER TO EXPLAIN WHO
verty very quickly. For instance, a 5 percent KUCHIS ARE IN INTRO and urban popula-
reduction in caloric intake across the board will tions is of great importance. Meanwhile, gen-
cause the poverty as defined above rate to rise der inequality in Afghanistan is one of the
from 33 to 38 percent. According to the 1383 world’s highest.
15
Source: Understanding Poverty in Afghanistan, Analysis and
recommendations using National Risk & Vulnerability Assess-
ment (NRVA) 2005 and Spring 2007, WB, October 30, 2007.
16
Source: 1383 (2004/05) OR 1384 (2005/06)
NRVA , WB Staff Estimation

Consumption Disparity Table 3.6. Estimated poverty headcount rates
and food insecurity in 1385 (Spring 2007). 17
Consumption inequality is a serious concern.
The World Bank has estimated (based on the Kuchi poverty shares many of the core charac-
1383 (2004/05) OR 1384 (2005/06) NRVA) that teristics of rural poverty, although food insecu-
the bottom 10 percent of the population ac- rity is not as high as in the case of rural house-
counts for 3.6 percent of total holds (table 3.6). Significantly, the poorest Ku-
CALORIC/FOOD consumption while the bot- chis are those who have settled.
tom 30 percent accounts for 15.6 percent of total
consumption. Combined with very low overall Food CBN Food insecurity
Sector
levels of consumption, this indicates that the poverty poverty index
poorest population suffers from high levels of Kuchi 40% 45% 39%
deprivation (table 3.5). Rural 45% 45% 39%
Urban 41% 27% 37%
Table 3.5. Share of consumption by quintile National 45% 42% 39%
Group Share of total consump- These disparities are reflected in primary

tion (%) school enrollment rates (table 3.7), though in
Bottom 10 % 3.6 this regards, the Kuchi population is particu-
Bottom 30 % 15.6 larly disadvantaged.
Top 30% 47.8
Top 10% 21.1 Table 3.7. Enrollment rates (ages 6-9)18
Top 1% 3.5
Group Female (%) Male (%) All (%)
Poverty also varies significantly between prov- Kuchi 5.0 5.8 5.4
inces. Poverty headcount rates vary from Rural 20.1 28.8 24.6
around 10 percent to more than 70 percent, Urban 34.7 34.9 34.8
with conditions more severe in the Northeast, All 21.2 28.4 24.9
Central Highlands and parts of the Southeast.
Entire provinces, such as Daikundi, Badakh-
shan, Zabul and Paktika represent large pock- Characteristics of Rural Poverty
ets of poverty. Afghanistan’s rural population—is for ap-
proximately 80 percent of the national total.
The 1383 (2004/05) OR 1384 (2005/06) NRVA The chief characteristic of rural poverty is high
indicates a significant disparity in poverty be- food insecurity and a lack of access to infra-
tween rural and Kuchi populations compared structure and basic public services. Rural Af-
to urban populations. Around 45 percent of ghans suffer from a high degree of illiteracy
rural and Kuchi populations appear to be poor, and a low level of education. Rural households
as opposed to 27 percent of urban residents. are highly dependent on agriculture, although
Rural populations have the highest rates of non-farm activity has begun to play a bigger
food insecurity, with 45 percent failing to meet role in the survival strategy of the rural poor.
minimum daily food requirements. Moreover, The poorest of rural households are those who
it is noted that 40 percent of the Kuchi popula- live in remote and mountainous areas, who do
tion and 41 percent of the urban population are not possess land or livestock, and whose head
also unable to meet their minimum food intake of family is illiterate or without any education..
(table 3.6).
17
4: The World Bank based on 1383 (Spring 2007) survey.
18
Source: World Bank Staff Estimates based on 1383 (2004/05)
OR 1384 (2005/06) NRVA. [I can’t make it any smaller with my
Word commands

Characteristics of Poverty among food and rent. Income fluctuation, job insecu-
Kuchis rity and high indebtedness are core characteris-
tics of the “poverty trap” in which many of the
Kuchis are nomadic pastoralists, estimated to urban poor are caught.
total 1.5 million people, are heavily dependent
on livestock and migration patterns for their
livelihood. In recent years, 15 percent of Kuchi Gender Inequality
families have been forced to cease migration Gender inequality is an important aspect of
and settle. Reasons for settling include loss of poverty in Afghanistan. The vast majority of
livestock due to recent droughts and insecurity, women do not participate in paid economic
which has disrupted traditional migratory activities, which makes them highly dependent
routes. But the biggest cause of being settled is on their husbands or families. In spite of this,
growing banditry and local crime as well as women, especially in rural areas, actively con-
conflict over grazing areas with non-Kuchi tribute to the household income through em-
populations. The failure of local authorities to ployment (often unpaid) in agriculture and
deal with disputes over traditional pasture livestock activities. Nevertheless, the gender
rights has already led to a number of conflicts gap remains large with the literacy rate among
and increased poverty among Kuchis. Kuchi women much lower (19percent) than for men
poverty shares many of the core characteristics (40 percent; net primary school enrollment rate
of rural poverty, although food insecurity is not for girls aged 6 to 9 is around 21 percent; for
as high as in the case of rural households (table boys it is 28percent) (table 3.7). Because of this
3.6). Significantly, the poorest Kuchis are those lack of education and employment opportuni-
who have settled. ties, female-headed households are closely cor-
related with high poverty rates.22
Characteristics of Urban Poverty
Urban poverty and food insecurity is less than MOST IMPORTANT CAUSES
among the rural and Kuchi populations How- OF POVERTY: POVERTY
ever, recent research regarding urban liveli-
hoods from a European Commission funded CORRELATES
project suggests that urban poverty is increas- A number of factors contribute to poverty, in-
ing, and is positively correlated with the grow- cluding a lack of infrastructure, limited access
ing urban population.19 Many informal settle- to markets, social inequality, historical and on-
ments around major cities have been built in going conflict and various other constraints on
order to accommodate migrant workers, re- productivity. The APPPA found that the key
turnees and others. For years these suburbs determinants of poverty were: (i) a weak assets
have been one of the largest neglected pockets base; (ii) ineffective institutions, weak regional
of poverty. Several recent studies have con- governance, service delivery and corruption;
cluded that low paid employment does not weak social protection and social inequalities;
guarantee that citizens live above the poverty and (iii) vulnerability to conflict, natural disas-
line.20 Due to poor daily wages, many urban ters and a decreasing rule of law combined
workers fall into the category of the “working with an increase in basic costs and population;
poor”.21 Employment insecurity leads to in- food insecurity in the winter season and (iv)
come irregularities and to a chronic shortage of non-diverse livelihoods. Source: APPPA Final
money. Many urban poor households lack Report, March 2008.
money to survive day to day, and are forced to
take short term loans for such basic needs as
19
Urban Livelihoods in Afghanistan, Jo Beall and Stefan
Cshutte, August 2006.
20
Study on Chronically Poor Women in Afghanistan (Draft), 22
1385 (March 2007) As a recent APPPA Final Report stated, “We women have no
rights or decision-making power. The men make decisions inside
21
Working poor is a term used to describe individuals and fami- and outside the house. This is normal for us.” Female participant,
lies who maintain regular employment but remain in relative Bai Sar Community, Herat. Source: APPPA, Final Report, 1386
poverty due to low levels of pay and dependent expenses. (March 2008).

Literacy levels has greater earning potential and is less likely
to be poor. Access to education by the lowest
Poverty is highly correlated with literacy skills. consumption quintileis low, resulting in a low-
The 1383 (2004/05) OR 1384 (2005/06) NRVA
er net primary school enrollment rate.24 The
reports that the poverty rate for households
1383 (2004/05) OR 1384 (2005/06) NRVA also
with illiterate heads is 37 percent, compared to
highlights a significant gender disparity in net
23 percent among households head by literate
primary school enrollment, especially among
members. Citizens with even a primary educa-
Kuchi and in rural areas, while the disparity in
tion experience poverty at a rate up to 10 per-
urban areas remains small.
cent less than families with uneducated heads.
Access to health facilities

Agriculture and livestock are posi-
tively correlated with poverty A lack of access to health facilities and poverty
are closely related. Higher household con-
The 1383 (2004/05) OR 1384 (2005/06 NRVA sumption is associated with more frequent vis-
report found that households dependent on its to health facilities and higher vaccination
agriculture and livestock activities are among rates of children (see box 3.8). Access to the
the poorest. Meanwhile, a large proportion of Basic Package of Health Services (BPHS) has
households in the top two consumption quin- significantly improved, covering 85 percent of
tiles derive their income from trade and ser- the population in 1384 (2005/06) OR 1385
vices. Education, literacy and access to major (2006/07). This has contributed to a reduction
roads are also highly correlated with greater in the poverty rate in these areas.
involvement in non-farming activities..
Box 3.8. Health and hospital services in the

Asset ownership and crop diversifica- provinces
tion “We don’t have a clinic here but if you are
Lack of land and livestock ownership is associ- lucky enough to be able to drive the 30 kilo-
ated with lower poverty.23 Small land owners, meters to the nearest hospital you find doc-
landless families and families without livestock tors who are not professional, who don’t pay
are in most cases poor. Moreover, ownership attention to you, and who tell you to go out
of non irrigated land is strongly associated and buy your own medicine.” Female par-
with levels of poverty with families who are ticipant, Papchi village, Herat.
engaged in cultivating rain fed land much Source: APPPA, final report, 1386 (March 2008)
poorer than families that cultivate irrigated
land. Equally, livestock ownership appears to
decrease economic vulnerability. Urban fami-
Other important causes of poverty
lies without home ownership are highly vul-
nerable as they have to allocate large parts of A number of other factors are linked with pov-
income to paying rent. Moreover, crop diversi- erty in Afghanistan:
fication appears to be an important spring
board strategy for escaping poverty. Indebtedness: a lack of job security, irregular
income, pressure to buy food and having to
pay rent forces many rural and urban poor
to increase their borrowing.
Access to education Remoteness: the NRVA data indicate poverty is

much lower in areas that are close to the
Poverty reduction and economic growth are main roads (i.e. the Ring Road). Topog-
closely associated with educational level. As raphical remoteness and the lack of access
highlighted above, a literate head of household to major roads remains a major cause of
poverty.
23
According to the WB analysis based on 1383 (2004/05) OR
1384 (2005/06) NRVA more than 70 percent of households in 24
Afghanistan are engaged in agriculture livestock activities. Net primary enrollment rate is the proportion of primary school
children (age 6-9) enrolled in primary grades.

Female household heads and disability: re- Female Headed Households
search conducted by MoWA identified fe-
male households as being having higher According to 1383 (2004/05) OR 1384 (2005/06)
rates of poverty. Having a disabled head NRVA data, female-headed households com-
of household or a disabled family member prise approximately 2.5% of Afghan house-
is also associated with higher poverty. holds. These households are typically highly
vulnerable to economic shocks, with a signifi-
The remaining causes of poverty include: (i) cant number not having a single able-bodied
security; (ii) large households with small chil- income earner.
dren; (iii) poor access to basic services (water
and electricity), and (iv) natural disasters. Disabled, internally displaced and ex-
tremely vulnerable poor
Box 3.9. Poverty and natural disasters
Afghanistan has one of the largest rates of dis-
“In the spring the river overflows. There is ability in the world. According to Handicap
no retaining wall and our lands are dam- International there are roughly 800,000 dis-
aged.” Male participant in APPPA consulta- abled people in Afghanistan. The unemploy-
tion, Bai Sar community, Herat. ment rate among these groups is almost 90 per-
cent. The country also has a large number of
Source: APPPA final report, 1386 (March 2008
internally displaced persons (IDPs). The high
vulnerability to natural disasters, ongoing con-
flict and forceful repatriation of the refugees
WHO THE POOR ARE: THE from the neighboring countries contributes to
MOST VULNERABLE GROUPS overall poverty. Increasing migration to cities,
job insecurity, indebtedness and the collapse of
According to the 1385 (Spring 2007) survey, traditional safety nets has pushed many urban
approximately 10 million Afghans, or roughly poor into extreme poverty.
42 percent of the population, live below the
poverty line and do not meet their daily food
or non-food requirements. While high rates of POLICY FRAMEWORK FOR
poverty continue among Kuchi and rural
households, the incidence of poverty is increas-
POVERTY REDUCTION
ing in urban areas and large city suburbs as Poverty in Afghanistan is complex and multi-
well. dimensional. The NRVA surveys reveal the
severity of poverty, with one in two Afghans
being classified as poor. Further, a large num-
Families with a large number of small ber of people live just above the poverty line
children and are highly vulnerable to natural, security
Afghanistan has one of the largest child popu- and price-based shocks.
lations and a low average family income. This
exposes families with a large number of small To address this, the policy framework for the
children to economic shocks. Moreover, the ANDS is premised on the following principles:
country also has one of the highest under-5
infant mortality rates in the world. Children of Promotion of pro-poor growth: the Govern-
that age are the most vulnerable because they ment will tackle poverty first and foremost
require high quality nutrition and other forms by promoting strong, equitable and broad-
of child care unaffordable to most families. based private sector-led growth. In paral-
Many rural and urban children are forced to lel, fiscally affordable social protection
work to bolster family incomes, resulting in safety nets will be undertaken as part of
widespread child labor and dropping out of regular Government business.
school, thereby trapping the children in an end- Promotion of pro-poor budgeting: the most
less cycle of poverty. important sectors affecting poverty and
poverty reduction, including security, edu-
cation, health, and social protection, will
see budget allocations maintained or in-
creased over the medium term.

Allocation of adequate resources to the poorest a clearer understanding. The forthcoming Cen-
areas: although past expenditure alloca- sus Survey will play an important role in en-
tions were in favor of the pro-poor sectors, hancing the understanding of poverty. The ca-
actual spending has not always been well pacity of the Statistical Office for data collec-
focused to benefit the poor and vulnerable. tion of key poverty and development indicators
will need to be strengthened. Moreover, the
Provision of balanced support to the Kuchis,
Government will continue to improve its own
rural and urban poor: the majority of Gov-
capacity to undertake poverty analysis within
ernment and donor interventions have
the CSO and other Government agencies.
been aimed at supporting the rural poor.
Future support to the Kuchis, rural and ur-
ban poor will be based on levels of poverty.
Focus on the poorest and most vulnerable:
given the huge needs and scarce resources HIGH PRIORITY SECTOR
of the Government and the international POLICIES FOR POVERTY
community, the poverty reduction strategy
will need to prioritize the targeting the
REDUCTION
poorest of the poor.
Improve donor coordination and aid- Security, maintaining strong growth
effectiveness: donor support and improved and macroeconomic stability
donor coordination together with the eli- Maintaining steady growth rates of between 7
mination of duplication in delivering assis- and 9 percent of the GDP (in real terms)
tance to the poor is essential to the success through the promotion of the private sector is
of the ANDS poverty reduction strategy. expected to lead to a reduction in the national
Strengthen the capacity for data collection and headcount poverty rate of around 2 percent
poverty analysis: institutional capacity for annually. Equitable growth distribution is the
data collection and poverty analysis will precondition for broad based poverty reduc-
need to improve in order to better inform tion. This will require higher budget expendi-
policies for poverty reduction. The Gov- ture in the critical sectors of health, education
ernment will actively mainstream the pov- and social protection, and higher levels of pub-
erty focus throughout monitoring and data lic spending in the poorest provinces and in
collection mechanisms. remote areas where poverty levels are high.
Build a partnership between the Government Maintaining macroeconomic stability, includ-

and NGOs: the role of NGOs in delivering ing prudent fiscal policies, is critical to growth,
services to the Afghan poor is recognized. as is maintaining price stability and single-digit
Strengthening the Government’s policy inflation rates. Improving the security envi-
making capacity needs to be combined ronment would significantly contribute to pov-
with a strengthening of the partnership erty reduction, leading to increased economic
with NGOs in the area of service delivery. activity and the preservation of human capital
and household assets. Moreover, it would de-
Implementation, monitoring and increase internal displacement and reduce pres-
sure on impoverished urban dwellers due to
stitutional strengthening
the migration of more impoverished rural fami-
Implementation and monitoring of the ANDS lies to the cities.
poverty reduction policies will be main-
streamed through the sector strategies. How-
ever, the evaluation of the overall ANDS sector Generating employment and labor
policies for poverty reduction will be evaluated market policies
separately to inform policy makers about their Given widespread low-productivity employ-
effectiveness. The NRVA will remain the main ment and the large number of jobless, em-
tool for data collection on matters of poverty. ployment generation is one of the most impor-
However, the introduction of the household tant weapons in reducing poverty. An im-
budget survey and strengthening of the CPI proved security and business environment will
and national income data will also contribute to support stronger private sector growth, which

will gradually become the main source of em- Social protection and urban develop-
ployment and the main instrument of poverty ment
reduction. This requires expanding the mining
and oil and gas sector. The Government, sup- Social protection programs will focus on sup-
ported by the donors, will increase public work porting the most vulnerable and the poorest of
activities and their presence in the poorest the poor. This includes “children at risk,”
provinces. The National Solidarity Program chronically poor women, poor disabled, men-
(NSP) will continue to play an important role in tally ill who have no family protection, ne-
generating jobs and income for the rural poor. glected elders and drug addicts.
Skills development programs will expand to
help the unemployed obtain qualifications that Many urban homes are built without the neces-
are in genuine demand. Moreover, public ad- sary construction permits, creating uncertainty
ministration will employ more women and and risk for typically poor families. To address
disabled people. Labor market regulation and this uncertainty, the Ministry of Urban Devel-
pension reforms will be improved to provide opment will include pro-poor urban develop-
protection from private employers, especially ment programs. The first priority will be to
for workers engaged in the informal economy. legalize construction in residential areas and
develop basic infrastructure to improve public
service delivery.
Education and health
Education and health will remain the priority Malnutrition is one of the major causes of the
sectors for public spending. The Government country’s high under 5 infant mortality rate,
will continue its policy of providing free uni- with the poor being the most vulnerable. The
versal education. Increasing the literacy and Government will consider introducing the Za-
net primary school enrollment rates and de- kat-based PLEASE I.D. ZAKAT tax to increase
creasing the number of school drop-outs will allocations for social programs to support these
be the main contribution of the education sec- programs.
tor to poverty reduction. Higher attention will
be given to supporting disabled peoples’ access Agriculture and rural development
to facilities, including specialized institutions
and the adjustment of schools and universities Rural development and agriculture are key
to meet their needs. sectors for improving rural livelihoods. Access
to markets has been indicated as an important
The Health sector will continue to be strength- determinant for rural poverty in Afghanistan.
ened. Building new health centers in rural and Programs to support crop diversification, tar-
poor urban areas will be a priority for health geted livestock, orchards, and the distribution
sector public spending. The special needs of and provision of farming implements will con-
disabled will be better accounted for in the Ba- tribute to poverty reduction among the rural
sic Package of Health Services (BPHS). poor. IImproved access to rural all-weather
roads, sanitation, electricity, job opportunities
and promoting rural enterprises will also make
an significant difference. These programs are
Two major issues that contribute to women’s important tools for rural income generation
poverty are a lack of maternal heath services and for the elimination of poppy cultivation.
and education for girls. Both issues are caused
by a lack of facilities and are linked with the
Water and irrigation
need for health services designed for women
and girls. In relation to the provision of mater- Investments in water management and irriga-
nal health services, there is a great need for fe- tion will significantly contribute to higher food
male doctors and trained mid-wives to offer security and poverty reduction for those who
culturally appropriate health services. Af- currently farm on rain fed land. Along with
ghanistan has one of the highest rates of popu- malnutrition, lack of access to clean water, poor
lation growth among developing nations, and sanitation and sewage are among the main
despite strong cultural limitations, the overall causes of high infant mortality. To address
poverty reduction strategy will need to encour- this, the Government will increase public
age family planning. spending to improve access to clean water.

Disaster preparedness and commu- licly disseminated. Civil society and sub-
nity-based insurance schemes national level bodies will be consulted in prep-
aration of the ANDS updates. Qualitative and
Natural disasters, particularly droughts and quantitative assessments and analysis will be
floods, are one of the major causes of vulner- provided to NGOs on a regular basis to obtain
ability among the poor. The destruction of their input on the key priorities for poverty
crops due to drought represents a higher pov- reduction. The role of the NGOs in delivering
erty risk than sickness or loss of a working fam- services to the poor will increase, as will their
ily member. Building more efficient disaster role in providing the Government with the
preparedness and response will decrease the “voices of the poor” and policy advice.
risk of falling into poverty. Further, the Gov-
ernment will initiate the establishment of
community- based crop insurance schemes to CONCLUSION
enable the poor to minimize the consequences
During the pre-harvest 1385 (Spring 2007), the
of a lost harvest.
NRVA estimated that 42 percent of the popula-
tion was below the poverty line. A great many
Energy and transport more people remain vulnerable to falling below
the poverty line as a result of rising food and
Expansion of the national road network, in- fuel prices or bad weather. Great reliance is
cluding construction of additional rural roads, being placed on private sector-led development
will allow poor households to diversify income and growth to create sustainable employment
generation, from low profit crops to more prof- and market opportunities. It is these opportu-
itable activities such as trade, services and nities that will allow the majority of Afghans to
small businesses. Investment in transmission improve their lives and pull themselves out of
lines and power generation will increase access chronic poverty. As the ANDS sector strategies
to electricity, improving productivity. are implemented, great effort is being made to
use participatory and consultative processes to
Social protection safety nets will be strength-
better understand the needs of the poorest and
ened to ensure that the poor can cope with the
most vulnerable groups and to inform the de-
planned elimination of energy subsidies, which
sign of appropriate programs to address those
will increase the risk of poor and marginal
needs. The real needs are so enormous that
households falling further into poverty, espe-
substantial interventions are indeed required to
cially urban households.
provide real assistance to the neediest, particu-
larly women burdened with both child care
Justice and anti-corruption responsibilities and social constraints, and the
disabled, who are given too few opportunities
Greater access to justice, especially for women, for full participation in society, where they
is an important component of the ANDS goal might take advantage of improved employ-
of empowering the poor and providing grea- ment and market advantages. Special pro-
terprotection to victims of violence. Justice re- grams must be put in place to target these
form will also improve the business environ- groups, so that they too can share in the bene-
ment and increase investments and job genera- fits from economic and social development
tion. The ANDS will also reduce corruption in programs. This is important not only on hu-
key sectors such as justice, health, public ad- manitarian grounds but in terms of building
ministration and education, which will have the community cohesion that is the foundation
significant benefits for the poor. of a tolerant and compassionate Islamic state.
Empowering the poor: the role of

NGOs
Expanding the service delivery and policy in-
put role of NGOs and civil society is crucial to
reducing poverty. This is strengthened by the
ANDS’ participatory structure within Afghan
society. ANDS progress reports will be pub-

PART II
THE NATIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
STRATEGY
CHAPTER 4
MACROECONOMIC FRAMEWORK
High, sustainable, broad-based economic sufficient levels of investment and which will
growth and the preparation of a viable macro- encourage the employment of human, financial
economic framework are indispensable for and natural resources in the most productive
poverty reduction and employment creation. ways possible. A critical element in achieving
The overall growth strategy of the ANDS is this objective will be to substantially increase
based on a firm policy of private sector-led investment in the development of capacity of
growth. During the last five years, per capita the workforce in order to expand employment
income nearly doubled from US $147 to US opportunities and increase incomes.
$289. Comparable economic growth will be
needed over the next five years if the poverty The ability to implement the projects and pro-
reduction goals of the ANDS are to be grams included in the ANDS depends upon the
achieved. This will require a supportive envi- resources that will be available. This chapter
ronment for social and economic development, presents summaries of the macroeconomic pro-
which will depend crucially on making signifi- jections for the next five years on which esti-
cant progress toward improving security, mates of available resources are based and pro-
eliminating the narcotics industry, reducing jections of the domestic and donor financial
corruption and strengthening governance. resources that will be required to implement
Equally important will be the continued main- the ANDS. In order to ensure that sufficient
tenance of sound and stable macroeconomic resources will be available, the Government
policies. has made a significant increase in domestic
revenues a high priority.
Past high growth experience does not guaran-
tee similar high rates of growth in the future. Fiscal policies will remain a central policy tool
The strong economic performance of recent for macroeconomic stability, public resource
years reflects substantial public investment in allocation, and implementation of the devel-
reconstruction activities and a large influx of opment strategy, all of which are essential to
foreign assistance. We cannot assume equiva- sustained robust economic growth. Foreign
lent contributions to economic growth in the assistance (including core and external budget)
coming five years. While public/donor in- has averaged 40 percent of GDP for the past
vestment will undoubtedly continue to be im- five years. There are two major challenges to
portant in the near term, private economic ac- fiscal policy in deciding how to make effective
tivity must be increased if long term growth is use of foreign assistance for growth and devel-
to be sustained and the benefits of develop- opment,. One is to align distribution of finan-
ment extended to the entire population. cial resources (including domestic revenues
and foreign assistance) with ANDS prioritiza-
The drivers of economic growth are the rate of tion. The other is to improve absorption capac-
investment and the rate of improvement in ity; to improve both the quantity and the qual-
productivity. A key strategic objective of the ity of projects and project execution.
ANDS is to establish a secure economic envi-
ronment in which it will be possible to attract
Macroeconomic Framework 39
Table 4.1. Macroeconomic projections
1385 1386 1387 1388 1389 1390 1391

2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13
Real sector (annual percent change)
Real GDP (excluding opium) 6.1 13.5 9.0 9.0 8.0 7.7 7.0
Nominal GDP (excluding opium) 9.5 24.1 19.8 16.4 14.2 13.2 12.1
Consumer Price Index 5.1 9.8 10.2 7.2 6.0 5.4 5.0
Fiscal sector (percent of GDP)
Total expenditures (A) 21.55 22.6 23.0 24.2 23.5 22.6 22.0
Revenues/Financing (B) (operat-
20.1 21.2 21.5 22.5 22.6 21.7 21.4
ing and development)
Budget balance (B minus A) -1.4 -1.4 -1.5 -1.8 -0.9 -0.9 -0.6
Fiscal sustainability indicator
(domestic revenues as % of oper- 66.3 67.0 69.9 72.0 82.9 91.4 100.1
ating expenditures)
Monetary sector (percent of GDP)
Net foreign assets 30.1 26.7 24.0 19.3 16.5 13.9 12.4
Net domestic sales -14.1 -12.0 -9.2 -5.5 -3.4 -1.5 -0.6
External sector (percent of GDP)
Merchandise trade balance -70.1 -67.6 -64.5 -52.7 -46.3 -39.0 -33.4
Current account balance, includ-
-6.3 -1.4 -0.1 -0.7 -2.6 -3.6 -4.5
ing official transfers
Foreign direct investment 3.4 3.3 3.3 3.4 3.9 4.0 4.1
Memorandum items (percent of GDP)
External budget (= grants) 55.4 54.5 51.6 38.0 30.8 23.6 18.0
LINKING GROWTH WITH Working poor: Low salaries subject many un-
employed to the risk of falling below the
POVERTY REDUCTION AND poverty line. The poor are concentrated
EMPLOYMENT CREATION primarily in the informal sector, which
pays very low salaries and leaves them
A growth strategy is the backbone of the
without job protection.
ANDS. Poverty in Afghanistan is high by any
standard. Estimated poverty incidence ranges High poverty and unemployment rates, and-
from 34 percent around harvest season to as their specific characteristics, suggest that there
much as 42 percent in the leaner season. The is a need to sustain high growth rates in the
unemployment rate hovers at around medium-term (sustainability) and that the result
40 percent. High annual average growth rates of high growth will be to reduce poverty and
of 12 percent over the past few years appear to generate employment (quality).include the
have had helped reduce poverty and generate opium economy, this sector has nonetheless
employment at the margins, which are un- provided job opportunities and some degree of
doubtedly hard to measure (see Poverty Profile poverty reduction. However, dependence on
chapter). Afghanistan’s poverty and unem- foreign assistance and the opium economy will
ployment have the following key characteris- not be sustainable in the medium-term. A shift
tics: to private sector led economic growth is cru-
cial.
High vulnerability: A significant number of
Afghans are concentrated around the poverty Quality growth rates: High growth should
line, especially among the rural population. lead directly to poverty reduction and em-
The concentration around the poverty line im- ployment generation. For this reason, identify-
plies that even small shocks could further in- ing the most promising potential sources of
crease the national poverty rate. growth is important. For example, while agri-
Seasonality: Poverty has strong seasonality culture accounts for just 27 percent of GDP (ex-
and uneven dispersion across the country. cluding opium), it employs roughly three quar-
ters of the labor force. Since a sudden shift of

the labor force from agriculture to other sec- which accounts for approximately 75 percent of
tors is unrealistic, increasing agricultural pro- agricultural output, is particularly susceptible
ductivity overall is a far more promising to weather conditions.) In the industrial sector,
aprach to improving sustainable growth rates. manufacturing and construction, heavily sup-
ported by reconstruction activities and foreign
assistance, contributed equally to growth.
State of the economy and constraints Within manufacturing, “food, beverage and
to growth tobacco” dominated, followed by a few other
Economic growth has been high but volatile. significant categories. Services, transportation,
Between 1381 and 1385, (2002-2006) the annual government services, and wholesale and retail
average growth rate was 11.7 percent, the high- trading also contributed significantly to eco-
est in the region. Sector breakdowns show con- nomic growth.
siderable variety across the economy however,
with agriculture, accounting for almost one-
third of the GNP, experiencing the greatest
volatility. (Figure 4.1). (Cereal production,
Figure 4.2. Contribution to growth rates
One of the most significant developmental

achievements has been the maintenance of ma-
croeconomic stability. Successful currency re-
form in Jaddi 1381 (January 2003), in concert
with a prudent fiscal and monetary policy (e.g.
no-overdraft policy to finance the budget defi-
cits) has contributed to macroeconomic stabil-
ity as reflected in the deceleration of inflation
rates and stable nominal exchange rates (fig-
ure 4.3).25
25
SY1386 (Equivalent of SY 2007/08) inflation rates are likely to
increase to around 10 percent due to higher fuel prices and subse- appreciation of real exchange rates. This leads to the issue of
quent increases in basic commodity prices. Stable nominal ex- “Dutch Disease” and competitiveness.
change rates (in combination with higher than US inflation) mean
Figure 4.3. Macroeconomic stability
In flat ion R at es E x cha nge R a te s

30 60
58
25 Infla tion r a te s ( LH S)
56
54
20
Ex c ha nge r a te s ( R HS )
52
15 50
48
10
46
44
5
42
0 40
SY 13 8 1 S Y1 3 82 SY 1 38 3 SY 13 8 4 S Y1 3 85 SY 1 38 6
Due to increasing challenges posed by insecu- the most detrimental effects of foreign assis-
rity in some areas of the country, opium has tance and ward off any potential “Dutch Dis-
become Afghanistan’s leading economic activ- ease” effects.
ity.26 Opium production increased in 1385-
1386 (2007) by 34 percent, to 8,200 tons. The
impact of the opium economy on the larger
economy, polity, and society is profound, and
includes some short-term economic benefits for
the rural population. However, these are vastly
outweighed by its adverse effects on security,
political normalization, and state building, all
key to high, sustainable and quality growth.
During the past five years foreign assistance

has averaged about 40 percent of GDP, of
which roughly one-third was channeled
through the core budget while the remainder
was spent outside the government budget sys-
tem (Figure 4.4).27 One of the Government’s
key macroeconomic28 policy objectives will be
to use fiscal and monetary policy to mitigate
26
Data is taken from “Afghanistan: Opium Survey 2007 (1386)”
(UNODC, October 2007 Mizan 1386)).
27
There is a possibility of significant underreport-
ing/underestimation of external assistance (especially on security)
in recent few years.
28
This is cited directly from “Responding to Afghanistan’s De-
velopment Challenge: An Assessment of Experience During
2002-2007 and Issues and Priorities for the Future” (William
Byrd, World Bank South Asia PREM Working Paper Series,
Report No. SASPR-11, October 2007 (Mizan 1386)).

Figure 4.4. Size of foreign assistance
Afghanistan faces daunting challenges to its increasing linkages among key Government
goal of achieving high, sustainable and quality figures and the drug industry;
growth led by the private sector. In recent
continued insecurity in some parts of the coun-
years, a disturbing equilibrium has been evolv-
try;
ing (figure 4.5), driven by an increase in infor-
mal activities that negatively impact on the rule modalities by which most aid is delivered cou-
of law, thereby weakening governance and the pled with disappointing results thus far
effectiveness of state institutions. This suggests despite large aid inflows. DO YOU MEAN
that certain key aspects of state building are “the disappointing results of current meth-
going off-track, and that overall progress is be- ods of aid distrubution, despite large aid
ing threatened by the following: inflow from donors”
emerging political patterns in which conflict-

generated political groupings play an in-
creasingly important role;
Figure 4.5. The Evolving Informal Equilibrium
GROWTH PROJECTION AND Industry: Industry is expected to grow 9 per-
cent per year, supported by high invest-
STRATEGY ment (average investment is 34 percent of
The average annual economic growth rate is GDP). The main source of investment is
projected to be 8.1 percent for 1387-1391 (2008- expected to shift from public investment to
2012). In subsequent years, growth rates are private investment,) with domestic invest-
projected to gradually decelerate from 9.0 per- ment initially leading foreign direct in-
cent in 1387 (2008/09) to 7.0 percent in 1391 vestment.
(2011/12) (Figure 4.5). This growth scenario Services: The services sector is also expected to
envisages the following developments: grow by 9 percent. Although still high in
absolute terms, this is lower than the pre-
Agriculture: Agriculture is expected to grow 5 vious years’ average (14.5 percent).
percent per year, the same rate as the aver-
age growth rates for 1382-86 (2003-2007).
Figure 4.6. Medium term growth projections
A key assumption underlying this ambitious ening of public financial management and of
growth projection is the role to be played by the external and public accountability mecha-
the private sector over the projection period. nism (e.g. external audit, National Assembly
This assumption is based on the understanding review).
that strong private sector development will
create new opportunities for employment and Responding to the challenge of the opium
thereby help reduce poverty. At the same time, economy: Recent experience has demon-
it is essential to short circuit the existing in- strated that the key to success is to focus
formal equilibrium using the following strate- on those parts of the drug industry that
gies: pose the greatest danger to the nation and
its development agenda: large drug traf-
Strengthening governance: Fighting corrup- fickers and their sponsors. Some strategies
tion will require credible demonstrations by could include:
high-level Government officials of a strong
o Focus eradication efforts on wealthier
commitment to and clarification of institutional
opium poppy cultivating areas and ar-
arrangements; public administration reform
eas that are new to poppy cultivation;
should include: merit-based selection and ap-
pointment of civil servants; improved govern-
ance at the sub-national level; further strength-

o Increase interdiction efforts against Electricity: Engage the private sector in expe-
medium and large drug traffickers and diting power generation and distribution
their sponsors; projects in urban centers as well as in rural
areas. Specific strategies include:
o Actors involved in the drug industry
who are discovered to hold powerful o Developing the legal framework to
“legitimate” positions in government permit and encourage power genera-
or private sector should be removed tion and distribution by the private sec-
and prosecuted; tor;
o The government should focus on sen- o Accelerating the execution of priority
sible rural development, instead of power generation initiatives;
short-term alternative livelihoods pro-
o Improving the distribution system.
grams;
o Counter-narcotics efforts should be Access to land: Implement measures to facili-
mainstreamed into the larger devel- tate access to land by clarifying property
opment program. rights, simplifying procedures for the
transfer of titles, and allowing for longer-
Improving macroeconomic policy manage-
term leases. Specific strategies include:
ment and aid effectiveness: It is essential
that macroeconomic policy formulation be o Developing a strategy for industrial
transparent and avoid short-term ad-hoc parks;
measures. Some strategies could include:
o Implementing improved and simpli-
o Strengthening coordination among re- fied procedures for transfer of pri-
levant line ministries. It is important vately owned land;
that line ministries share the same view
o Developing better legal frameworks for
regarding the direction of macroeco-
land registration and land adjudica-
nomic policy;
tion.
o Continuing to enhance the budget
process and the role of the budget as Access to finance: Strengthen the financial sec-
the central instrument for policy and tor to increase access to credit and financial
reforms; services, paying special attention to allevi-
ating capacity constraints. Specific strate-
o Maintaining macroeconomic stability
gies include:
and progressing toward fiscal sustain-
ability together with prudent monetary o Enacting an appropriate legal frame-
policy will continue to be important. work;
o Building capacity in the financial sec-
In order to break the evolving informal equilib-
tor;
rium, we must also ameliorate specific private
sector investment constraints. The results of o Increasing the availability of financial
the World Bank’s investment climate assess- services in rural areas.
ment in 1384/85 (2005) show that more than
Scaling up of industrial parks is a possible
half of respondents identify: (i) electricity;
short-term solution: Although in the medium-
(ii) access to land; (iii) corruption (discussed
term the Government should tackle the above-
above); and (iv) access to finance as major con-
mentioned issues, in the short-term the Gov-
straints to private investment. As an increase
ernment could work to “scale up” and maxi-
in private investment is key to achieving high,
mize the effectiveness of industrial parks. This
sustainable and quality growth rates, the fol-
could provide investors and entrepreneurs
lowing specific strategies are suggested:29
with security, access to land, infrastructure
(power, water, convenient transport) and some
insulation from both red tape and corruption,
at least on an “enclave” basis.
29
See the Government’s “Policy for Private Sector Growth and Opportunities and Risks: There exist several
Development”, presented at the Enabling Environment Confer- potential exogenous shocks which could seri-
ence, June 2007.
ously affect growth projections. Shocks such as mains the underlying principle, which ensures
drought pose a serious threat to an economy macroeconomic stability and provides the
largely dependent on agriculture. Insecurity Government some flexibility to respond to ex-
can harm private sector development, invest- ternal shocks.
ment, employment creation, and reconstruction
efforts, which could have a negative impact on The Government continues its efforts to in-
overall growth. Finally, global economic con- crease revenues by improving revenue admini-
ditions pose serious risks for the Afghan econ- stration and enforcement and broadening the
omy. A precipitous rise in oil prices would tax base. This will be essential for achieving
hamper economic growth especially via the fiscal sustainability, delivering priority devel-
private sector. Possible slowdowns in the opment expenditures and a reduction in aid
global economy and donor fatigue also pose dependency. Without domestic revenue mobi-
risks. lization Afghanistan will remain heavily de-
pendent on external support over the long-
Factors which may affect this macroeconomic term. The domestic revenue to GDP ratio is
framework in a positive or negative way in- expected to reach 8.2 percent in 1387 (2008/09),
clude: which substantially exceeds the revenue target
in the Afghanistan Compact for 2010.30 Al-
The political situation: Presidential and par- though domestic revenue is expected to reach
liamentary elections are scheduled to be 10.7 percent of GDP in 1391 (2012/13) (Figure
held in 1388-1389 (2009-2010). Successful 4.6), Afghanistan’s revenue-to-GDP ratio still is
and peaceful elections provide assurance of among the lowest in the world, requiring sus-
political stability to the private sector and tained commitment to pursue revenue reforms.
international community; In the medium-term, a broad-based consump-
Insecurity: Security costs can be as high as 15 tion tax will play an important role in domestic
percent of total revenues. Further insecu- revenue mobilization. In order to accomplish
rity would add additional costs to compa- this, broadening the tax base, improvements in
nies’ operations and inhibit private invest- tax policy, administration and enforcement will
ment; be implemented. In this regard an immediate
high priority for the Government is the enact-
Weather: Agricultural production is directly ment of the amendments to the income tax law
affected by weather conditions. With about by National Assembly. Progress in domestic
70 percent of the total labor force engaged revenue mobilization in coming years will en-
in agriculture, variations in production able the Government to be less dependent on
have a significant impact on poverty and foreign assistance. New tax measures will fo-
employment. cus equally on improving the revenue intake,
while simultaneously reducing the cost of do-
ing business, improving the country’s invest-
FISCAL POLICY ment environment and enhancing competitive-
Fiscal policy is a key instrument of macroeco- ness.
nomic stability, and the budget offers an im-
portant tool to implement the ANDS and pri- Consistent with the growth strategy of the
oritize public sector activities. Prudent fiscal Government, the prioritization framework of
policy and effective budget planning and exe- budgetary allocations is expected to allocate
cution will support sustained robust economic significant resources to productive sectors such
growth. Proper budget allocation enables the as infrastructure, health, education, agriculture
reconstruction of basic infrastructure, supports and rural development, and rule of law and
private sector development, improves overall governance. Cumulative total public expendi-
economic efficiency and enhances the popula- tures during 1387-91 (2009/13) in roads, en-
tion’s standard of living, especially for the ergy, water and irrigation, airports, and com-
poor. Despite the increase in expenditures in munications technologies alone are expected to
absolute terms, the Government remains com- reach about $11 billion (or about one-third of
mitted to sound management of expenses and
increased revenue mobilization, as well as en-
suring fiscal sustainability. Fiscal prudence re- 30
In the Afghanistan Compact, revenues are projected to exceed
8 percent of GDP in 1389.

total expenditures).31 Similarly, health and
education sectors are expected to receive about
17 to 18 percent of total resources, considerably
higher than current allocations. Other priority
areas include agriculture, rural development,
rule of law and governance, where the Gov-
ernment will invest significant resources.
31
Figures in the macroeconomic framework (see tables) are
based on projected execution rates of the core development
budget. As a result, the original total budgeted figures for the core
development budget can be higher than those in the macroeco-
nomic framework of the ANDS.
Figure 4.7. Domestic revenues and operating expenditures as a percent of GDP
The Government is taking measures to improve Government expenditure policy will focus on
the overall absorption capacity and execution creating an enabling environment for the pri-
of projects in these sectors through more effec- vate sector; enhancing production capacity and
tive public finance management and efficient productivity; and improving the quality of life
project management methods. Key public fi- of the population. The Government’s budget
nance management reforms include introduc- allocation prioritization is expected to improve
tion of the medium term budget framework physical infrastructure, enhance human capital
(MTBF), program and provincial budgeting. and build institutions necessary for private sec-
Other Government reforms are targeting pro- tor led growth and increased employment op-
ject preparation and management, as well as portunities.
procurement procedures. The overall devel-
opment budget execution rate has been steadily Core budget expenditures will remain constant
increasing. The core development expenditure at about 25 percent of GDP, although the allo-
rate for 1385 (2006/07) increased to 54 percent cation of various expenditures will change over
from 31 percent in 1383 (2004/05). The public time to align with the Government’s develop-
finance management reforms and prioritization ment priorities. Throughout the projection pe-
process are expected to improve the overall riod, while the share of operating expenditures
fiscal situation and the quality of public expen- decreases, that of development expenditures
ditures. Significantly higher execution rates increases. A considerable portion of expendi-
and improved quality of public expenditures in ture goes to security, counter-narcotics, roads
key sectors over the medium term in turn will and social expenditures (i.e. education and
improve the growth and development process health).
in the country.

Figure 4.8. Domestic revenues versus operating expenditures
Fiscal sustainability is essential to ensure mac- Prudent debt management will continue to be
roeconomic stability. The operating budget essential as Afghanistan moves towards fiscal
balance (excluding grants) is projected to im- sustainability. As a supplement to donor funds
prove from a deficit of 4.4 percent of GDP in the country expects to continue to use limited
1386 (2007/08)to a balanced budget in 1391 amounts of debt to finance specific projects and
(2012/13) (Figure 4.7). This requires that the various program requirements. It is expected
donor grants to the operating budget (e.g. Af- that any debt received will carry below market
ghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund) will free terms as required under Afghanistan’s current
up domestic revenues for key development agreements with various international financial
expenditures after 1391 (2012/13). institutions and the Paris Club group of credi-
tors. Debt sustainability in future periods is an
Two key fiscal policy challenges are on the ho- important goal for the Government to achieve
rizon: the integration of the external budget and will continue to be a guiding principle go-
into the core budget, and improvement of the verning the country’s use of debt in the coming
absorption capacity of line ministries. Cur- years.
rently, more than two thirds of foreign assis-
tance does not go through the Government’s
treasury account, and thus information regard- MONETARY POLICY
ing these expenditures is often partial and dif- Consistent with Da Afghanistan Bank (DAB)’s
ficult to obtain. This impedes the Government medium to long-term strategic objectives in
in its attempts to allocate scarce financial re- conducting monetary policy, it will remain vi-
sources in line with its priorities and develop- gilant against inflation. The main goal is to
ment objectives. Donors can greatly help by maintain core inflation at single digit levels,
providing more information and/or shifting preferably between 2.5 to 4 percent, although
from the external budget to the core budget; the this will continue to be a great challenge.32
Government can also improve the situation by
articulating clearer priorities—which should be Nominal exchange rates are expected to remain
achieved through the ANDS itself. In the past constant at around Afs 50 against the US dollar.
few years, the Government has spent less than
available financial resources, resulting in de-
layed investments necessary for development.
Improving the absorption capacity of the Gov- 32
Note, the recent rapid increase in global prices could poten-
ernment, therefore, will continue to be impor- tially create a challenge for the Government and DAB to main-
tain core inflation between 2.5 and 4 percent in the short term.
tant.
Stable exchange rates will help contain infla- tal market and a strategic repositioning of
tionary pressure from imported products as monetary policy tools through gradual transi-
well as provide predictability to the private tioning from foreign exchange auctions to util-
sector. Nevertheless, stable nominal exchange izing other tools of the monetary policy, DAB’s
rates imply the appreciation of the real ex- room for maneuverability will expand.
change rates. In the short-term, the impact on
the appreciation of the real exchange rates
would not significantly hurt competitiveness,
Banking system
as other costs associated with security and elec- Through its regulatory mandate, DAB is com-
tricity are likely to exceed any negative impacts mitted to help banking institutions manage the
on the exchange rate appreciation. However, risks involved in their operations. Pursuant to
the Government will keep it’s a close eye on the Paragraph 2 of Article 2, and other articles sti-
impact of real exchange rate appreciation for pulated in the DAB law, the central bank is in
competitiveness in the medium-term. charge of supervising all depository financial
institutions that are legally authorized to take
Access to finance is one of the severest con- deposits from the public on a continual basis.
straints on private sector development. High DAB will continue to supervise banks’ lending
interest rates, caused by high inflation rates practices and encourage transparency and ac-
and a high risk premium, threaten the financial countability in the entirety of their financial
sustainability of the private sector. Such high transactions, in order to avoid bank failures.
interest rates could jeopardize the growth of
the nascent financial sector in the country. In DAB will strive to encourage financial institu-
the medium to long term, prudent monetary tions to actively take part in economic devel-
policy together with a disciplined fiscal policy opments by granting short-, medium-and long-
will contribute to a reduction in the risk pre- term credits to small and medium enterprises
mium. Effective financial intermediation and (SMEs), owners of factories and construction
macroeconomic stability will eventually bring companies, and to initiate mortgage lending to
down real interest rates in the long run as commercial and residential customers. Con-
prospects for long term stability improve. The sumer lending should also become available to
central bank will closely monitor the monetary the citizens of this country. To do so, DAB
developments and ensuing liquidity situation needs to remove any existing obstacles and un-
along with developments in interest rates and necessary legal constraints by drafting required
credit markets and will react appropriately to laws and regulations and submitting them for
these developments. approval to the National Assembly as quickly
as is practicable. Fortunately, DAB has already
To achieve price stability, DAB intends to ex- taken significant steps in drafting four laws
pand the menu of instruments that have not yet designed to facilitate medium- to long-term
been fully utilized in directing monetary pol- lending in the country.
icy. The Central Bank currently relies on for-
eign exchange auctions as the dominant tool to External sector
maintain price stability and reduce exchange
rate volatility. The use of other tools of mone- Exports are unlikely to increase substantially
tary policy—such as Open Market Operations from the current very low base. Afghanistan’s
(OMO) and Reserve Requirement Ratio exports are currently dominated by low value-
(RRR)—has so far been very limited. Other added agricultural exports and carpets. Scaling
monetary policy tools, such as short-term inter- up the export base would require significant
est rates and discount rates, have not yet been FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) inflows. Under
introduced due to the lack of a market for such the current situation, FDI is concentrated in the
securities. telecommunications sector and the financial
sector, which are not export-oriented indus-
DAB will issue capital notes with various ma- tries. Large-scale exploitation of copper, natural
turity periods and create a secondary market gas, petroleum and precious minerals will help
for trading of these notes. The more capital in the medium and long term, although in-
notes are traded in secondary markets, the vestments in this sector are relatively lumpy.
more the need for foreign exchange auctions
will be diminished. Overall, by creating a capi-

The Current Account Balance, excluding the re- This process is an integral part of the Govern-
export of goods, is likely to decline over the ment’s Medium-Term Fiscal Framework
projected phase. This is largely due to an an- (MTFF) and the preparation of the budget.
ticipated decline in the imports-to-GDP ratio, From 1387 (2008/09) onthe MTFF and the
particularly for manufacture of consumer budget will be based on the prioritization es-
goods. Local products and services are ex- tablished in the ANDS and the utilization of
pected to become a more significant factor in resources for the implementation of ANDS
Afghanistan’s economy. through the budget.
These sectoral expenditure ceilings reflect the

fact that security will remain the highest prior-
ity. Over the lifetime of the ANDS, security
FINANCING THE ANDS spending is expected to total $14.2 billion.
The Government has determined sectoral Funding for this sector is expected to come
budget ceilings that reflect priorities estab- primarily through international assistance. The
lished in the ANDS (see Table 4.9). This re- Government estimates that as the threat de-
flects the Ministry of Finance’s adoption of a clines, the need for security assistance will de-
system of program-based budgeting that is decrease. However, given the uncertain nature of
signed to achieve the country’s development the instability facing Afghanistan, the Govern-
needs. It is based on levels of domestic and ment anticipates the possibility of potentially
donor financing in previous years and projec- significant revisions to financing of the security
tions for future revenues. sector.
Table 4.9. Overall Financing Envelope for the ANDS 1387-1391 (2008-2013)
1387 1388 1389 1390 1391
Total
2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13
US$m
US$m US$m US$m US$m US$m
Core + External Budget Funding
Domestic Revenue 887 1,104 1,351 1,611 1,911 6,864
Total Assistance from Donors* 6,513 4,960 4,814 4,398 3,908 24,593
Total Funding* 7,400 6,064 6,165 6,009 5,819 31,457
Budgeted Core + External Expenditure
Security 3219 2585 2679 2790 2906 14179
Infrastructure 1781 3093 3681 4180 4451 17185
Agriculture and Rural Development 829 921 916 909 912 4486
Education and Culture 742 893 980 1077 1181 4872
Good Governance and Rule of Law 374 558 640 685 728 2985
Health & Nutrition 325 465 530 563 595 2478
Economic Governance & PSD 237 215 230 244 260 1186
Social Protection 192 359 394 421 449 1815
Others (Sub Codes) 205 198 185 170 157 915
Total Expenditure 7,903 9,286 10,236 11,038 11,637 50,10033
* Based on discussions with donors and the 1386 (2007) financial review
33
The level of expenditure in Table 4.9 is based on an assumption regarding the amount of financing which will be made available at the
forthcoming ANDS donor conference in Paris. The macroeconomic framework which currently underpins the ANDS does not assume a
similar scaling-up of donor assistance and is therefore not entirely consistent with Table 4.8. Following the donor conference, the macro-
economic framework and the ANDS expenditure ceilings will be updated to reflect the actual level of donor assistance.
In the short term, the Government will focus its financial and natural resources in more produc-
public expenditure programs on investments in tive ways. A critical element in achieving this
infrastructure, agriculture and rural develop- objective will be to substantially increase in-
ment in recognition of the high importance of vestment in capacity development, thereby cre-
these sectors for the development of the private ating new employment opportunities for an
sector and for employment growth. Over the emerging skilled workforce, leading to ex-
lifetime of the ANDS, the Government will fo- panded employment opportunities and higher
cus progressively more resources on education, incomes.
governance, health, and social protection. The
Government commits to allocating sufficient Average economic growth is projected at an 8.1
resources to the key priorities of strengthening percent rate for 1387-1391 (2009-2013). A key
economic governance and improving the envi- assumption underlying this ambitious goal is
ronment for private sector development. that an increasing share of total investment will
come from the private sector. To reach these
goals, the Government will continue its policy
CONCLUSION of strong macroeconomic management charac-
For Afghanistan to become a peaceful and terized by fiscal sustainability, prudent mone-
prosperous country, able to provide its people tary policies, and avoidance of short-term ad
with an acceptable standard of living, it must hoc measures.
build a strong economic foundation that will
support long term and broad-based economic The ability to implement the projects and pro-
growth with the private sector as its engine. grams included in the ANDS depends upon the
With the sound macroeconomic policies under- resources that will be available. In this regard,
taken over the last five years, per capita income a major contribution of the ANDS has been the
nearly doubled. For the poverty reduction determination of budget ceilings that reflect the
goals of the ANDS to be achieved, comparable Government’s sectoral priorities. These are
levels of economic growth will be needed in being built into the MTFF and the Ministry of
coming years. This will require an environ- Finance’s program-based budgeting system,
ment that actively encourages social and eco- which focuses on achieving the country’s de-
nomic development, and the continuance of velopment needs. Security will remain the
sound and stable macroeconomic policies that Government’s highest priority, while public
will enable the private sector to establish itself investment in energy, water and irrigation,
as a vigorous engine of growth and employ- transportation infrastructure, agriculture, agro-
ment creation. based industry, and rural development—all of
them crucial to the development of the private
A key strategic objective of the ANDS is to es- sector and long term and sustainable employ-
tablish a secure economic environment in ment growth—will also remain high priorities..
which it will be possible to attract sufficient In the coming years the Government will also
levels of private sector investments that will devote progressively more resources to educa-
lead to the increased employment of human, tion, governance, health, and social protection.

CHAPTER 5
SECURITY
Security in all parts of the country is essential protect the national interest the Government
for economic growth and poverty reduction. plans to strengthen military, economic and po-
The ANDS long term strategic vision for the litical ties with its regional and international
Security sector is to ensure security of state, partners. The security objectives are aimed at
persons and assets through the provision of an protecting the country’s independence, estab-
integrated and sustainable national security lishing a democratic and economically stable
infrastructure and law and order policy. The society, free of corruption. Implementing de-
National Security Policy will be implemented velopment policies outlined in the ANDS is
through the Security Sector Reform (SSR) pro- possible only if there is peace and security in
gram. This will strengthen and improve coor- the country; security and sustainable develop-
dination among the Afghan National Security ment go hand in hand.
Forces (ANSF), ISAF/NATO, CSTC-A. While
continued international support is vital, the NATO is currently the major force through
Government aims to assume an increasing which the international community provies
share of the security burden—the “Afghaniza- security assistance to Afghanistan, by means of
tion” of the country’s security activities. How- the International Security Assistance Force
ever, Afghanistan still faces a number of seri- (ISAF) working in cooperation with the Afghan
ous challenges before it can assume full re- Government. The Government aims to secure
sponsibility for its own security. Terrorism, stronger commitments from NATO while
instability and weak governance capacity are building the capacity of Afghanistan’s national
preventing the Government from establishing armed and other security forces. The Govern-
effective control in some areas of the country, ment is intent on building administrative ca-
particularly in the south andsoutheast. The pacity, investing in human resources develop-
large-scale production of narcotics continues to ment and justice, and spurring private sector
provide funds to these groups. Unexploded development to help improve Afghanistan’s
ordinance remain a significant threat, with internal situation. An educated and prosper-
some 5,000 citizens either killed or wounded in ous society is less likely to be influenced by
mine explosions since 1380 (2001). Currently concepts spread by extremist elements. A
only two of the country’s 34 provinces are strong National Security Structure will facili-
completely clear of land mines. tate development of Afghanistan’s economy
and social fabric, thereby enhancing national
The Afghanization of the country’s security unity and peaceful coexistence.
will require: (i) comprehensive security sector
reform; (ii) a new division of labor between
the international security forces and the Afghan
Terrorism and illegally armed groups
National Army (ANA); (iii) a reassessment of The major challenges to stability are terrorism-
the design, composition and size of the army; related, due to the revival of the Taliban in the
(iv) accelerated training for the officers; and (v) south and southeast. The Government’s secu-
an intensified national recruitment drive. rity forces and their international partners will
focus on fighting terrorists and illegally armed
CURRENT SITUATION groups and on neutralizing armed elements
operating along the borders. Given that many
Afghanistan currently faces a whole range of of these groups receive support from foreign
security threats. To counter these threats and sources, both regional cooperation and diplo-

matic initiatives are vital. To defeat terrorism, are reformed and the judicial system strength-
new strategies attuned to the political objec- ened, a major effort will be made to reduce cor-
tives of the Government are being adopted, ruption, and crack down on officials who are
such as strengthening the effectiveness of ISAF involved in cultivation or interfere with eradi-
and Coalition Forces assistance. This includes cation efforts.
special attention to building the professional
capabilities of Afghan security forces trained to
defeat terrorism and to render assistance to
Illegal Armed Groups
victims of war and avoid civilian casualties. Wars and violence have turned Afghanistan
The Government aims at strengthening its con- into a fully armed society, where people use
trol of law enforcement to effectively overcome guns to earn a living or to control resources.
internal security problems. Combating criminal Illegally armed groups pose a direct threat to
activity and narcotics production are crucial national security. The long-term presence of
components of the security strategy. illegal armed groups in different parts of the
country obstructs Government control, hinders
Pick upCountering a terrorist-dominated Tali- development of local democratic institutions
ban and illegally armed groups is an extremely and poses a serious threat to national unity.
complex form of warfare. In large part it is a These obstacles to the rule of law also stand in
competition for the support of the population, the way of social and economic development.
and certainly theactive support of the Afghan Many commanders of illegal armed groups
people is vital to success. Winning this battle have close links with police or even belong to
requires a firm political will and substantial local governments. This situation enhances
persistence by the Government and the Afghan corruption and is considered a key obstacle in
people, and unwavering long term commit- cracking down on the narcotics industry. Until
ment and patience from the international the Government provides adequate security,
community. Government legitimacy is a pre- with a responsible police presence in every vil-
requisite if we are to isolate the Taliban. The lage and district, people will feel the need to
Government’s support and legitimacy will in- keep guns for self-protection. People are cur-
crease only if we can assure the security of the rently required to have a license to carry arms;
people and provide them with the basic neces- this law needs to be enforced effectively.
sities of life: food, water, shelter, healthcare and
the means to make a living. The use of exces- The Disbandment of Illegal Armed Groups
sive force in operations should be avoided, tar- (DIAG) and the continuation of the Disarma-
gets should be accurately identified, and collat- ment, Disintegration and Rehabilitation pro-
eral damage—especially civilian casualties— gram (DDR), is the first step in disarming ille-
should be avoided as much as possible. gal armed groups. The existence of arms, am-
munition caches and mines in different parts of
Afghanistan also poses a threat, because oppo-
Narcotics
nents of the Government can use them for ter-
Poppy cultivation and the production of nar- rorist operations. The Government,in coopera-
cotics pose a serious challenge to Afghanistan’s tion with international organizations,is work-
security. The high level corruption that enables ing to win support from local communities to
the narcotics industry to thrive endangers for- get rid of these arms caches.
eign assistance to development. Huge reve-
nues from opium and production of narcotics
have drawn in terrorist elements, organized-
Mines and Explosive Remnants of
crime groups and extremists. Revenues from War (ERW)
opium and drug trafficking represent a signifi- Mines and other ERWs are major obstacles to
cant source of funding to remnants of illegal infrastructure and economic reconstruction.
armed groups. The Government’s strategy co- The benchmark for locating and destroying all
ordinates international efforts with Govern- stockpiles of anti-personnel mines was reached
ment plans and addresses issues such as the in 1386 (October 2007). However the existence
development of economic infrastructure, re- of mines and explosives still pose a threat to
duction of demand, poppy eradication, coun- the lives of four million Afghans. Only two
tering drug trafficking and the establishment of provinces have been completely cleared of
alternative livelihood programs. As the police
Security 55
mines. Statistics have shown that about 5,000 increasingly funded from Government
Afghans have been killed or wounded in mine revenue, commensurate with the nation’s
explosions since 1380 (2001). Unidentified economic capacity. Support will continue
arms and ammunition caches and mines in dif- to be provided to expand the ANA toward
ferent parts of Afghanistan pose an additional a ceiling of 80,000 active personnel with
threat because opponents of the Government additional 6,000 personnel, including train-
can use these for terrorist operations. ers.
The Afghan National Police: By Jaddi 1389
(end-2010), a fully constituted, profes-
POLICY FRAMEWORK sional, functional and ethnically balanced
The National Security Policy is drafted for a Afghan National Police and Afghan Border
period of five years and reviewed annually. Police with a combined force of up to
The policy contains two interrelated strategies: 82,180 will be able to effectively meet the
National Security Strategy and Security Sector security needs of the country and will be
Reforms Strategy. increasingly fiscally sustainable.
The Security Sector Reforms Strategy estab- DIAG: All illegal armed groups will be dis-
lishes a mechanism to regulate relations be- banded by Hamal 1390 (20 March 2011) in
tween ministries and departments to ensure all provinces. Approximately 2,000 such
effective coordination. The policy encompasses groups have been identified. Nearly 300 are
the functions of other government depart- now fully or partially disbanded and 1200
ments, including the legislative, judiciary and more have pledged to cooperate with
law enforcement. The reforms establish respon- DIAG.
sibilities and coordination in the security sector
for implementation of programs and give Removing Unexploded Ordnance: By Jaddi
guidelines for planning, prioritization, assess- 1389 (end-2010), in line with Afghanistan
ment of resources, and operations. Sustained MDGs, the land area contaminated by
financial support is needed to avoid compro- mines and unexploded ordnance will be
mising either development or security objec- reduced by 70%; by end-2010. all unsafe,
tives. The OECD DAC Implementation- unserviceable, and surplus ammunition
Framework for Security Sector Reform pro- will be destroyed. The goal is to clear 90%
vides a useful framework for increasing na- of all known mine/ERW contaminated ar-
tional ownership and laying out the core ele- eas by 1391 (2012). A further goal is to clear
ments of a ‘right-financing’ framework.34 all emplaced antipersonnel mines by 1391
(1 March 2013), in compliance with the Ot-
The Government is committed to addressing tawa Convention. A capacity to remove
the following strategic benchmarks to achieve mines and ERWs beyond the 2013 MAPA
the security sector strategic vision: transition deadline probably will be
needed.
The Afghan National Army: (i) hrough Jaddi
1389 (end-2010), with the support of and in Counter-Narcotics: By 1392 (2013), the area
close coordination with the government, under poppy cultivation will be reduced by
the NATO-led ISAF, Operation Enduring half compared to 1386 (2007) levels.
Freedom (OEF) and their respective Pro-
vincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) will Expected outcomes for the security sector
promote security and stability in all regions are:
of Afghanistan, in part by strengthening
An effectively coordinated security sector, in
Afghan capabilities. (ii) By Jaddi 1389 (end-
which decisions and plans are made and
2010), the Government will establish a pro-
implemented in timely fashion and exter-
fessional, ethnically balanced Afghan Na-
nal and internal threats are deterred, con-
tional Army (ANA) that is accountable, or-
tained or eliminated;
ganized, trained and well equipped to meet
the security needs of the country. It will be
ANA and ANP are operationally capable of
performing those missions and tasks as-
34
signed;
See http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/43/25/38406485.pdf

President, is responsible for developing strate-
ANP and ABP expenditures are fiscally sus- gies and policiesanddetermining priorities, and
tainable; is responsible for the oversight and coordina-
tion of the security sector and institutions. The
Citizens experience a greater degree of justice National Security Advisor identifies the needs
with the help of Police and the Army; and requirements of the sector and leads the
Policy Action Group (PAG), which has been
Narcotics industry is reduced in line with established as an emergency response mecha-
counter-narcotics national strategy; nism to address the deteriorating security con-
ditions in the six southern provinces. The PAG
Corruption in the ANA, ANP and among directs and coordinates security, development
other government officials is reduced; work, reconstruction and strategic relations
across all functional areas of the Government
Reduced levels of deaths and casualties from and the International Community (both civilian
UXOs; a reduction inthe number of affected and military).
communities; increased safety precautions;
Enhanced public trust in Government ability to

Ministry of Defense (MoD), and the
deliver justice and security as illegally Afghan National Army (ANA)
armed groups are disbanded and reinte- MoD is responsible for establishing and main-
grated; and taining peace and security. The Minister of
Defense is a civilian; the ministry is non-
Eventual eradication of poppy production and political and non-partisan. MoD stands ready
crack down on drug trafficking. to provide support to the Ministry of Internal
Affairs (MoI), which is responsible for border
control in emergency situations. Reforms and
SECURITY INSTITUTIONS capacity building initiatives are in process to
The security sector includes multiple minis- make the MoD more transparent and account-
tries, departments and institutions that are col- able, with a strong administration and internal
lectively responsible for enforcing security and discipline. The MoD is developing an ethni-
laws to protect the Government and the Af- cally balanced, non-political army with a single
ghan people. These include, among others: military doctrine and operational capabilities.
National Security Council (NSC), Office of the Educating, training and equipping a profes-
National Security Council (ONSC), the Policy sional army with strong operational capability
Action Group (PAG), Ministries, National Di- to fight terrorism and armed groups is a top
rectorate of Security (NDS), National Army and priority. The MoD must ensure that all mili-
Air Forces, Afghan National Police (ANP), tary units under its command observe and re-
Presidential Guard, Parliamentary Commis- spect Islamic religion and Afghan values.
sions on Security and Monitoring, Public Audit MoD’s primary responsibilities include:
and Evaluation Offices, Ministry of Justice, ju-
dicial institutions, Prosecution Departments National defense against foreign military ag-
and the Human Rights Commission. To im- gression;
prove the professional effectiveness of all these Fight illegally armed groups and terrorism, and
institutions, their duties and responsibilities help establish the rule of law;
need to be coordinated. This will guarantee Deter wars and ensure stability to protect na-
consistent regulations, establish priorities in tional interests;
policy making, help in the forecasting financial Play an active part in solving crises and con-
expenses and ensure correct allocation of trolling emergency situations;
funds. Render assistance to civilian officials in secu-
rity crises, natural disasters and emergency
situations;
National Security Council Protect and expand Afghanistan’s national in-
The National Security Council is the highest terests; and
institution for identifying and addressing na- Support the National and Border Police to curb
tional security issues. The Council, led by the organized crime.
Security 57
To achieve these goals, the MoD has estab- ficking; fighting terrorism and other na-
lished the ANA. tional security threats in cooperation with
MoD, ANA, ISAF and Coalition forces;
Establishing a border police force to control
The National Army (ANA) cross-border movements and assist with
The National Army is responsible for protect- collection of customs revenues in coopera-
ing Afghanistan’s territorial integrity, uphold- tion with MoD, ANA and Ministry of Fi-
ing and protecting the Constitution, defending nance (MoF);
national interests and the Islamic religion, and Enforcing justice by detecting crimes, carrying
establishing a favorable environment for public out investigations, and promptly handing
welfare and progress. The National Army, led over suspects to the judicial authorities in
by civilian leadership and supported by the accordance with the law;
National Police, has a mandate to improve in- Providing witness protection and support to
ternal security. It also plays a role in boosting victims of crime and establishing detention
regional security through cooperation with centers;
ISAF and regional and international allies. A Implementation of the DIAG program: Collect
reassessment of the design, composition and unregistered arms in cooperation with
size of the ANA has led to intensified national other security departments and implement
recruitment drive and training. and enforce new regulations regarding pri-
vate security companies.
Since a presidential decree was issued to estab-
lish a National Army in 1381 OR 1382 (2003),
the Ministry of Defense and the Afghan Na-
The National Police (ANP)
tional Army have achieved considerable pro- The national police are currently undergoing
gress. The ministry is responsible for maintain- reforms aimed at enhancing efficiency by im-
ing professional cadres to design appropriate proving police training and education, upgrad-
policies, manage the ANA and defense institu- ing staff and equipping the department ade-
tions, and establish necessary coordination quately. The current MoI Tashkeel allows for
among security institutions and international 82,180 uniformed personnel in the ANP. With
partners. The quality and quantity of the ANA extensive help from donors, police capacity has
is rapidly growing, and will continue to grow been increasing, leading to expanded govern-
until the army is capable of maintaining the ment control in the provinces. However, there
stability of the country, defending its sover- is a need to further accelerate recruitment, edu-
eignty, and contributing to regional security. cation and training programs to ensure consis-
The National Army has a mandate to assist the tent professional performance and improve the
civilian administration and police whenever reputation of the ANP. Quality police per-
needed. If instructed by the National Security formance and accountability are key to stabili-
Council, the ANA will cooperate with the Na- zating the society and winning popular sup-
tional Police, Anti-Disasters Department, Af- port for the Government.
ghan Red Crescent Society and other civilian
charity organizations to tackle emergency situ- The Border Police (BP) are responsible for bor-
ations requiring disaster response and humani- der control, in cooperation with customs offi-
tarian assistance. cials. The BP establish check points to monitor
crossings, particularly in areas with suspected
terrorist activity, and are responsible for pre-
Ministry of Internal Affairs (MoI), venting human trafficking and drug smug-
and the Afghan National Police (ANP) gling. The Counter-Narcotics Police of Af-
The Ministry of Internal Affairs is responsible ghanistan (CNPA) has been established specifi-
for ensuring internal security, establishing the cally to combat drug related crimes.
rule of law, fighting criminal activity, and pro-
tecting the country’s international borders Significant steps have been taken since 1379
High priority activities include: OR1380 (2001) to revamp and train the Afghan
National Army and the Afghan National Po-
Cracking down on organized and international lice. Police capacities have been increasing,
crimes, including drugs and human traf- with extensive help from the international
community. Large militias have been inte-

grated into the Ministry of Defense, with the Ministry of Counter Narcotics (MCN)
majority of their members demobilized. A
multi-sector donor support scheme has been The Ministry of Counter Narcotics is responsi-
established by which individual donors are ble for the implementation of the National
allocated responsibility for overseeing support Drug Control Strategy (NDCS). The MCN’s
for each of the key elements of the reform, in- policies are designed to address: (i) develop-
cluding disarmament, demobilization, and re- ment of projects to provide alternative liveli-
integration of ex-combatants; military reform; hood opportunities in districts where poppy is
police reform; judicial reform; and counter- grown; (ii) programs to reduce demand for
narcotics. drugs including addiction treatment facilities
in affected provinces; (iii) development of effec-
tive mechanisms to deal with drug-related
National Directorate of Security (NDS) crimes; and (iv) media and public awareness
campaigns to discourage people from growing
The National Directorate of Security is respon-
poppy and producing narcotics; and (v) poppy
sible for lending support to the military and
eradication programs.
police in fighting terrorism, anti-government
elements and narcotics. NDS fulfill its duties
by collecting and analyzing information and “RIGHT-
offering specific recommendations on security.
The Directorate is designed to help improve the FINANCING”SECURITY
effectiveness of operations carried out by na- SECTOR REFORM
tional security agencies. NDS also shares in-
Fiscal sustainability is essential for a sound and
formation and cooperates with international
stable security force. Given the limitations of
security organizations stationed in Afghani-
the National Budget at present, additional time
stan. NDS is a non-political institution with
is needed before security sector expenditures
merit based promotion system.
can be included in the ordinary budget. The
security sector must therefore rely on contin-
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) ued assistance from Afghanistan’s international
allies. Limited internal revenue will inevitably
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is responsible
force the Government to make some very
for organizing and following Afghanistan’s
tough decisions when it comes to security sec-
relations with other countries and international
tor spending. The Government supports the
organizations. It is mandated to:
development of a “Right-financing” approach
to the security sector, within which to strike an
Establish cordial international relations based
appropriate balance between current security
on sovereignty and mutual trust;
needs and the goal of building a fiscally sus-
Set foreign policy objectives in line with na- tainable security sector based on realistic re-
tional military strategies and activities of source projections.
the National Army and border police;
Afghanistan has no wish to be a burden on the
Support and promote international peace and
international community for longer than is nec-
welfare by upholding and implementing
essary. In line with a three-phase effort to de-
international laws, conventions and na-
velop the Afghan military, coalition allies will
tional development strategies ;
move progressively from carrying the major
Support development and encourage invest- burden of combat operations to a supporting
ment in Afghanistan and promote trade; and enabling role. The First Phase, an acceler-
ated development in the number and capability
Promote regional peace and prosperity, adopt
of Afghan security forces that are adequately
active diplomacy to achieve regional stabil-
manned, equipped and trained to defeat all
ity and support economic programs that
internal and external threats, is well advanced.
help in securing national interests;
The Second Phase is to transition from a coali-
tion-led to an Afghan-led and NATO-
Support and promote bilateral and multilateral
supported security operation. Although much
economic initiatives with neighbors to se-
of the security burden remains with our coali-
cure national interests.
tion allies, there has been progress in combined
Security 59
Afghan/Coalition operations, and in inde- Good Neighborliness was signed in 1381
pendent ANA security operations. Phase (2002). It obliges Afghanistan and its neighbors
Three will encompass efforts to further im- to respect each others’ territorial integrity, es-
prove professionalism, discipline and opera- tablish friendly relations and cooperation, and
tional cohesiveness,The ANA will conduct in- ensure non-interference in each other’s internal
dependent operations and lead the fight while affairs. All of the Government’s efforts to
ISAF moves to a supporting role. At the end of maintain security and accelerate social and
this final phase, true capacity to defend the economic development will not work without
country will have been established, and the some degree of cooperation and support from
partnership with allies will become one of Afghanistan’s neighbors. A secure Afghanistan
normalized defense relations. in a stable region is in the best interest of the
entire world. The Government will work with
the international community and neighboring
SOUND ADMINISTRATION, countries for an effective diplomatic solution to
JUSTICE AND JUDICIAL security challenges. This will require: (i) con-
certed diplomatic pressure to eradicate the safe
SYSTEM havens enjoyed by terrorist groups outside of
Establishing a transparent and accountable ju- Afghanistan’s borders; (ii) coordinated and
dicial administration is key to achieving dura- effective measures for strengthening border
ble stability in the country. The Government is and cross-border security; (iii) support for the
committed to strengthening the justice system, programs agreed to in recent regional economic
including the Supreme Court, Attorney Gen- cooperation conferences; and (iv) a further
eral´s Office, Chief Prosecution Department, strengthening of the Tri-partite Commission to
Ministry of Justice, and military courts in the open a dialogue with Pakistan on substantive
capital and provinces. Priority programs of the issues.
Government include appointing professional
cadres, and coordinating law enforcement and
justice sector development programs to estab- CONCLUSION
lish a prosperous, stable, and just society based The Government is fully committed to: (i) suc-
on democratic values and international stan- cessfully implementing an integrated and
dards. An effective legal administration that comprehensive national security policy and
ensures the rule of law is essential in order for strategy; (ii) building a robust security sector
people to have faith in their government. The reform program; (iii) strengthening synergies
Government is implementing programs to between civil and military operations; (iv) in-
strengthen and support reform in the Ministry creasing the role of security forces in counter-
of Justice, the Supreme Court, and the Attorney narcotics activities; and (v) strengthening the
General’s Office. civilian components of security entities. While
international assistance is vitally necessary at
the present time, the Government is planning
RELATIONS WITH and looking forward to taking on an increasing
NIEGHBORS AND share of the responsibility for security in Af-
INTERNATIONAL ALLIES ghanistan.
Afghanistan’s security is closely linked with

international developments. The country bor-
ders six countries and has economic and politi-
cal interests with all of them. The Government
seeks to cooperate with its neighbors by streng-
thening regional security linkages with intelli-
gence sharing to tackle cross-border infiltra-
tion, terrorism and narcotics trafficking.
The Government will make every effort to en-

sure regional stability, security and prosperity
for itself and for neighboring countries. The
Kabul Declaration on Peaceful Coexistence and

Table 5.1. Integration of the Cross Cutting Issues into the Security Sector
Anti-Corruption Gender Equality Counter-Narcotics Environment Regional Co-operation Capacity Building
Programs within the Sector Increase the number of quali- The international forces in Improved secu- Establish and develop Reforming defense and the security
Strategy emphasize ac- fied female staff throughout Afghanistan must cooperate rity will ensure good international rela- sector is a priority of the Afghan
countability and transpar- the security sector. with the Afghan National Ar- sustainable de- tionships based on mu- Government to strengthen Afghan
ency. my (ANA) to facilitate for Af- velopment with tual respect, non- capabilities and transform the Af-
Promote gender mainstream-
ghan counter-narcotics opera- minimum nega- interference. Enhance ghan security forces into effective
By Jaddi 1392 (end-2013), ing and gender-balance
tions. tive impact to Afghanistan’s active and modern force, confirming to
corruption in the govern- throughout the security sector.
environment. position as a positive international standards.
ment at all levels especially Afghan security forces provide
Increase awareness of gender and effective member of
in security and, customs force protection and law en- Implement DIAG MoD reform and reconstruction aim
and rights, raising women’s the UN.
will be significantly re- forcement for eradication and and mine/UXO to rehabilitate a strong defense sector
decision-making role and en-
duced. interdiction operations clearance pro- Enhance cooperative to protect national security and to be
suring that women have equal
grams to enhance border management able to begin assuming primary re-
A monitoring mechanism employment opportunities Eradication of poppy crops
security that with Afghanistan’s sponsibility for Afghanistan’s secu-
to track corruption at high within the Sector. needs to be enforced, in par-
would allow for neighbors to crack rity with a gradual withdrawal of
places, including the secu- ticular where those who bene-
Recognize in all policies and extensive land to down on illegal border international security forces.
rity sector, will be put in fit are using the profits for anti
programs that men and wom- be taken back crossing and trafficking.
place by Jaddi 1387 (end- government activities. Intensive field and operational train-
en have equal rights and re- into use for farm-
2008). Regional cooperation to ing is and will continue to further
sponsibilities through the se- There is a need to enhance ing and devel-
improve security will enhance the capabilities of the ANA
By Jaddi 1387 (end-2008), curity sector. border control to crack down opment.
lead to overall stability and ANP.
the Government will estab- on drug trafficking.
Ensure that monitoring me- Stability in the region.
lish and implement a pub- Capacity and budget needs of the
chanisms are in place to realize By Jaddi 1389 (end-2010), the throughout the
lic complaints mechanism. Multilateral and bilat- ANA and the ANP will be under
goals for gender equality. This Government will increase the country is
This will include com- eral agreements reached constant review. There is a need for
calls for setting indicators to number of arrests and prose- needed to pre-
plaints against the security with the countries of the overcoming financial challenges and
monitor improvements. cutions of traffickers and cor- vent natural re-
forces or the security sec- region and further ef- insufficient funds to realize capacity
rupt officials with the help of sources from
tor. Ensure reduction of violence forts to promote rebuilding of the security strategy.
the security sector. being degraded.
and harassment against wom- gional cooperation
Targeting corruption is Specific capacity development pro-
en in the workplace, by im- Increased security is needed to would contribute to the
vital for security reasons: grams will be required for preparing
plementing specific training, guarantee alternative liveli- stability in the region
Narcotics traffickers thrive the security forces for counter narcot-
units/programs (e.g. referral hoods. Capacity for eradica- and enhance the pace of
in insecurity and absence ics operations.
centers) and effective com- tion must similarly increase. economic development
of governance; corruption
plaint and redress mecha- in Afghanistan. Special programs will be developed
at the highest levels facili-
nisms. for developing gender sensitive secu-
tate for narcotics trade that
rity system internally as well for ex-
spur anti- government
ternal interactions.
elements.
Security
61
62
CHAPTER 6
Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS)
GOVERNANCE, RULE OF LAW & HUMAN RIGHTS

The goal of Governance, Rule of Law and Hu- Three sectors are contained under this pillar:
man Rights Pillar is to strengthen democratic Governance, Public Administration Reform
processes and institutions and extend human and Human Rights, Justice, and Religious Af-
rights, the rule of law, delivery of public ser- fairs. Sub-national consultation and the Pro-
vices and government accountability. vincial Development Plans (PDPs) were in-
strumental in developing the sector strategy.
Improving governance is essential to the at-
tainment of the Government’s national vision
and the establishment of a stable and function- GOVERNANCE, PUBLIC
ing society. The Government’s guiding princi- ADMINISTRATION REFORM
ples for improving governance are openness,
participation, accountability, effectiveness, effi-
AND HUMAN RIGHTS
ciency, coherence, equity, inclusiveness, justice
and rule of law applied at all levels of the gov- Role of the Sector in ANDS
ernment. The Government will act as a policy
maker, regulator, and enabler, not a competitor In the Afghanistan Compact, the Government
of the private sector. The main priorities for and the international community reaffirmed
the governance sector are to: (i) increase the their commitment to certain benchmarks on
pace and quality of public administration re- Public Administration Reform, Anti-
form; (ii) strengthen sub-national governance Corruption, The Census and Statistics, National
structures; (iii) reform legal and courts proc- Assembly, Elections, Gender, Land Registra-
esses; and (iv) strengthen parliamentary and tion, Counter- Narcotics and Human Rights
legislative processes, including holding free within specified timelines. Functional institu-
and fair elections. tions with trained staff will be established in
each province to implement appropriate legal
While much has been achieved in strengthen- frameworks and appointment procedures. The
ing the formal and informal structures of gov- Government will also establish a fiscally and
ernance and the rule of law, as well as in ex- institutionally sustainable administration for
tending human rights, considerable challenges future elections and prioritize the reform of the
still stand in the way of achieving the goals of justice system to ensure equal, fair and trans-
this pillar. These include: (i) the existence of parent access to justice.
multiple, parallel structures of state and non-
state governance entities; (ii) confusion over The strategy includes efforts to reduce gender
centre/sub-national governance entities; (iii) inequality. Institutional and administrative
weak public sector institutions and underde- frameworks will be established at the local
veloped governance and administration capa- government level to enable women to play an
bilities; (iv) high levels of corruption; (v) fiscal important role in decision-making (such as the
uncertainty; (vi) weak legislative development CDCs established under the NSP). The Consti-
and enforcement; (vii) weak parliamentary tution allows limited decentralization, specify-
oversight; (viii) weak community and civil so- ing that a Provincial Council (PC) with elected
ciety institutions; (ix) an ineffective and poorly members is to be formed in every Province,
defined justice system; (x) gender inequality; and that District, Village and Municipal Coun-
and (xi) underdeveloped human rights en- cils and Mayors are to be elected through free,
forcement capacities. general, secret and direct elections every three
years.

Current Situation acted to promote investment and trade.
Measures to deal with illegal drugs,
Afghanistan has come a long way in the last corruption and money laundering are
seven years. In 1378 OR 1379 (2000) the World under review or being enacted. As
Bank assessed the “quality” of Afghanistan’s part of the judicial reform program a
governance institutions as falling in the bottom number of other important laws will
one percent of all countries. The rule of law, soon be approved.
adherence to good governance practices and
respect for human rights in Afghanistan is Gender: The National Action Plan for
weak but improving. The ANDS vision for this Women of Afghanistan is being im-
sector is the establishment of a stable Islamic plemented to establish greater gender
constitutional democracy, under which the equality by eliminating discrimination,
three branches of government function effec- developing women’s human capital
tively and openly, are accountable, inclusive and promoting their participation and
and abide by the rule of law. leadership.
Governance: Public administration is gen-
Progress since 1379 OR 1380 (2001) includes the erally recognized as being weak. The
adoption of the constitution; successful parlia- Government will undertake compre-
mentary and presidential elections, and pro- hensive institutional strengthening and
gress in improving the livelihood and welfare capacity building within the ministries,
of females and other disenfranchised groups. provinces, districts, municipalities and
In addition, the ANDS sets out a series of re- villages. This will achieve improve-
forms to address these constraints: ments in the delivery of services to the
people and communities living in the
Justice: The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is provinces, districts, municipalities and
strengthening the review process for villages.
laws and regulations and identifying
areas for reform, including instituting a A number of constraints continue to hamper
code of ethics and professional stan- the public sector. They include: weak capacity;
dards. In Hamal 1385 (March 2007), a lack of resources and unsustainable fiscal
the Supreme Court, the MoJ, and the outcomes; a restrictive legislative environment
Attorney General’s Office presented that limits private sector activity; limited legis-
new comprehensive reform strategies lative oversight; lack of understanding of the
at the Rome Conference. These in- responsibilities of political office; extensive cor-
cluded plans to: restructure institu- ruption; excessive centralization; a lack of co-
tions; develop merit-based and trans- ordinated decision-making across Government;
parent recruitment; design promotion limited female participation in the Govern-
and accountability mechanisms for im- ment; and limited direct accountability to cli-
proving professional standards, ethics ents; and state capture by illicit power-holders.
and discipline; improve the conditions
of service for justice officials; and in-
crease women’s representation at all Policy Framework: Sector Strategy
levels of the justice system.
The governance agenda addresses three major
Corruption: The High Level Commission challenges: pervasive corruption, low public
against Corruption has been estab- sector capacity and human rights deprivations
lished to assess and analyze the factors for girls and women in Afghanistan. Eigh-
contributing to corruption. The Com- ty percent of provinces identified reducing cor-
mission presented recommendations to ruption in public administration as a priority
prevent corruption and developed the during sub national consultations.
roadmap in its document “Fighting
Corruption in Afghanistan - Strategy The policy framework for the proposed reform
and Action”. program includes all national and sub-national
government, parliamentary, civil society and
Legislative Reforms: Progress is being
political structures.
made in reforming the legal framework
of the country. Laws have been en-
Governance, Rule of Law and Human Rights 63

The mainstreaming of cross-cutting issues of national elections will be held as man-
anti-corruption, capacity building and gender dated by the Constitution.
is of particular relevance to this pillar. In
Single National Identity Document: To
summary, the policy framework for this pillar
enhance public accountability and
includes the following goals:
transparency a single national identity
document will be issued.
National Assembly Empowerment: To en-
hance the capacity of the National As- Census and Statistical Baseline Data: The
sembly in discharging legislative, over- national census will be completed and
sight, transparency and accountability the results published. National eco-
functions. nomic and poverty baselines will be es-
tablished.
Public Administration Reform: Public
administration reform will focus on Geodesy and Cartography: Village and
pay and grading reforms to increase Gozar Electoral boundaries will be ve-
competitive recruitment, hiring of a rified and mapping exercises will be
trained and capable public sector undertaken.
workforce, strengthening merit-based
Land Administration: A modern and
appointments, and conducting per-
community-based land administration
formance-based reviews.
system and establishment of a fair sys-
Anti-corruption: Measures to achieve a re- tem for settlement of land disputes will
duction of corruption in the judiciary be established.
and throughout the government will be
Independent Directorate of Local Gov-
introduced. There will be increased
ernance (IDLG): A sub-national gov-
monitoring of corruption at senior lev-
ernance policy will be developed.
els. Appropriate new applications will
People’s participation in sub-national
be introduced to limit potential corrup-
governance will be increased. Provin-
tion. Public reporting and complaint
cial Councils will be empowered.
mechanisms will be expanded.
Laws on District Councils, Municipal
Enhanced availability of information to Councils, and Village Councils will be
public The public’s right to access to introduced. Regular elections of Dis-
information will be increased and the trict Councils, Municipal Councils,
rule of law will be enforced. Mayors and Village Councils will be
held. Public administration will be re-
Enhanced participation of Women in
formed at the sub-national level and
Governance: Fulfillment of the na-
the capacity of the public sector work-
tional action plan for women’s rights
force at sub-national level strength-
will be implemented and affirmative
ened. Provincial planning and budget-
action programs made available to
ing will be institutionalized.
women.
Governance Administration: Review and
Enhanced participation of Youth in Gov-
assessment of the facilities in all gov-
ernance: A proactive policy to expand
ernment offices will be undertaken and
opportunities for young people that
appropriate facilities provided.
encompasses all areas of Government
activity will be adopted. Communication with and within the
Government: There will be enhanced
Effective system of disaster preparedness
flow of information between all gov-
and response: The national disaster
ernment entities related to national pol-
management and mitigation policy will
icy, strategy and national budget pro-
be implemented.
cedures.
Independent Election Commission: The
Human Rights: The realization, protection,
capacity of the Independent Election
promotion and extension of human
Commission will be strengthened. A
rights, including the Action Plan on
permanent voters’ registry will be es-
Peace, Justice and Reconciliation will
tablished. Regular national and sub-
be implemented.

JUSTICE Poverty Reduction: Economic growth and in-
creased employment will contribute to a reduc-
tion in poverty. In addition it should be noted
Role of the Sector in ANDS that women, the poor and the marginalized are
most likely to suffer from lack of access to a
The role of the Justice Sector in the govern-
fair and unbiased judicial system.
ment’s development strategy is to ensure the
improved integrity, performance and infra-
Security/Stability: Poor security in certain
structure of Afghanistan’s justice institutions in
parts of the country makes service delivery dif-
each province; to streamline administrative
ficult or impossible and forces justice profes-
structures, ensure professional integrity and
sionals to operate at great personal risk. Police
improve coordination and integration within
devote most of their resources to maintaining
the Justice system between Government and
security.
civil society institutions, and improve access to
the justice system for all. The Government has
developed the National Justice Sector Strategy Contribution of the Sector to Imple-
(NJSS) to fully articulate these objectives. The mentation of the Compact and MDGs
NJSS will be implemented through the Na-
tional Justice Program (NJP). This will Afghanistan Compact: The Justice Sector will
strengthen and improve coordination among have met the four Rule of Law Compact
the justice institutions, and between the justice benchmarks by the end of 1391 (2010).
institutions and their bilateral and multilateral
funding partners. In the longer term the sector Millennium Development Goals (MDGs): Al-
will seek to increase specialization and diversi- though justice and the rule of law are not
fication of justice practices to meet more com- among the eight plus one MDGs, they provide
plex demands. This includes the necessary in- the enabling environment for poverty reduc-
teraction and with the informal justice systems, tion and economic development.
which are prevalent throughout the country..
Transitional Justice is obviously an important Current Situation in the Sector
aspect of the sector. The Government’s Action
Plan for Peace, Reconciliation and Justice in Achievements: Afghanistan has a mixed civil
Afghanistan acknowledges that any mecha- law and Islamic Sharia-based formal legal sys-
nism for building peace and justice must be tem that has evolved over many years. In most
carried out with the active and meaningful par- non-urban areas customary legal systems con-
ticipation of all national stakeholders, includ- tinue to operate. While there is considerable
ing the justice institutions. variation in these customary legal systems they
are usually based around traditional tribunals –
jirgas, madracas shuras or mookee khans. Tra-
Contribution of the Sector to the ditional systems usually have core principles of
ANDS apology and forgiveness, followed by recon-
ciliation. Most Afghan customary systems are
Economic Growth: An efficiently operating
based on the principle of restorative justice.
justice system will encourage investment and
economic activity to move from the informal to
The Constitution introduced three major re-
the formal sector, thereby strengthening the
forms to the judicial system:
ability of the government to raise revenue in-
ternally.
Art. 97 declared the judiciary an “inde-
pendent organ of the State” which
Employment: Growth of the private sector, a
“discharges its duties side by side with
prerequisite for which is an efficient judicial
the Legislative and Executive Organs;”
system, will generate increased demand for
labor. In addition, improved labor and contract The Constitution created a unified judicial
laws will lower the cost of hiring labor and di- system with an organizational struc-
rectly encourage increased employment, par- ture that is headed by the Supreme
ticularly in urban centers. Court;

The constitution created a unified system nology and capacity; uncompetitive salaries;
of laws. The Constitution and statutes poor education, vocational training, and public
created under the Constitution are le- confidence; resource constraints; security con-
gally dominant, with the basic princi- straints in certain parts of the country make
ples of the Sharia acting as a guide to service delivery difficult or impossible.
the legislature.
In Asad 1385 (August 2006), a new Supreme Policy framework: sector strategy
Court was approved by the National Assem- The Government’s vision for justice is of an
bly. The Supreme Court then adopted a new Islamic society in which an impartial and inde-
Code of Judicial Conduct, based on the interna- pendent justice system guarantees the security
tionally recognized Principles of Judicial Con- of life, religion, property, family and reputa-
duct, and established ethical standards. tion; with respect for liberty, equality before the
law and access to justice for all.
Donor activity in the justice sector has gener-
ally focused on building the capacity of the ju- Sector Priority Policies and Goals: These are
dicial system, including police training and all detailed in the sector strategy and further
court construction. elaborated in the NJP; however a brief sum-
mary of the three main policy reform goals is
Needs Assessment: the following needs have provided below:
been identified at the national and provincial
levels: Integrity, performance and infrastructure:
Administrative reform and restructur-
Salary support: To improve performance, ing of justice institutions; legal educa-
mitigate corruption and ensure profes- tion; systematic records systems; en-
sional qualification; hancement of administrative capacity;
Infrastructure and office equipment: Sub- eradication of corruption; promulga-
ject to survey of essential work to be tion of ethics codes; engagement of
targeted. public through complaint systems; ex-
pansion of justice services through in-
Transportation: Subject to survey of essen- frastructural development; procure-
tial work to be targeted; ment of transportation assets and
Operating costs: Need to be financed to equipment.
improve performance of justice institu- Coordination and integration with other
tions; government institutions and civil soci-
Capacity building and training: Continuing ety: Improved legislation through en-
professional development require- hanced capacity to draft legislation and
ments; parliamentary personnel; establish-
ment of a National Legal Training Cen-
Information management and human re- tre for vocational education and voca-
source management to be established; tional excellence; increased opportuni-
Codes of Ethics and oversight mechanisms ties for external stakeholders and civil
to be established for all legal profes- society to contribute to legal policy de-
sionals; velopment in policy analysis and legis-
lative drafting; support the Provincial
Financial management: Budgets are inade- Justice Coordination Mechanism
quate and budget execution rates are (PJCM), to improve the delivery of jus-
low; tice assistance in the provinces.
Public awareness: There is a need to de- Improved justice practices and processes:
velop tools and instruments that will Investigation system established to de-
ensure access at all level of society. termine delays and lack of representa-
tion in the criminal justice system and
Challenges, Constraints, Weaknesses: Weak improved case management; Sentenc-
infrastructure; lack of trained staff; delays and ing Policy developed; Juvenile Justice
backlogs of appeals; lack of information tech- Policy implemented; enhanced and

improved civil court case administra- tation; investigating policies for im-
tion and jurisdictional structures in ma- proved links between formal and in-
jor litigation categories; nationwide ac- formal justice sectors and oversight of
cess to legal information and represen- the informal by the formal.

Table 6.2. Key Objectives of the National Justice Program
Public can rely on effectively organized and professionally staffed, transparent and accountable justice institutions.
A.1. Justice institutions are structured, managed and administered according to their mandate and functions.
A.2. Justice institutions are professionally staffed by men and women who are equally remunerated according to their
competencies and qualifications.
A.3. Justice institutions have established the organs necessary for implementation of the national justice program.
A.4. Justice institutions and organizations have adopted and are enforcing codes of professional conduct and ethics.
A.5. Justice institutions have developed transparent operating procedures.
A.6. Justice institutions have adopted effective anti-corruption measures.
Justice institutions have access to infrastructure, transportation, equipment, and supplies adequate to support effective
delivery of justice services.
B.1. Justice institutions, including the central prisons directorate, are provided with buildings necessary for fulfillment of
their tasks.
B.2. Justice institutions are provided with equipment and supplies necessary for their tasks.
B.3. Justice institutions are provided with means of transport necessary for their tasks.
Legal education and vocational training are adequate to provide justice professionals with sufficient know-how to perform
their task.
C.1. Universities provide legal education which equips graduates with the intellectual skills and substantive knowledge to
perform well as justice professionals.
C.2. Justice institutions equip new professionals with the practical and professional skills necessary to fulfill their duties.
C.3. A system of continuing legal education for justice professionals, paying specific attention to women, is in place and
operational.
Statutes are clearly drafted, constitutional and the product of effective and consultative drafting processes.
D.1. The taqnin has sufficient capacity and resources to review, amend or draft legislation.
D.2. All laws in force have been reviewed for constitutionality.
D.3. Capacity for legislative drafting has been enhanced throughout other government institutions including Parliament.
D.4. System is in place to ensure consultation of stakeholders regarding proposed or pending legislation.
Justice Institutions effectively perform their functions in a harmonized and integrated manner.
E.1. Coordination and cooperation among justice sector institutions is enhanced, resulting in improved criminal and civil
trials and case management.
E.2. Adequate institutional organization structures capable of addressing cross cutting issues in rule of law are in place.
E.3. Criminal justice is administered effectively, and in accordance with the law, the Constitution, and international stan-
dards.
E.4. Civil justice is administered effectively, and in accordance with law, the Constitution, and international standards.
E.5. Policies regarding introduction of administrative law structures are in place.
E.6. Policies are in place to ensure that the corrections system operates in accordance with international standards.
E.7. Enhance legal and policy framework related to juvenile offenders and children in conflict with the law.
Citizens are more aware of their rights and are better able to enforce them.
F.1. Practices and procedures governing trials and routine legal transactions, including registration of documents, have
been streamlined and rationalized.
F.2. Enhanced access to formal legal system for indigents, illiterates, women, and children.
F.3. Enhanced monitoring of human rights enforcement throughout the government.
F.4. Increased knowledge of laws, rights, and responsibilities through legal awareness campaigns.
F.5. The role of traditional dispute resolution in the rule of law is defined, and decisions consistently meet international
human rights standards.
F.6. Begin the process of establishing a transitional justice system to record past human rights abuses and preserve the
rights of victims consistent with the government’s action plan for peace, reconciliation and justice.

Integration of the PDPs: Seventeen out of the 34 after extensive consultations with religious in-
PDPs cited security as the main obstacle to de- stitutions, scholars and religious leaders at both
velopment and stability, and cited it as the pri- national and sub-national levels.
ority sector in their provinces. As a result,
many of the projects requested by the people With respect to this the Government will im-
indicate the need for justice sector infrastruc- prove religious infrastructures including mos-
ture and a law enforcement presence at the dis- ques, shrines and other holy places. The Gov-
trict level. ernment will also develop religious schools
(madrassas) and will significantly strengthen
the training of imams, preachers and religious
Sector Related Issues teachers. The Government will provide train-
Role of the Private Sector: The justice sys- ing opportunities for Islamic teaching. In order
tem lowers the cost of doing business and al- to meet these objectives, the strategy requires
lows firms to enter into commercial enforceable the provision of religious services, poverty re-
contracts. Businesses in the formal sector have duction and effective economic development of
a strong interest in promoting an efficient judi- the country
cial system
Contribution of the Sector Strategy
Role of Civil Society: Civil society urgently
requires a judicial system at both the national Economic growth: Islam opposes criminal
and provincial level that can be trusted to ad- behavior and supports enforcement of laws
minister justice and has the confidence of the that are consistent with Islamic teachings.
general population. There is a need to raise public awareness of the
consequences of illegal activity, and the impor-
Policies to improve Aid Effectiveness: An tance of Islamic values in strengthening Afghan
important criticism has been that the donor society. Religion can provide needed support
community has neglected provincial issues and of the Government’s efforts to implement key
aid has been uncoordinated. Donors should not reforms.
attempt to impose an external judicial system
that may not be accepted throughout the coun- Poverty reduction: The religion of Islam re-
try. The NJP outlines mechanisms to facilitate quires all Muslims to support the poor and
improved cooperation and coordination with vulnerable in society (Zakat, one of the five
donors, thereby improving the effectiveness of pillars of Islam). It also promotes the idea of
aid delivery. social solidarity and actively encourages char-
ity. With the establishment of the Zakat Ad-
ministration within the Government, as well as
RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS the possibility of a Zakat-based tax, donations
can now be collected and redistributed in an
organized manner among the neediest.
Role of the Sector in ANDS
The ANDS strategic objective for this sector is Stability: The religion of Islam is a religion of
to provide competent and qualified religious peace. The sacred religion of Islam calls on all
services and increase the public awareness of Muslims to treat people with kindness and
Islamic religion and values in order to promote mercy and always try to forgive and avoid bad
people’s participation in the poverty reduction deeds. Religious scholars and leaders will play
and development programs. The Govern- a significant role in facilitating an end to the
ment’s primary goal is to ensure that all Af- current conflict and encouraging national rec-
ghans have equal opportunities to exercise onciliation.
their Islamic and religious beliefs and that Is-
lamic values will be embedded in the Afghan Human rights: Islam is based on human
recovery and development. The religious af- rights, including the rights of women, orphans
fairs strategy intends to establish a system and children. Affirmation of these basic rights,
which ensures that religious values are re- like all other Islamic values, will build support
flected with every aspect to Government policy for the reform and implementation of the
and contribute to the overall development of ANDS. Basic human rights and freedom are
the country. The sector strategy was developed

essential to building a strong free market econ- Challenges and Constraints
omy in addition to being essential for any de-
mocracy. Lack of qualified scholars and lack proper
training for the scholars;
Lack of a qualified cadre in religious edu-
Current Situation in the Sector
cation;
Achievements: A great deal of work has been
Weak coordination among the different re-
done since the establishment of the transitional
ligious government and non-
government of Afghanistan in terms of reli-
government institutions;
gious affairs, including:
Low level of professional capacity;
Afghanistan is an Islamic Republic;
Lack of adequate facilities and competent
The Constitution is fully based on the prin- professionals, which hinders the effec-
ciples of Islam; tive implementation of programs;
The Constitution states in Article 2: “The Uncertain central funding, obliging reli-
sacred religion of Islam is the religion gious institutions to depend on private
of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. charities. A lack of adequate funding is
Followers of other faiths shall be free one of the major constraints to realizing
within the bounds of law in the exer- sector programs, minimizing the ability
cise and performance of their religious of the government institutions to im-
rituals.” plement their projects.
Hajj services have been improved and Min- Security problems: Continued insecurity is
istry of Hajj and Endowment strength- a barrier to the implementation of the
ened; programs in some parts of the country.
Hundreds of new mosques and other holy
places have been constructed or reha- Policy Framework: Sector Strategy
bilitated;
The vision for the sector is to provide compe-
Extorted properties have been restored to tent religious services and raise religious
their owners; awareness of the public in order to promote
Islamic subjects have been included in the their participation in Government development
new curriculum of primary, secondary programs. This will ultimately lead to poverty
and higher education systems; reduction and the development of Afghanistan.
Islamic Madrasas and Dar-Ul-Hefazs have Sector Priority Policies: The government will
been established and rehabilitated; focus on the following priorities:
The Department of the Islamic Sciences of
the Science Academy has been rehabili- Improving infrastructure for religious af-
tated; fairs(mosques, shrines, holy places, re-
ligious schools);
Islamic literature has been more widely
disseminated through public and pri- Improving training and capacity of Imams,
vate media, electronic, visual and au- preachers, religious teachers and other
dio. scholars to raise public awareness and
to teach;
Needs assessments: The rehabilitation and Finalizing overall cultural curriculum for
construction of religious schools is the most primary and higher education;
pressing need for the sector. Additionally there
Strengthening Hajj arrangement systems
is a need to improve the Islamic female educa-
for pilgrims;
tion system and to hire an adequate number of
imams. Supporting efforts of other government
agencies to improve religious literacy.
Expected outcomes:

Government activities will not contradict CONCLUSION
Islamic values;
Good governance and adherence to the rule of
Religious infrastructure will be improved; law are much needed reforms that the Gov-
Religious affairs sector will be financially ernment of Afghanistan is committed to pursu-
sustainable; ing. While the donor community can support
reforms and provide technical assistance, these
The religious education system will be im- reforms have to be initiated by internal deci-
proved; sions if improvements in governance are to be
Participation of Islamic scholars in raising implemented. Without good governance and a
awareness of key Government reforms strong social contract for the acceptance of the
will increase; rule of law, the ANDS overall development
strategy will fail. This is because the strategy
The role of =religious institutions in pro-
has at its core the development of a private sec-
grams for poverty reduction will be
tor that will generate economic growth and
strengthened.
demand for skilled labor. In this framework,
the ANDS encourages the public sector to con-
Government priorities for Religious Affairs:
centrate on the creation of a safe environment
conducive to the smooth operation of a robust
Implement reforms in the education system
private sector. This means a greater focus by
and teaching methods in the public
Government on governance issues rather than
and private madrasas;
on production of goods and services that can be
Implement administrative reform pro- provided by more efficiently by the private sec-
grams in the Ministry of Hajj and En- tor.
dowment and its provincial offices;
Governance and the rule of law will remain a
Reform the Hajj and pilgrimage services
primary concern of the Government, which
systems;
has directed that a considerable proportion of
Reform and improve coordination of the available resources be devoted to strengthening
Sharia faculties of Afghan Universities; the institutions responsible for delivering good
governance. They include the National As-
Strengthen support for building and main-
sembly, the judicial system, the AGO, the po-
taining mosques and other religious in-
lice, and the Ministries that administer much of
stitutions;
the legislation. In it’s the early stages, efforts to
Improve self-sustainability of religious in- strengthen governance and the institutions that
stitutions by building shops and busi- support governance have been concentrated at
ness centers within the properties the central government level.
owned by mosques and other holy
places and opening bank accounts for Afghan “ownership” of this strategy requires
collecting donations; that the Government seek the close cooperation
of donors in capacity building and know-how
Establish Ulama Councils for settlement of
transfer, yet retain ultimate responsibility. Only
local disputes and implementation of
in that way, can a system evolve that allows the
development programs in the commu-
best aspects of a traditional governance system
nity;
to co-exist with a universal system that recog-
Establish a Zakat-related office within the nizes and supports principles of social diver-
ministry of Hajj and Endowment; sity, respect for human rights and the rule of
law.
Establish effective and transparent mecha-
nisms for collecting revenues from
shrines and holy sites.

72
Table 6.1. Cross cutting issues in the Governance, Rule of Law and Human Rights Pillar
Anti-Corruption Gender Equality Counter-Narcotics Environment Regional Capacity Building

By Jaddi 1392 (end-2013), the corruption The Government By Jaddi 1389 (end- National Environmental Gov- LOGOTRI is the The capacity of National Assembly
in the judiciary and the government at will fully imple- 2010), the Government ernance: The Government will Network of Local Members will be upgraded with
all levels, especially in security, customs, ment the Na- will increase the num- establish the following rights Government Train- respect to the draftingand ratifica-
civil administration and municipalities, tional Action ber of arrests and pros- of the public (individuals and ing and Research tion of legislation, review of and
will be significantly reduced. A monitor- Plan for Women ecutions of drug traf- their associations) with regard Institutes in Asia input to the national budget, and on
ing mechanism to track corruption in in Afghanistan by fickers and corrupt to the environment: and the Pacific. Its issues related to women’s rights,
high places will be put in place by Jaddi Jaddi 1389 (end- officials, and will im- members are both national security, international rela-
1. The right of everyone to
1387 (end-2008). By Jaddi 1387 (end- 2010). prove its information governmental, tions, and inter-ethnic relations.
receive environmental infor-
2008), cross-cutting electronic govern- base concerning those autonomous and
The Government mation that is held by public The Government will strengthen
ment applications will be launched to involved in the drugs private sector insti-
will introduce authorities. the capacity of Provincial Councils,
reduce corruption and increase effi- trade, with a view to tutions and or-
legislation on and support knowledge sharing
ciency. By Jaddi 1387 (end-2008), the enhancing the selection 2. The right of both women ganizations in-
affirmative ac- and exchange among Provincial
Government will establish and imple- system for national and and men to participate in en- volved primarily in
tion, reserving a Councils. The Government will
ment a public complaints mechanism. sub-national public vironmental decision-making. local government
specific percent strengthen the elected sub-national
appointments. Public ; training and re-
Citizens have right of access to informa- of seats for wom- representative bodies, enabling
officials elected and search. The Inde-
tion from Government offices in accor- en in the elected 3. The right to review proce- them to perform their roles and
appointed to high posi- pendent Director-
dance with Article 50 of the Constitu- district, munici- dures to challenge public de- fulfill their responsibilities towards
tions will be required to ate of Local Gov-
tion. This right will have no limits, un- pal and village cisions that have been made their constituent citizens.
declare their assets be- ernance (IDLG)
less it violates the rights of others. By councils as well without respecting the two
fore taking office and will collaborate By end-1389 (20 March 2011), the
Jaddi 1389 (end-2010), the legal frame- as in the civil aforementioned rights or en-
on a periodic basis dur- with the LOGOTRI Government will build institutional
work required for exercising this right service. The set vironmental law in general.
ing their tenure in pub- with a view to or- and administrative capabilities in
provided under the constitution will be targets will be
lic office. Local Environmental Govern- ganizing training provincial, district and, municipal
put in place, distributed to all judicial seen as a mini-
ance: Natural resources will and study tours of administrations to manage basic
and legislative institutions, made avail- mum and not, The Government will
be managed through commu- Afghan sub- service delivery through reformed
able to the public and implemented. over time, as a establish and support
nity-based mechanisms and national govern- organizational structures, stream-
maximum. the existing Counter
By Jaddi 1389 (end-2010), the Govern- with the support of legitimate ance policy makers lined management processes, the
Narcotics units in key
ment will increase the number of arrests Affirmative ac- local governments. and Afghan offi- development of essential skills and
ministries and will es-
and prosecutions of drug traffickers and tion on allocating cials at LOGOTRI improvements in the knowledge
tablish coordination Natural Resource Manage-
corrupt officials, and improve its infor- seats for women member- base of civil servants.
mechanisms for a coor- ment-related interventions
mation base concerning those involved will be linked to institutions in Asia
dinated Government will be based on broad consul- A training policy for the entire pub-
in the drug trade, with a view to enhanc- education re- and the Pacific.
response. tations with local communi- lic sector workforce will be devel-
ing the selection system for national and forms for women.
ties (to include marginalized oped and implemented. Institu-
sub-national public appointments. Pub- Educating wom- The National Assembly
groups like pastoralists or tional arrangements will be put in
lic officials elected and appointed to en will help will organize training
indigenous groups) and will place to ensure that each member of
high positions will be required to declare break the gender for its members on CN
reflect local values. These will the workforce receives organiza-
their assets before taking office. The bias and prepare issues, in particular the
Anti-Corruption Gender Equality Counter-Narcotics Environment Regional Capacity Building
Government will establish within gov- women for more CN Law. form an essential part of a tion- and job-specific training at
ernment and parliament a clear policy significant par- process of poverty reduction, least once in two years. Women’s
Youth groups are im-
on anticorruption and implementation ticipation in gov- since improved productivity participation will be ensured. The
portant civil society
of UNCAC. Institutional arrangements ernance. will directly increase rural aim of T & D policy shall be to:
organizations. Aware-
within the Government to fight corrup- livelihoods, food security and
ness of CN issues will Provide job-related education,
tion will be rationalized and strength- market participation.
be incorporated into training, and development oppor-
ened.
the programs devel- tunities for all civil servants so that
The Government will fight corruption oped for youth groups. they may perform their jobs compe-
with resolve and commitment and im- tently and happily.
Provincial level counter
prove its capacity to do so. The actions
narcotic initiatives will
contained in the Anti Corruption Road
be implemented with
Map will remain priority actions for the
the cooperation of the
Government in 1387 (2008) and beyond.
Governors and the
The Government will take steps con-
Provincial Council
tained in the report of Inter-Institutional
Members
Commission.
Governance, Rule of Law and Human Rights
73
CHAPTER 7
ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

This chapter summarizes the sector strategies We aim to “enable the private sector to
developed as part of the ANDS under Pillar 3: lead Afghanistan’s development”.38 We
Economic and Social Development.35 The will build a market-based system, driven
ANDS strategy depends upon achieving sus- by private sector growth,39 in which Gov-
tained high rates of economic growth that will ernment is the “policy maker and regula-
increasingly be based on private sector-led de- tor of the economy, not its competitor”.40
velopment.36 A key component of the ANDS is If the Government is to achieve its aim of
the development of an enabling environment significantly enhancing per capita GDP in
that encourages the private sector to play a cen-
the next five years,41 it must complete the
tral role in the economic development of the
foundations for socially responsible pri-
country. While the sector strategies cannot
vate sector growth and encourage sus-
specify private sector investments, which are a
result of private decision making, the actions tained high levels of foreign and domestic
and programs designed to create an enabling private investment.
environment for the private and non-
government sectors are included. The implementation of the private sector de-
velopment strategy will contribute directly to
the achievement of a number of objectives set
PRIVATE SECTOR out in the Afghanistan Compact and the
MDGs:
DEVELOPMENT
The Government’s economic vision has been Afghanistan Compact: Private Sector Devel-
consistent since 1381 (2002)37, and remains the opment and Trade: “All legislation, regu-
strategic objective of the private sector devel- lations and procedures related to invest-
opment strategy. The market based economy is ment will be simplified and harmonized
enshrined in the Constitution, article 10, which by end-1385 (2006) and implemented by
states that: end-1386 (2007). New business organiza-
tion laws will be tabled in the National
The State encourages and protects private Assembly by end-1385 (2006). The Gov-
capital investments and enterprises based ernment's strategy for divestment of
on the market economy and guarantees
their protection in accordance with the
provisions of law. 38
President Karzai, Opening Address at the ADF, Hamal,
1383April 2005, page 9.
As President Karzai also stated, 39

Minister of Finance Anwar Ahady, The Budget as a Tool for
Accelerating Economic Development and Poverty Reduction,
ADF, Hamal 1384 (April 2005). Senior Economic Advisor to the
President, Professor Ishaq Nadiri, The National Development
35
The full sector strategies are included in the Volume II of the Strategy & Key Challenges, Presentation at the Afghanistan
ANDS. Development Forum. Hamal 1384 (April 2005).
36 40
See for example “A Policy for Private Sector Growth and De- Senior Economic Advisor to the President, Professor Ishaq
velopment” presented by the Government at the Enabling Envi- Nadiri, The National Development Strategy & Key Challenges,
ronment Conference, Jauza , 1386 (June 2007). Presentation at the Afghanistan Development Forum.Hamal 1384
37
(April 2005).
See generally, National Development Framework, 1380 OR
41
1381 (2002), ANDS Volume II, and Securing Afghanistan’s Statement of Dr. M. M. Amin Farhang, Minister of Economy,
Future, Chapter 5 1382 OR 1383 (2004). at the ADF, Hamal 1384 (April 2005)
Economic and Social Development 75

state-owned enterprises will be imple- Component 1: Strengthening the ena-
mented by end-1388 (2009).” bling environment
Afghanistan Compact: Regional Cooperation: The main objective of an improved enabling
“By end-1398 (2010) Afghanistan and its environment is to reduce the costs of doing
neighbors will achieve lower transit business. This entails the elimination of exces-
times through Afghanistan by means of sive or unnecessary impediments to business
cooperative border management and activity that raise costs, while improving the
other multilateral or bilateral trade and “soft” and “hard” infrastructures essential to
transit agreements; Afghanistan will inefficient economic activity. This requires that
crease the amount of electricity available the private sector have access to the necessary
through bilateral power purchases; and inputs at reasonable cost, including land for
Afghanistan, its neighbors and countries commercial purposes, credit and imported raw
in the region will reach agreements to materials and intermediate goods. Efficient
enable Afghanistan to import skilled la- land, labor and financial markets and a stable,
bor, and to enable Afghans to seek work open trade regime have a major impact on the
in the region and send remittances ability of firms to operate competitively.
home.”
MDGs: Goal 8: “Further develop an open Private sector development requires macroeco-
trading and financial system that is rule- nomic stability and an environment subject to
based, predictable and non- the rule of law. While it is relatively easy to
discriminatory, which includes a com- introduce a suitable legal and regulatory
mitment to good governance, develop- framework, it is considerably more difficult to
ment and poverty reduction. Goal 8: In ensure that all parties, both public and private,
cooperation with the private sector, make reliably abide by the legal system. It is critical
available the benefits of new technologies that contracts can be entered into and enforced
— especially information and communi- with disputes readily resolved. A high priority
cations technologies.” of the ANDS is the strengthening of institu-
tions, including the establishment of effective
The macroeconomic framework presented in commercial courts, responsible for the imple-
Chapter 4 makes clear that maintaining high mentation of commercial laws.
rates of economic growth during the life of the
ANDS and beyond depends on a substantial The ANDS strategic priorities for promotion of
increase in the level of private investment in private sector development include:
the economy.
A stable macroeconomic environment and
supportive financial system: The Gov-
Key components of the private sector ernment will control inflation at low lev-
development strategy els similar to those achieved in recent
years. The growth of a financial sector
The strategy to foster private sector develop-
able to extend credit to viable firms will
ment and increase domestic and foreign in-
be supported through legal and regula-
vestment consists of three main components: (i)
tory reforms, including the implementa-
continued efforts to build a strong and stable
tion of secured transactions laws.
enabling environment that will encourage a
competitive private sector; (ii) expand the Private sector investment: Attracting private
scope for private investment in developing na- investment is the responsibility of the en-
tional resources and infrastructure; and (iii) tire Government and will be an integral
strengthen efforts to promote investment from part of all projects and programs imple-
domestic sources, the Afghan diaspora and mented under the ANDS. This will re-
foreign investors. quire strengthening Government agen-
cies and Ministries, including AISA as
the lead investment promotion agency.
All Ministries have the mandate to ex-
pand opportunities for private business
activity and to increase their contribution

to the growth and development of the o Implement ING effective programs to
economy. Donors will be encouraged to provide institutional strengthening and
fulfill their commitments to increase the capacity development throughout the
number OR volume of goods and ser- public sector.
vices sourced within the country.
State owned enterprises: The Government
Legislative reform: Key commercial laws and will continue the program of privatiza-
amendments establishing the basic legal tion and corporatization of state owned
and regulatory framework will be en- enterprises, a process that is presently on
acted and implemented to encourage schedule. This will: (i) improve the level
private sector involvement in social and of efficiency in the economy; (ii) assist in
economic development and consistent eliminating corruption; (iii) encourage
with the Afghan conditions. better resource allocation; and (iv) gener-
ate increased government revenue.
o The Government will introduce and
implement the remaining commercial Formalized private sector operations: The
laws included in the Afghanistan Government is encouraging firms to
Compact benchmark. formalize their activities by introducing
tax number identification and applying
o The Government will consult with rep-
commercial laws and regulations. Con-
resentatives from private business and
sideration is being given to innovative ef-
civil society in a meaningful and timely
forts to channel some public vocational
manner during the process of drafting
training funds through properly regis-
policies and laws.
tered firms, in compliance with tax laws,
o The necessary steps will be taken to es- to finance training for their employees in
tablish the authority of mediation and properly accredited vocational training
arbitration tribunals to resolve private- programs.
private and private-public disputes, in-
Improved private sector access to finance:
cluding land issues.
The Government will implement a well
o The Government will ensure that no defined strategy to expand the availabil-
law will be implemented unless it has ity and range of financial products and
first been published in the newspapers, services, especially targeting small and
and made available electronically and medium enterprises. Priority actions in-
in hard copy to the public. Regula- clude:
tions, including import tariff rates, will
o Passage and enactment of four key fi-
be made readily available on the Minis-
nancial laws: Secured Transactions,
try of Finance website.
Mortgage, Leasing and Negotiable In-
Administrative Reform: The Government struments Laws.
will ensure that Ministries and agencies
o Establishment of an independent bank-
are able to competently administer com-
ing and business training institute as a
mercial laws and regulations in an unbi-
joint commercial bank-DAB initiative.
ased and predictable manner. These ac-
tions will include: o Establishment of a credit information
bureau to facilitate commercial and
o Investing in capacity development for
consumer lending.
National Assembly so that MPs are bet-
ter informed and supported in their o Establishment of a financial tribunal to
role and understanding of proposed provide swift legal resolution of finan-
laws. cial disputes.
o Ensuring the competency and trans- Maintaining a pro-trade environment: The
parency of tribunals by establishing Government remains committed to main-
standards and building the capacity of taining trade policies with low barriers
arbitrators, mediators and lawyers. for imports and exports and a liberal for-
eign exchange system. The Govern-
o Undertaking financial audits of state
ment’s trade policies will take into ac-
owned assets and corporations.
count the need to increase domestic

revenues and support increased domestic tary and phyto-sanitary (SPS) require-
production by the private sector. Pres- ments of importing countries and that in-
sures can be expected to arise from some ternational product standards are met.
groups for tariff protection, which would The Government will reduce the burden
likely impose burdens on consumers or of export documentation, processes will
other producers in the economy. Such be further streamlined, and essential ser-
proposals will only be considered by vices, including market information, will
evaluating the economy-wide costs and be provided to the exporters by the
benefits, including the impact on con- EPAA.
sumers. The Government will undertake
NGOs and civil society: The strategy recog-
systematic tariff reform as part of the
nizes the vital contribution that NGOs
budget process and in consultation with
and other civil society organizations are
the private sector, and will avoid ad hoc
making in implementing the social and
changes. The Government will continue
economic goals of the ANDS. The Gov-
to vigorously seek to increase access for
ernment will maintain an open and effec-
Afghan goods and services in foreign
tive social dialogue with civil society and
markets though bilateral, regional and
encourage its contributions to social and
multilateral trade agreements. The Gov-
economic development.
ernment remains committed to WTO ac-
cession. Expanding trade with neighbor-
ing countries will help to establish Af- Component 2: Expand opportunities
ghanistan as an important ‘trading hub’ for the private investment in infra-
in the region. structure and natural resources devel-
Firm-level technical assistance: The Gov- opment
ernment is determined to assist the pri-
The country requires enormous investment in
vate sector in developing
infrastructure, including roads, power genera-
its competitiveness and substantially in-
tion, water supply, and irrigation. A substan-
creasing the volume of domestic produc-
tial portion of these investments could be un-
tion. At present, Afghanistan’s exports
dertaken profitably by private investors within
are very low by regional standards,
an appropriate regulatory environment. Pri-
dominated by dried fruit and carpets.
vate investment in the development of natural
However, in recent years a number of
resources, particularly minerals, will become
new manufacturing industries have be-
viable when suitable regulations are in place.
gun to emerge, some with demonstrated
export potential, including production of
The Government will establish a multi-sector
dairy products, honey, cement, sun-
regulatory authority following an ap-
flower products, glass, sugar beet, olive
proach similar to that used to develop
oil, cashmere, flowers and floral essences.
the telecommunications industry. This
The Government will seek firm-level
regulatory system will establish appro-
technical assistance to increase the ability
priate fees and royalties, public purchase
of firms in these and other new indus-
agreements (e.g., for power), ensure
tries to compete more effectively in po-
transparent procedures and dispute-
tential export markets.
resolution mechanisms. Its mandate will
Trade Facilitation: The Government will in- be to maximize private investment in
troduce trade facilitation measures to re- these areas.
duce the cost of moving goods within the
Opportunities for entering into public-
country and across borders, including
private partnerships for investment in in-
endeavoring to relax restrictions arising
frastructure projects, such as roads and
from transit agreements with neighbor-
bridges, will be developed based on in-
ing countries. Institutional capacity to
ternational best practices.
support the export of domestically pro-
duced goods and services will be in- The Government will encourage private pro-
creased, including, for example, the tech- vision of public services wherever it will
nical resources necessary to establish that be feasible, including areas such as
Afghan agricultural products meet sani- health, education, municipal services, etc.

Opportunities to expand private investment The objective is to make potential investors
often overlap sectors in which multiple Minis- aware of the opportunities available in Af-
tries have responsibilities. This will require ghanistan, to assure them that the Government
improved coordination and strengthening of recognizes the importance of increased private
the capacities of most Ministries and agencies. investment, and to work with potential inves-
To be successful, the development and promo- tors to ensure that their investments will not
tion of private investment opportunities cannot fail due to unpredictable and unfavorable
be the responsibility of only one or two agen- changes in the tax environment or policies to-
cies or Ministries, but must entail a concerted wards private investors. This needs the full
effort by the entire Government. Efforts to en- support of the international community.
courage private sector investment also require Through focused efforts, donors can help create
the understanding and cooperation of the do- the conditions necessary for increased private
nor community. investment in the country. Donors can also
help by by making known in their own coun-
This aspect of the private sector development tries the importance the Afghan Government is
strategy is reflected in many of the sector strat- placing on the need to expand private sector
egies set out below. In the energy sector, for investment and operations within Afghanistan.
example, it represents a major reform designed
to attract private investment for development
of energy resources. It is the basic foundation ENERGY
for development of the mining sector. It plays
an important role with respect to efforts to
Role of the Sector in ANDS:
make more efficient use of state owned land to
stimulate commercial agriculture. The Gov- Energy is critical to economic growth. The
ernment will seek to persuade medium and ANDS strategic vision and goal for the energy
large scale agricultural producers and proces- sector is: “An energy sector that provides driv-
sors to invest in commercial agriculture in or- ers of growth in the economy with long term
der to increase employment and market oppor- reliable, affordable energy based on market-
tunities in rural areas and to develop export based private sector investment and public sec-
markets for higher value Afghan products. It is tor oversight.” This strategy supports (1) com-
reflected in innovative efforts to try and use mercially and technically efficient energy de-
public funding to support and improve private livery as a priority; (2) reformed sector govern-
provision of education and health services. ance that will safeguard consumers, workers
There is scope for using donor funding to de- and resources; (3) the establishment of a mar-
velop a vibrant domestic private construction ket-based enabling environment where legiti-
industry to participate in projects being imple- mate private investment will be facilitated; (4)
mented by Government Ministries. the diversification of energy resources for long
term low cost energy, energy security and clean
energy use; and (5) identifying and supporting
Component 3: Concerted private sec- inter-sectoral supporting linkages, including
tor investment promotion comprehensive system-based planning not lim-
The third component of the strategy involves ited to projects, energy for industry and vehi-
concerted efforts to promote investment from cles.
foreign and domestic sources, including from
the Afghan diaspora. After a long period of on expanding domestic capacity for electricity
isolation, Afghanistan must rebuild commercial generation and will take steps to provide the
ties and demonstrate that there is a multitude basis for a transition of the sector from public
of profitable opportunities for investors in the to private management. As the Afghan energy
country. The Afghanistan Investment Support sector moves from primarily state owned op-
Agency will play a central role in this process erations to a more private market orientation,
and will be strengthened. But the responsibil- new institutional arrangements will be estab-
ity for promoting increased investment will be lished.
a government-wide task and an integral part of
all projects and programs undertaken as a part The Afghanistan Compact benchmarks that
of the ANDS. specifically deal with the energy sector include:

“By end 2010, electricity will reach at least 65 other energy infrastructures have taken place,
percent of households and 90 percent of while millions of dollars have been spent for
non-residential establishments in major diesel fuel and to support more than 1,700
urban areas and at least 25percent of small renewable energy projects. Since 1383
households in rural areas.” (2006), there has been an ongoing program for
commercialization of operations in power op-
“By end 1389 (2010), at least 75 percent of the
erations by the state owned power company,
costs will be recovered from users con-
DABM.
nected to the national power grid,” a
benchmark that the Government now in-
The Inter-Ministerial Commission for Energy
tends to exceed for all but the poorest
(ICE) was established in 1383 (2006) to coordi-
members of society.42 These are ambi-
nate Government policy in energy; to leverage
tious goals. Meeting these objectives will
donor resources; and integrate sector planning.
require a transformation of the sector
Surveying and inspection functions are now
similar to the one that restructured the
located at the Ministry of Mines to support oil,
telecommunications industry, with a re-
natural gas and coal contracts.
organization and commercialization of
public sector activities and a greater role
The efforts mentioned above have resulted in a
being played by the private sector.
significant improvement in the availability of
electricity and other energy sources compared
Current situation in the sector to the devastated conditions pre 1380-1381
(2002). Electricity capacity has almost doubled
The energy sector suffered considerable dam- in the last six years, largely due to imported
age as a result of war and neglect. The country supply, which was non-existent prior to 1380-
has never had high rates of electrification. To- 1381 (2002) (see Table 7.1). However, on a per
day it is estimated that 20 percent of the popu- capita basis, the electricity generating capacity
lation has access to public power (grid- is well below what it was in 1357 (1978). The
supplied) on certain days for a limited number present goal of electricity availability set for
of hours only. Nationally, seven grids distrib- 1389 (2010) is below 40 kwh per capita (com-
ute power, with supply coming from domestic pared to a present availability, in Tajikistan, for
hydro generation; imported power and thermal instance, of over 2,200 kwh per capita). Techni-
generation. Isolated diesel generation has cal standards of operations remain antiquated
dramatically increased since 1380-1381 (2002), and do not appropriately reflect the new tech-
and will continue to play a large role in power nologies or modern safety measures.
supplies. Rural populations use local waste,
solar panels, batteries and small wood, coal,
kerosene supplies for basic cooking and heat.
Over the past five years, the Government has

worked with the international community to
increase the availability of electricity and other
energy resources and to carry out the planning
necessary to make the transition to a more sus-
tainable and efficient private sector-led energy
sector. A power sector master plan (1382 (2003-
04)); a gas sector master plan (1383 (2004-05)),
and a renewable energy plan (1384 (2006)) were
developed and/or updated. Considerable in-
vestment in expanding domestic generation
capacity has been undertaken, including the
rehabilitation of the damaged power infrastruc-
ture. To a lesser extent, repairs of gas, coal and
42
The poorest members of society rarely have access to electric-
ity service.

Table 7.1. Electricity supply sources and operating capacity
Hydro Thermal Imported Other: diesel, micro hydro Total supply
Year
(MW) (MW) (MW) & renewable (MW) (MW)
1357 (1978) 259 137 0 0 396
1381 (2002) 141 16 87 0 243
1386 (2007) 262 90 167 133 652
Despite efforts to date, the existing governance investors cite unclear policies and cor-
arrangements and policy framework for the ruption as a barrier to investment. In a
sector are still insufficient to support a market- well developed market, the majority of
based energy system. Obstacles to making the services now provided by the 11 SOE
desired transition include: SPELL OUT and three budgetary units
that support energy operations could be
Dispersed institutional support: Seven Min- implemented by the private sector in
istries include energy as part of their ways that are more cost-effective and
portfolio. technically efficient. Areas where private
sector engagement has immediate poten-
Lack of regulatory framework: No legal or
tial given appropriate regulatory over-
regulatory regime is in place to guide
sight, include independent power pro-
sector operations (although an energy
duction and oil and gas concessions.
law is under preparation). There are no
legal professionals trained in commercial
In the Provincial Development Plan consulta-
energy law or regulatory processes.
tions, a number of issues were frequently high-
No divestment or meaningful commerciali- lighted across a range of sectors and in a major-
zation of state energy assets: Govern- ity of provinces, and therefore emerge as over-
ment and energy enterprise operations arching development priorities. Access to elec-
are overstaffed and highly inefficient, tricity, both for domestic use through the ex-
lacking fundamental tools and capacity tension of availability of electricity to more re-
to support technically and commercially mote villages, and for productive purposes
viable operations. This includes power, such as factories and businesses, was men-
natural gas, coal and liquid fuels. Some tioned in 80 percent of the PDPs.
of the state owned enterprises and budg-
etary units operate with considerable
government support but with virtually Policy framework: sector strategy
no audit, fiscal or legal oversight. Substantial new investment is required to in-
A drain on budgetary resources: A sector crease domestic generating capacity and ensure
that could be generating revenues for adequate supplies. A central thrust in the
government with normal rates of taxa- strategy will be increased investment in infra-
tion applied to sector activities is, under structure. The three key hydro power projects
present arrangements, a major drain on (described below) will substantially add to ge-
government resources. nerating capacity, but also support agricultural
growth and improved management of water
Inefficient and wasteful use of electricity: resources. Substantial additional private in-
Under-priced electricity is used ineffi- vestment is also required. The Government
ciently. Appropriate cost recovery will will leverage currently available donor funds to
provide incentives to cut down on this ensure longer term access to private investment
wasteful use. and capital. Policies to support private invest-
Limited opportunities for private participa- ments will be established. Improved procure-
tion: There are no legal impediments to ment, accounting functions, contracting and
private investment in the energy sector. reporting at the government level will be put in
In practice, there is a weak legal and place.
regulatory infrastructure in place to sup-
port and monitor investments. Potential

A new market-oriented paradigm will be de- sion for Energy (ICE). This may involve
veloped, supported by significant institutional some regrouping of ministerial functions
strengthening and capacity development. As as well as improved line Ministry staff
the energy line Ministries shift over time from capacity to plan and budget. Use of the
operating as production-based entities to be- ICE mechanism as well as improved pub-
coming policy-making regulatory agencies, lic information will be essential for im-
staff capacity and in-house functions will be proved Government coordination in the
reoriented to market practices. The key pro- energy sector. Related or duplicated en-
grams of the sector are: (i) efficient operation of ergy functions at various Ministries will
infrastructure; (ii) market based sector govern- be consolidated, and appropriate line
ance; (iii) rural electrification and renewable Ministry terms of references will be in-
energy; (iv) expansion of supplies, (for addi- troduced. It is essential that the donors
tional detail refer to the full sector strategy in themselves improve the way in which
ANDS Volume II). they engage with the energy sector. At
present there are 25 donors engaged in
The Priority Polices and Projects include: the sector; in addition there are 15 differ-
ent US agencies. Afghan counterpart re-
Implementation of key power infrastructure sources are limited and stretched to the
projects: The Government will give pri- limit. Improved governance will mobilize
ority to the implementation of four major investment, mitigate corrupt practices
infrastructure projects that will substan- and improve the technical quality of en-
tially increase power supplies, but also ergy supply. A viable legal and regula-
contribute to expanded irrigation and ru- tory framework will be established that
ral development: (i) the Kokcha-e-Ulia includes the development of market-
Hydro Power Plant, which will generate based power purchase and production
a total of 1,900 MW and add 57,000 hec- sharing agreements.
tares of irrigated agricultural land; (ii) the
Legal reform and regulatory standards. Final-
Baghdara Hydro Power Plant, which will
ization of primary legislative and regula-
generate 210 MW, benefit more than
tory tools is essential. These include
105,000 families, and increase irrigation
mining regulations, the Hydrocarbons
coverage; (iii) the Irrigation and Power
Upstream Law and drafting legislation
Project of Kokcha-e-Sofla, which will
for the electricity sector. There are no
generate 100 MW of power, benefiting
meaningful technical standards or finan-
more than 950,000 families in the area;
cial standards for operation in place;
and (iv) the Sorobi II Hydro Power Plant,
these urgently need to be developed
which will generate 180MW and help
along with staff capacity to implement
meet electricity needs in Kabul. Other
them. The Government is working with
key projects include expansion of the
the international community to draft a
public power grid through the rehabilita-
revised Hydrocarbons Law and mining
tion and upgrading of Kabul and other
and hydrocarbons regulations). Drafting
key infrastructure areas (i.e., distribution
of regulation for hydrocarbons is under-
–lines, substations, meters); the devel-
way in the strengthening of the survey-
opment of the North East Power System
ing and inspection functions. Greater fo-
(NEPS), to be followed by the South East
cus on grid and off-grid regulation of
Power System (SEPS), Western and East-
electricity and on liquid fuels is also re-
ern Power Systems the development of
quired.
the Sheberghan gas and oil fields; con-
struction of new transmission and related Commercialization and/or divestiture of
distribution for power imports; installa- state and “quasi-state” assets: The Gov-
tion of a dispatch and control system as ernment will assess its sector assets and
well as a reactive power system. develop a plan for liquidation, restruc-
turing and commercialization or sale. In
Restructured energy sector governance: The
particular the Government will provide
Government will consolidate energy
more support for the corporatization and
planning and policy-making functions
commercialization of national power op-
through the Inter-Ministerial Commis-
erations. Both commercialization of the

state power company DABM and an in- structure areas (i.e., distribution-lines,
crease in efficiency will require the intro- substations, meters); (ii) development of
duction of international accounting and the North East Power System (NEPS); to
procurement practices. be followed by the South East Power Sys-
tem (SEPS), Western and Eastern Power
Improve the enabling environment for pri-
Systems; (iii) construction of new trans-
vate sector investment. As new energy
mission and related distribution for
developments emerge, including new
power imports. Installation of a dispatch
power import transmission, gas-fired
and control system as well as a reactive
power, coal-fired power and new hydro
power system will be underway by end-
generation, the introduction of the pri-
1387 (2008). These ongoing donor-
vate sector to finance and operate these
funded activities to expand the power gr-
assets will be important. In most in-
ids will be adjusted to make them com-
stances no local capacity is in place to
patible with the move to a more market
support these market operations and pri-
based system.
vate investments. A market-friendly
enabling environment to facilitate private Increase access to rural energy services: Mi-
investment must be developed that is cro-hydro, solar, waste and even small
both sufficiently flexible to entice private diesel power and energy generating
investment and highly effective in moni- sources will be promoted to improve ru-
toring investments to safeguard Afghan ral energy access. Commercial operation
resources, workers, consumers and the of these services will be encouraged and
environment. The ANDS energy sector technical standards will be established to
strategy calls for the establishment of a ensure cost-recovery, sustainability and
sector regulator, who will adopt a trans- safety. High levels of cost recovery will
parent licensing regime and establish avoid pre-empting potentially more effi-
conditions that will attract private in- cient provision of such services by the
vestment in electricity generation and in private sector. Several private firms are
the related fields of mining, natural gas involved in the development of off-grid
and hydropower. A market-friendly power supplies based on wind or solar
enabling environment to facilitate private power, and efforts will be made to en-
investment will be developed. Key areas courage the development of these activi-
for investment in the near term include: ties, or at least not undermine their vi-
(i) increased domestic power generation ability with subsidized public sector ac-
to include new hydro power, natural gas tivities.
and coal-fired power facilities; (ii) power
Increase Regional Cooperation and Trade in
distribution including lines, substations
Energy Products: Afghanistan is geo-
and metering; (iii) power construction
graphically well positioned to import
and services (i.e., outsourcing); (iv) ex-
additional resources from neighboring
ploration and exploitation of coal, natural
countries. Afghanistan joined as a full
gas and oil; (v) installation and operation
member the Central Asia South Asia
of rural energy services.
(CASA) 1300mw project in Month 1386
Expanded Public Power Grid: The Govern- (November 2007). Power purchase
ment is committed to improving energy agreements (PPA) are being finalized for
access for people across the country. A regular power imports from neighboring
high priority in this area is the rehabilita- countries and new PPAs are being nego-
tion and expansion of grid-supplied tiated for increased power imports. Af-
power, including investment in new gen- ghanistan is also participating in ongoing
eration, distribution and transmission. planning for a Turkmenistan-
The Government is also implementing a Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) natu-
series of large and small infrastructure ral gas pipeline. A number of regional
improvements, including generation, energy trade and import arrangements
transmission and improved distribution have commenced and will contribute to
of electricity throughout the country. Fu- long-term energy security.
ture actions include: (i) rehabilitation and
upgrading of Kabul and other key infra-

Poverty Reduction Initiatives: The energy Integration of the Provincial Devel-
sector will provide essential power sup- opment Plans (PDPs)
plies needed for private sector develop-
ment, job creation and poverty reduction. Access to electricity, both for domestic use
Investments in the sector will create di- through the extension of electricity to remote
rect employment opportunities in the villages, and for factory and business use was
development of power plants, oil, gas cited in 80 percent of the Provincial Develop-
and coal fields, the construction of grid ment Plans. PDPs in eight provinces, princi-
systems and the commercial operations pally in the center, south and southeast of the
of the sector. The development of small country report progress in access to electricity
energy installations will contribute to lo- since 1384 (2005); provinces in the center and
cal economic development, particularly south, however, frequently mentioned the need
in rural areas. Subsidies for electricity for improvement. Little mention or under-
will be maintained for the poorest standing of non-electricity use of energy, i.e.,
households. Micro-hydro, solar, waste for heating, fuel for small equipment, vehicle
and even small diesel power and energy fuel, etc. was cited.
generating sources will be promoted to
improve increased rural access to power. Expected Outcomes:
Commercial operation of these services
will be encouraged and technical stan- The key outcomes of the sector strategy are:
dards will be established to ensure cost-
recovery, sustainability and safety. A Improved governance and commercialization
number of private firms are currently in- Expanded public power grid
volved in the development of off-grid
power supplies based on wind or solar Increased access to rural energy services
power and efforts will be made to en- Enabling environment for private sector in-
courage the development of these activi- vestment in the energy sector. (For detail
ties. information refer to Appendixes 3-
Environmental Protection: The environ- National Action Plan and 4-Monitoring
mental implications of the expansion of Matrix.)
the energy sector will be fully accounted
for. Some of hese will be positive, such
as reduced pressure for deforestation,
WATER AND IRRIGATION
while others may be potentially negative,
such as increased green house gas emis- Role of the sector in ANDS
sions. There will be scope for using wind
and solar energy, particularly in areas The ANDS strategic vision and goal for the wa-
distant from regional grids, and the rela- ter sector is to manage and develop the coun-
tive benefits of this type of energy should try’s water resources so as to reduce poverty,
be recognized in policies to support their increase sustainable economic and social de-
use. velopment, improve the quality of life for all
Afghans and ensure an adequate supply of wa-
The energy sector strategy combines donor- ter for future generations.
supported efforts to expand public sector op-
erations at the same time as it lays the ground- There are significant water resources in Af-
work for much greater involvement by private ghanistan. Average annual precipitation is
sector investors. The relative weight given to equivalent to about 165,000 million m³, yielding
these two components will be dependent on an annual surface runoff water volume of
the relative effectiveness of the two efforts over about 57,000 million m³. This amounts to ap-
the implementation period of ANDS (for de- proximately 2,280 m³/year per capita. This
tails refer to ANDS Volume II). would be an adequate amount, except that pre-
cipitation is primarily in the form of snowfall
and without adequate catchments systems the
resulting snowmelt runs off in a matter of a few
months; precipitation is also not evenly dis-

tributed geographically. Supply therefore de- percent of Afghanistan’s total population – 43
pends on groundwater extraction that is not percent in urban areas and 18 percent in rural
sustainable; an insignificant amount of surface areas. The country’s total sanitation coverage
water storage exists currently. Deep water of only 12 percent deserves attention. While
drilling without adequate investment in re- around 28 percent of the urban population is
charge basins or storage structures degrades covered, only 8 percent of rural population had
the aquifers on which most traditional irriga- access to improved sanitation in 1385 (2006).43
tion systems depend. Despite considerable
assistance in rehabilitating irrigation systems, Target 10 of the MDGs is to halve by 1399
progress towards establishing a comprehensive (2020) the proportion of people without sus-
plan with prioritized and costed investments is tainable access to safe drinking water and en-
still in the formative stage. sure environmental sustainability.
The Afghanistan Compact Benchmarks for Wa- The sector strategy incorporates feedback and
ter Management commit both the Government comments from the sub-national consultations.
and the donors to the development of sustain- Access to clean drinking water has been identi-
able water resource management strategies fied as a priority in the Provincial Development
covering irrigation and drinking water supply; Plans in all provinces. Participants generally
irrigation investments will result in at least 30 voiced concern that unsafe drinking water is a
percent of the water supply coming from large cause of disease, and the provision of safe
waterworks by end-1389 (2010). Other Com- drinking water is therefore seen to be as much
pact Benchmarks under Urban Development, a public health issue as an issue of infrastruc-
Environment, Agriculture and Rural Develop- ture, rural and urban development. In over a
ment directly address and contribute to the quarter of PDPs, the need for access to clean
water sector as follows: drinking water is specifically raised by women
who often have the responsibility of collecting
Urban Development: Investment in water water for the household. However, this issue is
supply and sanitation will ensure that 50 not confined to the domestic context and the
percent of households in Kabul and 30 PDPs in six provinces highlighted the need for
percent of households in other major ur- access to safe drinking water in public institu-
ban areas will have access to piped water tions such as schools.
and improved sanitation.
Environment: Environmental regulatory Current situation in the sector
frameworks and management services Given the importance of water resources, the
will be established for the protection of Government has made improved water man-
air and water quality, waste management agement a high priority. Steps are being taken
and natural resources. to address shortcomings in governance as well
Agriculture: The necessary institutional, as to meet some of the most pressing needs
regulatory and incentive framework will through donor-funded projects. Some key
be established for securing access to irri- achievements have been:
gation, water management systems and
food security. The formulation of the Supreme Council for
Water Affairs Management (SCWAM) to
Rural Development: Rural development will coordinate and overcome the problems
be enhanced for 90 percent of villages of diverse ministerial responsibilities for
through the provision of safe drinking water management. A Technical Secre-
water, sanitation (50 percent) and small tariat has been established to develop
scale irrigation (47 percent) by the end of new water laws and develop a consistent
1389 (2010). set of policies for water management.
New environmental laws were recently
Millennium Development Goals: The enacted by the National Assembly.
MDGs state that: “Access to water and sanita-
tion, electricity, and livelihoods sources have
43
been negatively impacted through the decades According to the best estimates of social indicators for children
in Afghanistan, UNICEF, few places in the world face such
of war. Drinking water supplies reach only 23 scarce and alarming water supply and sanitation coverage levels.

Steps have been undertaken to re-organize ment will continue to work with the mir-
water resource management on the basis abs44 that manage these systems.
of an Integrated Water Resource Man-
agement System based on the five main Despite some progress in establishing better
river basins. Development will still be governance in the sector and in rehabilitating
planned and implemented centrally, but existing assets, a lot more needs to be done.
in the future individual river basin or- Prior to 1358 (1979), some 3.3 million hectares
ganizations or authorities will be estab- were cultivated under various irrigation meth-
lished. Feasibility studies have been ods, compared to the 1.8 million hectares now
completed or are underway for small, being irrigated. The remaining amount em-
medium and large water infrastructure ploys traditional irrigation methods. Out of 7.9
projects. The rehabilitation and mod- million hectares of arable land, 5.3 million hec-
ernization of hydrological stations have tares is irrigable. Irrigation water management
been started. Research and modeling of is a high priority of the Government.
the availability of allocation of safe drink-
ing water supplies in Kabul are being There is a lack of skilled human resources with
developed. experience in water management. Information
systems are only now being reconstituted and
Significant progress has been made in pro-
there is a lack of reliable hydrological, meteoro-
viding increased access to safe drinking
logical, geo-technical and water quality data.
water and sanitation. The Afghanistan
There is a shortage of the infrastructure and
Urban Water Supply and Sewerage Cor-
equipment needed to efficiently conserve and
poration (AUWSSC) has been estab-
utilize seasonal run-off. Data on ground water
lished. Some 80 water supply and sanita-
resources is limited, at the same time as there
tion projects have been implemented
are indications that un-regulated deep well
around the country. Research and as-
drilling may be depleting aquifers essential to
sessment of the underground water re-
water supplies and traditional irrigation sys-
sources available to Kabul is ongoing.
tems (Karezes and springs). Economic mecha-
The urban water supply systems will be
nisms to regulate water use and investments
transformed into quasi-public agencies.
for water supply, sanitary systems, irrigation,
Two million urban residents (31 percent)
and hydropower generation are inadequate.
have benefited from investments in wa-
ter supply; 12 percent have benefited
Unclear delineation of responsibilities among
from investment in sanitation in major
Ministries complicates planning. Some donors
cities between 1381 (2002) and 1386
are focused on emergency projects that are not
(2007). About 35,000 water points, 59
integrated into the larger system of water use.
networks. 1,713 water reservoirs, and
Access to drinking water and sanitation, while
23,884 demonstration latrines have been
improved, is still not in compliance with the
constructed. More than three million
Millennium Development Goals. There is a
people have benefited directly from the
lack of hydro geological investment in urban
rural water supply and sanitation activi-
areas. A significant risk exists for underground
ties in the country. Approximately a
water contamination. A major river basin wa-
third of the provinces reported some im-
ter supply master plan with good information
provement in access to clean drinking
on water balances, that is, supply versus de-
water in the course of the ANDS consul-
mand for water for drinking, irrigation, hydro
tative process.
power and environmental purposes is not yet
Irrigation Rehabilitation has been given high available. There is a pressing need to enhance
priority over the past four or five years. the ground water resource recharge capacity.
An estimated 1.8 million hectares of land
is under irrigation; 10 percent receives
water from engineered systems and large 44
The mirabs are community level organizations that manage
works, the remainder through traditional traditional irrigation systems. A similar effort has been made
irrigation methods. Of some 2,100 reha- under the National Solidarity Program to establish Community
bilitation projects, approximately 1,200 Development Councils with a broader mandate for local funding.
These organizations have different mandates, representatively
have been completed and placed back and are based on a totally different geographical unit.
into commercial service. The Govern-

Coordination among water-related institutions (organizational structure, policies and legisla-
and agencies remains weak. tion) are in the process of reformulation and
implementation. Adoption and implementa-
This sector strategy incorporates feedback and tion of an effective IWRM program will take
comments from the sub-national consultations. into consideration all activities and develop-
The projects identified and prioritized during ment requirements influencing water re-
the SNC process are included in the Water Sec- sources. This will include sociological and eco-
tor Strategy. Access to clean drinking water logical considerations, in addition to water
has been identified as a priority in the Provin- supply, irrigation, hydroelectric power, sanita-
cial Development Plan in all provinces. Par- tion, land use, fisheries, and forestry. The pro-
ticipants generally voiced concern that unsafe gram will prioritize a series of specific activities
drinking water is a cause of disease, and the required to effectively implement IWRM policy
provision of safe drinking water is seen to be as framework.
much an issue of public health as of infrastruc-
ture, rural and urban development. In over a The river basin approach to water management
quarter of PDPs, the need for access to clean will lead to improvements in capturing surface
drinking water is specifically raised by women, water using storage reservoir and recharge ba-
who are often responsible for collecting water sins. By devolving authority to the RBA and
for the household. However, this issue is not thus encouraging more effective use of water
confined to the domestic context, and the PDPs resources, the water resource strategy (when
of six provinces highlight the need for access to integrated with programs in the transport, ag-
safe drinking water in public institutions such riculture, health, education, and power sectors,
as schools. Across the country around a third of along with counter narcotics programs, private
the provinces spread report some improvement sector development programs) will contribute
in access to clean drinking water since 1384 to sustainable development and poverty reduc-
(2005). tion.
Policy framework: sector strategy Key Components of the Water Sector

For the immediate future, the Government will Strategy
play the dominant role in setting policy priori- While an IWRM approach has major benefits,
ties and decisions pertaining to development supplementary comprehensive river basin data
and management of water resources at the na- management programs are needed to support
tional level. Acting through its operating enti- this approach. It is important to improve me-
ties, the Government, can influence the neces- chanisms regulating water use and to attract
sary international water bodies. This extends investment to rehabilitate and construct irriga-
to coverage provided by policy frameworks, tion, water supply and sanitary systems, as
appropriate legislation, and institutional struc- well as hydropower generation. Essential leg-
tures under which water management can over islation and a new policy framework governing
time be devolved to the river basin and/or riv- the water sector have been prepared. The sec-
er sub-basin levels. Groundwater, on the other tor is in the process of transitioning from a pro-
hand, seldom has aquifer boundaries coincid- ject-by-project approach to a sector-wide ap-
ing with river basins. Management of proach, using an integrated water resources
groundwater aquifers may necessitate collabo- management (IWRM) system. Improved gov-
ration with special inter-basin entities estab- ernance mechanisms were identified and are
lished for that purpose. (For additional details being implemented. Foremost among them
refer to ANDS Volume II). was the formation of the Supreme Council for
Water Affairs’ Management (SCWAM), and its
associated Technical Secretariat.
Towards an Integrated Water Re-
source Management System (IWRM) Until the IWRM comes into effect, considerable
The water sector is extremely diverse. Respon- reliance will have to be put on a project-by-
sibility for supply management and use of wa- project approach for continued investments in
ter is distributed among a number of line Min- rehabilitation of existing systems. New pro-
istries. The sector’s governance mechanisms

jects need to be assessed relative to the returns tions under which water management can in
from rehabilitation efforts and other sectors. time be devolved to the river basin and/or riv-
er sub-basin levels. (Management of ground-
Responsibility for a number of water related water aquifers may sometime necessitate col-
activities are distributed among a number of laboration with special inter-basin entities es-
line Ministries and agencies. Each of these enti- tablished for that purpose.) Ongoing and
ties have prepared sector specific strategies fo- planned water sector projects have been struc-
cusing on their particular sector mandate, often tured into eight programs: (i) Institutional Set-
underemphasizing water related programs up and Capacity Building; (ii) National Water
and/or activities. Development of a water sec- Resources Development; (iii) National River
tor strategy therefore requires coordinating all Basin Management; (iv) Irrigation Rehabilita-
relevant water sub-sector strategies being ad- tion; (v) Urban Water Supply and Sanitation;
ministered by individual Government entities (vi) Rural Water Supply and Sanitation; (vii)
into one single unified water sector strategy Riverbank Protection; and (viii) Agriculture
document. The following sub-sectors have “Food Security for All.” (For details on all of
been included in this unification: (i) urban and these programs refer to ANDS volume II.) The
rural water supply and sanitation; (ii) irrigation highest priority programs are:
and drainage; (iii) hydro power; (iv) industrial
water supply and wastewater disposal; (v) Institutional Building and Capacity Devel-
flood protection and preparedness; (vi) opment Program: Activities in this pro-
drought mitigation measures; and (vii) envi- gram focus on the institutional and hu-
ronmental requirements, including forestry, man capacity development of water re-
fisheries, and bio-diversity. Facilitating related sources management as well as on infra-
development of each of these sub-sectors will structure development at national, river
require institution building, enhancement of basin and sub-basin levels. These activi-
legal frameworks, capacity development, en- ties have been combined into a compre-
listing economic mechanisms, and intensive hensive program to enhance cooperation
rehabilitation of infrastructure. between projects and avoid duplication
of efforts.
The Strategic Policy Framework for the Water
National Water Resources Development
Sector approved by SCWAM recommended
Program: Under the Water Law the Min-
that the following policies, laws, regulations
istry of Energy and Water is responsible
and procedures should be developed in order
for the preparation of a national water
to move forward in the development of the wa-
resources development plan. This plan
ter sector. Under this policy framework, the
will cover the development of water re-
Water Law of 1991 will be revised; water re-
sources for the social, environmental and
sources and irrigation policies and regulations
economic needs of the country as well as:
will be established along with an institutional
(i) elaborate river basin development and
framework for water resources management;
management plans and foster Ministry
regulations for Water User Associations will be
and water users’ capacity for on-farm
developed; plans will be developed and steps
and off-farm water management; (ii)
taken to preserve surface and underground
prepare for discussions on trans-
water resources; national urban and rural wa-
boundary water issues with some
ter supply and sanitation policies and institu-
neighbor countries; (iii) support analyti-
tional development will be implemented; ac-
cal capacity and research; (iv) enable pri-
cess to safe drinking water and improved
vate investments in the water sector; and
drainage and sanitation systems will be estab-
(v) properly plan and implement infra-
lished; and key groundwater and hydropower
structure for rain and flood water har-
development plans and policies will be estab-
vesting, supplementary irrigation,
lished.
groundwater recharge and soil stabiliza-
tion. As a first step in the development
For the immediate future, the Government will
of this national development plan, a Mas-
play the dominant role in setting policy priori-
ter Plan for the Kabul River Basin has
ties and decisions pertaining to the develop-
been prepared. In addition, the Ministry
ment and management of water resources.
has prepared a list of water resources de-
This extends to policies, legislation, and institu-

velopment projects in the five river ba- Expected Outcomes
sins.
The key expected outcomes of the Water Sector
Irrigation Rehabilitation Program: Several Strategy are:
projects to address the immediate needs
in irrigation infrastructure have been de- Improved water sector legal and governance
veloped.45 Although these projects structures and institutions in place.
mainly focus on the infrastructure, they
contribute to the development of water Sustainable water resource management
resources and address related issues like strategies and plans covering drinking
the rehabilitation of the hydro-metric and irrigation water supply developed
network for data collection on river flows and implemented.
and weather. Components of the emer- Water resources for drinking and irrigation
gency irrigation rehabilitation program purposes improved as well as poverty
for the period 1387 (2008) to 1392 (2013) reduction and employment creation.
include the rehabilitation of the National
Infant mortality decreased and life expec-
Hydrological Stations to facilitate na-
tancy increased as a result of greater ac-
tional hydrological surveys to aid in
cess to clean water. (For more detailed in-
planning and building irrigation infra-
formation refer to Appendixes 3-National
structure; and the rehabilitation of na-
Action Plan and 4-Monitoring Matrix.)
tionwide small, medium and large tradi-
tional irrigation schemes, such as the
Emergency Irrigation Rehabilitation Pro- AGRICULTURE AND RURAL
ject, a three year country-wide project for
the rehabilitation of infrastructure and DEVELOPMENT
capacity building.
Role of the Sector
These programs respond to the dual tasks of
remodeling and modernizing institutions while The ANDS long term strategic vision for agri-
at the same time rehabilitating and improving culture and rural development is to ensure the
infrastructure. They consider short term emer- social, economic and political well-being of ru-
gency water infrastructure rehabilitation and ral communities, especially poor and vulner-
income generation needs as well as the long able people, while stimulating the integration
term goal of sustainable development of insti- of rural communities within the national econ-
tutions and creation of new multifunctional omy. This will require the transformation of
infrastructure. agricultural production so that it is more pro-
ductive and commercially oriented and an ex-
The development of the country’s water re- pansion of off-farm employment opportunities
sources will continue to be heavily influenced to increase incomes among the rural popula-
by programs and projects implemented by do- tion. This sector strategy articulates a road
nors. It is essential that these activities be effec- map for the way forward for poverty reduction
tively coordinated and aligned with ANDS pri- through economic regeneration. The central
orities. SCWAM will undertake a leadership focus is on supporting the poorest and most
role among Government organizations in pro- vulnerable segments of rural society while
viding coordination with the international promoting the development of medium and
community. The ANDS water sector goals are large scale commercial agricultural activities.
achievable with the implementation of an effec- Advancements in the sector will improve the
tive integrated water resource development quality of life for rural citizens, increase food
strategy. Some of the benefits will be realized security, improve the delivery of basic services,
only over the long term, while others will be increase incomes and contribute to the estab-
realized within a very short time span. lishment of a safe and secure environment.
The Afghanistan Compact Benchmarks related

to agriculture and rural development call for
45
See the discussion on hydro power projects for the energy measurable improvements in:
sector.

The institutional, regulatory and incentive culture and rural infrastructure in a serious
framework necessary to increase produc- state of disrepair and led to a significant reduc-
tion and productivity will be established tion of cultivatable land and degradation of the
to create an enabling environment for le- environment. Between 1357 (1978) and 1383
gal agriculture and agriculture-based ru- (2004), agricultural production declined by an
ral industries. average of 3.5 percent a year; 50 percent of the
livestock herd was lost between 1376 (1997)
Public investment in agriculture. Particular
and 1383 (2004).
consideration will be given to perennial
horticulture, animal health, and food se-
Recent performance in the sector has been posi-
curity through the institution of special-
tive. Measurable progress has been achieved
ized support agencies and financial ser-
since 1382 (2003) in improving rural liveli-
vice delivery mechanisms design to sup-
hoods. Through a variety programs, almost
port farmers’ associations, brand national
20,000 km of rural access roads (i.e., all weath-
products, disseminate timely price and
er, village-to-village and village-to-district cen-
weather-related information and statis-
ter roads) have been constructed or repaired,
tics, provide strategic research and tech-
increasing access to markets, employment and
nical assistance, and secure access to irri-
social services. More than 500,000 households
gation and water management systems.
(36 percent of villages) have benefited from
[Compact benchmark 6.1]
small-scale irrigation projects. Currently, 32.5
Assistance to and rehabilitation and integra- percent of the rural population has access to
tion of refugees and internally displaced safe drinking water and 4,285 improved sanita-
persons. tion facilities have been provided. More than
336,000 households have benefited from im-
Assistance to chronically poor female-headed
proved access to financial services. Some
households, including improved em-
18,000 CDCs have been established and are
ployment rates.
implementing community-led development
projects.
Other major Government goals relating to agri-
The contribution of agriculture to GDP in-
culture and rural development should be
creased from 48 percent in 1385 (2006) to 53
noted, including:
percent in 1386 (2007), although the longer-
Creation of the necessary policy and regula- term trend (not including opium) is down, due
tory framework to support the estab- mainly due to rapid growth in construction and
lishment of micro, small and medium- other activities. Other achievements include:
size rural enterprises; 5.5 million metric tons of wheat and other
grains produced in 1386 (2007) compared to 3.7
Creation of an enabling environment for sus-
million metric tons in 1381 (2002); 0.9 million
tainable management and use of Af-
metric tons of horticulture and industrial crops
ghanistan’s natural resources;
produced in 1386 (2007) compared to 0.4 mil-
Access to safe drinking water will be ex- lion metric tons in 1381 (2002); 3.2 million ani-
tended to 90 percent of villages, and sani- mals received veterinary and health services;
tation to 50 percent; 5,000 metric tons of improved wheat seed was
produced and distributed to farmers in 28
Road connectivity will reach 40 percent of all
provinces; $120 million is to be invested in
villages.
commercial agriculture; more than 3,000 coop-
Forty-seven percent of villages will benefit eratives and farmers organizations have been
from small-scale irrigation. (See ANDS created and strengthened; and 20,000 coopera-
Volume Two for more details) tive members trained.
However, many significant improvements are

Current Situation still to be made. With a few notable exceptions,
Agriculture has traditionally been the major all rural citizens are poor in relative and abso-
activity for a large proportion of the popula- lute terms, lacking both physical and social as-
tion, particularly in the most remote areas. The sets. Eighty percent of the Afghan population
years of turmoil left much of the country’s agri- lives in rural areas;, most are engaged in agri-

culture to some degree, although many are also Limited coordination between Ministries and
heavily engaged in processing, trading or mar- between the Government and the international
keting activities of agricultural products; 12-15 community has impeded progress. Govern-
percent of the country’s total land area is suit- ment funds have been channeled through high-
able for cultivation; water constraints inhibit ly centralized Ministries, with many national
cultivation of up to one third of irrigated land; programs and donor-funded projects working
three million hectares of land are rain-fed, in a independently of each other. The role of pro-
country of repeated droughts; 58 percent of vincial administration units has been and re-
villages have seasonally limited or inaccessible mains unclear, especially in the areas of eco-
roads (the average distance to the nearest road nomic planning, budget execution and service
is 4.6 km); just 13 percent of rural Afghans have delivery. Provincial governments have limited
access to electricity at some point during the authority, budgetary resources or technical
year; more than 70 percent of rural Afghans do skills to facilitate development. Ministries that
not have access to safe drinking water; 96 per- deliver services to the rural population are still
cent of rural Afghans do not have access to safe struggling with the legal structures of past ad-
toilets/sanitation (28 percent have no toilets at ministrations. While over-centralization of ad-
all). The continued high population growth ministrative processes has impeded the timely
projected for Afghanistan portends continued and effective delivery of services to local com-
decline in per capita levels of agricultural re- munities.
sources unless major investments are made in
improved water management. The Government recognizes that to meet these
enormous challenges nationwide, progress
Ongoing instability, widespread poverty and may be slow, incremental and uneven; it may
lack of governance resulted in a dramatic up- take a generation or more to adequately meet
surge in opium poppy cultivation, involving the needs of all rural Afghans. Nevertheless,
3.3 million people (14 percent of the popula- the Government is committed to providing a
tion). Poppy production is now highly concen- strong enabling environment for the rural
trated in five southern and eastern provinces, economy and working to address the needs
whereas production in the other 29 provinces and articulated priorities of the rural popula-
has fallen and is half 1383 (2004) levels. tion. This long term effort requires a consid-
ered and cohesive policy framework.
Further, the unstable security situation coupled
with capacity constraints presents major obsta-
cles to program implementation, including Policy and Strategic Framework
community mobilization, survey and design of The Government is committed to working to
projects, service and input provision, selection address the needs and articulated priorities of
of qualified contractors and NGOs willing to the rural population. This long term effort re-
work in high-risk areas, and the ability to mon- quires a considered and cohesive policy
itor projects for quality assurance and financial framework across Ministries and sectors. The
control purposes. These constraints affect the following are its key components:
pace, cost and quality of development activi-
ties. Comprehensive and strategically cohesive
poverty reduction programs.
Most farmers are engaged in subsistence or
near-subsistence agriculture, and many farm- Public/Private sector responsibilities.
ing families lack food security because of risky
livelihoods combined in many cases with Assurance of food security.
chronic debt. Further, many rural households
are involved in down-stream agricultural ac- The restoration and expansion of Afghani-
tivities, including processing, transporting and stan’s licit economy through the promo-
marketing. As a result, the country’s vulner- tion of livelihoods free from dependency
ability to natural disasters and food shortages on poppy cultivation.
is high. The ability to engage in agricultural
pursuits is central to improving the wellbeing Land tenure security.
of the rural poor.

Assistance to farmers to increase production Agriculture and Rural Development program
and productivity. (CARD) is a series of programs designed to
support the poorest and most vulnerable seg-
Environmental protection and assistance to ments of rural society. CARD represents the
communities to manage and protect Af- Government’s approach to providing diversi-
ghanistan’s natural resource base for sus- fied income sources, through income support,
tainable growth. direct provision of assets, skills training and
market opportunities, and is crucial to provid-
Improvements in agricultural and rural ing alternatives to narcotics. Interventions will
physical infrastructure and irrigation sys- be targeted and tailored to specific regions and
tems to provide services that meet basic groups.
human rights.
In implementing CARD, the Government will
Development of human resource capital, ensure that efforts to promote activity in the
sector will stimulate and not displace sponta-
The strengthening of local governance. neous viable private sector development. The
devolution of authority will be undertaken
Institutional coordination. over a number of years to ensure the capacities
at all existing levels of Government. The Gov-
Cross sector policy development. ernment will work to reconcile the introduction
of sub-national governance measures down to
Strengthening of national capacities. the village level, incorporating existing com-
munity organizations. In particular, the role
Mitigation of natural and man-made disas- between proposed Village Councils and the
ters. existing Community Development Councils set
up under the National Solidarity Program will
The strategy focuses on five thematic areas of be clarified. Sub-national governance structures
programming, loosely sequenced according to will also be strengthened in line with the new-
their level of interdependence ly-formed Independent Directorate for Local
Governance.
Local Governance.
The Government will work with NGOs, civil
Agricultural Production. society and the international community on the
prioritization of the sub-components of the
Agricultural and Rural Infrastructure. overall CARD program in order to develop the
funding requirements within a log frame ma-
Economic Regeneration. trix, identifying what will be done by when.
This will allow a cooperative effort by the in-
Disaster and Emergency Preparedness. (See ternational community and the Government to
ANDS Volume Two for more details) reallocate resources towards those efforts that
appear most effective in improving rural liveli-
The key priorities of this program are: hoods. Ongoing monitoring and evaluation
will be essential to address identified con-
Development of a comprehensive set of pro- straints and successes and alter the programs
jects and programs—the Comprehensive as necessary.
Agriculture Rural Development Pro-
gram—designed to improve rural liveli- The principal program among the 15 programs
hoods and reduce rural poverty. of CARD is the National Solidarity Pro-
Support of commercialized agriculture, lead-
gram (NSP), the Government’s main commu-
nity development program. Implemented by
ing to an improvement in agricultural
the Community Development Councils (CDC),
productivity throughout the rural econ-
more than 50,000 projects benefit approxi-
omy.
mately two million people in rural areas. The
NSP is developing the capacity of CDCs to
Comprehensive Agriculture and Rural
identify community needs and transfer funding
Development program: The Comprehensive
and necessary support resources to fund local-

ized small scale activities of importance to rural villages will have improved sanitation
communities, such as roads, irrigation, water facilities. This will substantially improve
wells and schools. It is a successful and popu- health, hygiene and welfare in rural
lar program used to empower these communi- communities.
ties. It is a major contributor to meeting a
The Irrigation Program will establish irriga-
number of the Compact benchmarks and is a
tion infrastructure on an additional
successful example of country-wide Govern-
105,000 hectares of newly irrigated land
ment, donor and NGO coordination. It estab-
by 1397 (2018) and improve on farm wa-
lishes the framework for future programs that
ter use efficiency.
will provide greater control to local communi-
ties, including the private sector, over devel- The National Resource Program will estab-
opment funds. lish National Resource Management
committees and develop resource man-
The other 14 programs of the CARD include: agement plans for forests, rangeland,
wildlife and desertification control.
The National Food Security Program, which
The National Surveillance System Project
will promote and implement food secu-
will assist MRRD and CSO in the devel-
rity opportunities at the household level,
opment of a national poverty, vulnerabil-
benefiting over 1.2 million households by
ity and food security surveillance system,
2010. This will decrease the malnour-
enabling the government to provide
ishment rate from 57 percent to 35 per-
credible and timely information to all
cent. A key component of this program
government and non-government agen-
is support to improve local governance in
cies.
38,000 villages.
The Rural Electrification Program will result
The National Area Based Development
in over 4,000 villages being connected to
Program, which will aid all District De-
local electrical facilities.
velopment Assemblies in developing dis-
trict level development plans that will in The Rural Enterprise Program will provide
turn support comprehensive rural devel- training and finance to establish rural en-
opment and regeneration. terprises across 70 percent of all CDCs
and create an estimated 2.1 million jobs,
The Horticulture Program, which will sup-
better integrate the rural economy with
port horticulture development and sup-
the national economy and reduce poppy
ply farmers with saplings, provide
cultivation.
equipment for trellises and establish pest
control systems leading to a 20 percent The Research and Extension System will es-
increase in perennial crop production tablish a research and extension capabil-
and significant exports through public ity; provide access to credit, support
private sector partnerships. farmers organization and private sector
market development through coopera-
The Livestock Program will improve live-
tives, leading to agricultural growth and
stock production by importing purebred
diversification.
sheep, establishing commercial dairy
plants and poultry units for women The Emergency Response System will pro-
farmers, and by increasing productivity vide a mechanism for humanitarian and
and output. disaster response that will provide emer-
gency assistance, assure access to areas
The National Rural Access Program will
affected by snow and disasters and pro-
support rural road construction and re-
tect vulnerable people and assets.
habilitation, providing all weather road
access to 65 percent of villages by 1392 The Capacity Building Program will provide
(2013). the institutional and organizational ca-
pacity at the national, provincial and dis-
The Rural Water Supply and Sanitation
trict levels needed to successfully imple-
Program will assure that by 1392 (2013)
ment the other CARD programs. (See
98 percent of all villages will have access
ANDS Volume Two and Appendix “Na-
to safe drinking water and 50 percent of

tional Action Plan/Policy Matrix” for that will shorten trade distances, reduce costs
more details.) and increase productivity, thereby encouraging
entrepreneurs to expand private sector activity.
Support for Commercial Agriculture:
There is virtually no large scale commercial In implementing the ARDZ, the Government
agricultural activity currently undertaken in will:
Afghanistan. This has not always been the
case. Earlier turmoil destroyed much of the Identify and map agricultural growth zones.
country’s agricultural and physical infrastruc- Quantify the necessary factors required for
ture, halting commercial activities. There has accelerated growth within each zone.
been limited recovery since 1381 (2002). This
includes ongoing efforts to increase the interna- Identify key competitive product value
tional community’s, procurement of agricul- chains and the connector firms that drive
tural products from local producers. including these value chains.
ISAF, promoting large scale production and Develop plans to extend the reach of agricul-
supply chain processes. tural zones into more remote rural areas.
The Agriculture and Rural Development Zones Ensure that rural development activities are
(ARDZ) program is the Government’s ap- national in scope and linked to the agri-
proach to expanding commercial activities and cultural growth zone plans.
increasing agricultural productivity. This is Mobilize private sector investment and op-
necessary to increasing incomes and employ- erations as the key element in the success
ment opportunities in rural areas and to devel- of the agricultural growth zone initiative.
oping potential agro-based export potential.
To date, five distinct agricultural growth zones
The ARDZ recognizes that geographic priori- have been identified:
ties have to be set in support of the develop-
ment of commercial agriculture. These geo- A Northwestern Zone centered on the pri-
graphic priorities will be used to target infra- mary market town of Mazar-i-Sharif that
structure, utilities and other support by various includes 10 secondary market towns and
Ministries. The Government will release pub- is well positioned to take advantage of
licly held land to increase private investment. trade linkages with the Central Asian
Competitive bidding for the rights to lease Republics.
these lands will be similar to the competitive
bidding to lease development rights for min- A Northeastern Zone centered on the pri-
eral resources and the competitive bidding for mary market town of Kunduz that in-
the rights to use the telecommunications spec- cludes seven secondary market towns
trum. Further, the Government will continue and which, with the new bridge at Shirk-
to investigate, implement and monitor key han, is well positioned for trade with Ta-
steps necessary to increase financial and tech- jikistan and, with good road connections
nical support so that private firms are able to to Urumqi, with China;
expand operations. This will ensure that the A Central Zone centered on the primary
process of transforming underutilized state market town of Kabul that includes thir-
land into commercially viable agro-processing teen secondary towns and which is
enterprises will be as fast and efficient as pos- linked with the important market center
sible. in Jalalabad and the regional market in
Peshawar, Pakistan;
The Government’s objective is to largely rely
on private investment and public sector sup- A Southeastern Zone centered on the pri-
port to transform agriculture in some well de- mary market town of Kandahar and
fined zones where the conditions for growth which includes four secondary towns
are most favorable and high value added (one of which is the important agricul-
commercial agricultural activities can flourish. tural production town in Lashkargah)
This requires the integration and upgrading of and which is linked to the regional mar-
existing private and public sector networks and ket in Quetta, Pakistan; and
investing in essential infrastructure projects

A Western Zone which is centered on the through various value-added activities,
primary market town of Herat and which research, extension, access to credit, mar-
includes four secondary market towns ket development, the establishment and
and which has linkages to markets in and strengthening of farmers’ organizations,
through Iran. private sector development and trainings
(See ANDS Volume Two for more de-
As part of the ARDZ, the Government has be- tails).
gun the process of establishing the Executive
Provision, and maintenance of Agriculture
Management Unit with Presidential authority
and Rural Infrastructure: Successful crop pro-
to coordinate and develop a five year action
duction requires technical irrigation manage-
plan and organize the necessary funding and
ment (e.g., availability of irrigation water sup-
commitment from line Ministries and donors to
ply, improved water efficiency and productiv-
establish a program implementation plan. This
ity, effective and efficient irrigation and village
unit will ensure that critical infrastructure, such
based irrigation infrastructures, utilize modern
as power, water, transportation links, telecom-
irrigation technologies and human resource
munications, financial services and vocational
water management (e.g., organizing and
programs, is available. The unit will work with
strengthening mirabs, farmers associations,
relevant Ministries to ensure priority is given to
irrigation associations, decentralization of irri-
providing services in these zones. (See ANDS
gation management at basin and sub-basin lev-
Volume Two for more details.)
els, water allocation. etc.).
Expected Outcomes
TRANSPORT
The expected Agriculture and Rural Develop-
ment outcomes are:
Role of the Sector in ANDS
Strengthened Local Governance: Function- The ANDS strategic vision and goal for the
ing formal and informal local govern- transport sector is to have a safe, integrated
ance, including social and economic ac- transportation network that ensures connec-
tivities implemented and maintained by tivity and that enables low-cost and reliable
communities that contribute to human movement of people and goods domestically as
capital development and improved live- well as to and from foreign destinations. This
lihoods. Improved management of local will give impetus to economic growth and em-
natural resources, including clarifying ployment generation and help integrate Af-
the legal status of natural resources. ghanistan into the global economy. A high pri-
Clarifying, roles of both communities ority is to have in place an efficient and viable
and institutions in governance and man- road transportation network for achieving eco-
agement will help ensure food security, nomic growth and poverty reduction, particu-
contribute to poverty alleviation and im- larly in rural areas.
prove both ecological integrity and the
natural resource base. Poverty Reduction In the 1960s and 1970s, a large portion of the
and Food Security: The National Food “ring road” and connecting roads to neighbor-
Security Program (NFSP) will increase ing countries were constructed. This network
household food security and nutritional was largely destroyed during three decades of
status while contributing to national food war and political strife. Over the last six years,
security and economic growth in rural the Government has given high priority to the
areas. rehabilitation and extension of this system.
Increased Agricultural Production and Pro- Due to the significant impact of the road sys-
ductivity: Public and private sector part- tem on economic activity and on poverty re-
nerships strengthen horticulture indus- duction, this will continue to be a high priority
try. Increased livestock production and under the ANDS strategy.
productivity will improve food security
and incomes, leading to a reduction of il- The Transport Sector Strategy will achieve the
licit agriculture and a decline in livestock following targets established in the Afghani-
imports. Agriculture diversification stan Compact: (i) Roads: Afghanistan will have

a fully upgraded and maintained ring road, as mote trade, and aid in tracking customs
well as roads connecting the ring road to collections.
neighboring countries by end-1387 (2008) and a
fiscally sustainable system for road mainte- Much remains to be done to expand and im-
nance; (ii) Air Transport: By end-1389 (2010), prove the transportation system. Road, air and
Kabul International Airport and Herat Airport rail links all require significant investment.
will achieve full International Civil Aviation Some of the most pressing needs include:
Organization compliance; Mazar-i-Sharif, Jala-
labad and Kandahar will be upgraded with A system for road maintenance and rehabili-
runway repairs, air navigation, fire and rescue tation urgently needs to be put into place
and communications equipment; seven other and made operational. Roads that have
domestic airports will be upgraded to facilitate been reconstructed will begin to deterio-
domestic air transportation, and air transport rate unless maintenance is done in a sys-
services and costs will be increasingly competi- tematic way.
tive with international market standards and
Approximately 85 percent of the total 130,000
rates. (iii) Regional Cooperation: By end-1389
km road network (some 43,000 km of na-
(2010), Afghanistan and its neighbors will
tional, regional, urban and provincial
achieve lower transit times through Afghani-
roads and an estimated 87,000 km of ru-
stan by means of cooperative border manage-
ral roads) is significantly degraded, with
ment and other multilateral or bilateral trade
a major portion not passable by motor
and transit agreements.
vehicles. Most bridges and culverts are
in bad condition and at risk of collapse.
Current situation in the sector A limited number of airports are available for
Since 1380 (2001), significant achievements commercial use and all are in need of in-
have been made in the transport sector as do- frastructure improvements. None of the
nors contributed over $3.3 billion to rebuilding civil air services meet the international
the transport system between 1381 (2002) and standards and practices required by the
1386 (2007). Some of the main achievements International Civil Aviation Organization
include: (ICAO) and the International Air Trans-
port Association (IATA). While there has
An estimated 12,200 kilometers of roads have been private entry into the civil aviation
been rehabilitated, improved or built, in- sector and regional connections have ex-
cluding segments of the ring road sys- panded, much must still be done to cre-
tem, national highways, provincial roads ate a truly “open skies” regulatory
and rural roads. framework that both encourages new en-
try but maintains international standards
Kabul International Airport has been ex- for safety.
panded and extensively rehabilitated.
The country has no internal rail links, but re-
Four major airports (at Herat, Mazar-i-Sharif, lies on rail heads in neighboring coun-
Jalalabad, and Kandahar) as well as tries for trade. The railhead transfer sta-
seven other regional airports are either tions are inefficient, increasing the costs
slated for, or currently undergoing, ex- of rail transportation. Mines cannot be
tensive rehabilitation and expansion. developed and potential resources can-
In Saratan 1386 (July 2007), trade and transit not be explored and utilized without
agreements with Uzbekistan and Turk- having railway links to neighboring and
menistan were reached. A transit agree- regional countries.
ment is currently being drafted with Ta- Transport sector Ministries and institutions
jikistan. These agreements will help re- are weak in human capacity and organi-
duce transit time for shippers moving zation to carry out budgeting, procure-
goods trans-nationally. ment and contract administration or to
Automated customs and data systems adequately manage transport-related as-
(ASYCUDA) have been initiated that will sets. The institutions lack the necessary
reduce transit times and encourage pro- regulatory and enforcement frameworks
and personnel management systems.

There are overlapping ministerial re- tenance (vi) Pubic Transport and (vii) Railway
sponsibilities in the sector. There is a Program. (For further details refer to ANDS
lack of coordination and communication Volume II.)
within the transport sector governance
institutions and with other sectors. (For In addition to the indicated work on the road
details, refer to ANDS Volume II.) transportation system, many additional areas
need to be addressed in order to increase re-
The Transport Sector Strategy incorporates turns from an improved network and to im-
feedback, proposed projects and comments that prove other aspects of the total transportation
emerged from the Sub-National Consultations system. These include:
process. The construction of roads was among
the top five most prioritized sectors in the Transportation Services and Trade Facilita-
PDPs. In areas such as Badakhshan, Bamyan, tion: Improved transportation services,
Ghor and Sari Pul, road construction was listed customs, and logistics management will
as the number one priority. require new investment and coordinated
multilateral efforts, including work with
the Economic Cooperation Trade Agree-
Policy framework: sector strategy ment (ECOTA), the Central Asian Re-
The Government continues to give high prior- gional Economic Cooperation (CAREC),
ity to rehabilitate a badly damaged road sys- and the Shanghai Cooperation Organiza-
tem. This includes: (i) completion of a fully tion. The Government will undertake
upgraded and maintained ring road and con- feasibility studies to assess the economic
nector roads to neighboring countries; (ii) im- viability of railway development within
proving 5,334 km of secondary (national, urban Afghanistan and links with neighboring
and provincial) roads, and (iii) improving and countries.
building 6,290 km of rural access roads as a Air transport links: The Government gives
key to raising rural livelihoods and reducing high priority to the development of a
poverty and vulnerability in rural areas.46 Bet- new airport in Kabul. In addition, the
ter rural roads will improve market access and Government will implement programs to
opportunities for rural households. The actual ensure that the principal airports and the
allocation of resources among these three areas civil aviation authorities conform to the
of planned activity will depend on the esti- requirements of the ICAO and IATA, in-
mated rates of return from analysis of concrete cluding establishing a new Civil Aviation
proposals put forward for funding by the in- Authority to promote air transport in a
ternational community or by the Ministries in- competitive environment. A regulatory
volved in implementing the Transport sector framework will be introduced to encour-
strategies. A Transport Sector Inter-Ministerial age private investment under an “open
Working Group has been formed to coordinate skies” policy.
the work of the Ministries in the sector to as-
sure that projects are properly designed to ob- Regional Transportation and Transit: Re-
tain the highest returns and have the greatest gional transportation investments will be
impact on poverty reduction goals. Careful coordinated by the Inter-ministerial
consideration will be given to increasing em- Working Group for Transport to assure
ployment opportunities, and to assure that the that investments are designed in such a
local resources or funds channeled through way as to best serve the development
local communities are effectively used to main- goals of Afghanistan. Relevant invest-
tain the rural roads established as part of this ments include the rail links that will be
strategy. The main programs of the strategy are constructed under the agreement for de-
(i) Regional, National Highways and Provincial veloping the Aynak copper fields in
Roads; (ii) Rural Roads; (iii) Urban Transport; Logar province and the energy transmis-
(iv) Civil Aviation; (v) Transport Sector Main- sion lines developed under transit ar-
rangements.
Urban Road Networks: Under the urban sec-
46
More detailed information on road construction projects can be tor strategy, much greater authority and
found in the Transportation Sector Strategy and in the responsibility is being given to munici-

palities. The development of the national o improved connectivity throughout Af-
and regional road networks will be coor- ghanistan;
dinated with municipal authorities with
o lower road user costs;
responsibilities for the urban road net-
works. Municipal transportation man- o improved business environment for
agement will be strengthened to improve private sector, creating jobs and reduc-
urban road quality, road network main- ing poverty;
tenance, road network planning, and
o lower accident and fatality rates,
transportation facilities and services.
measured by personal injuries per mil-
Railways: The Government will pursue the lion vehicle kilometers; and
Afghanistan Railway Project, to include
o reduced journey times due to less con-
1,824 km of rail links to connect Kabul in
gestion.
the East with Islam Qala in the West via
Kandahar and Herat. The Government A viable civil aviation sector that provides ef-
will also undertake feasibility studies to ficient access to the country and region:
assess the economic viability of railway
o increased domestic and international
links with neighboring countries.
passengers and freight traffic;
Aviation: The Government will seek in-
o improved stakeholder information on
vestment in a new international airport in
the viability of air transport systems;
the Kabul area to provide Afghanistan with
a modern international airport and imple- o improved governance within the civil
ment programs to ensure that the principal aviation sector; and
airports and the civil aviation authorities o Overall improvement in urban air
conform to the requirements of the ICAO quality from reduced congestion, better
and IATA, including establishing a new fuel quality and improved fuel effi-
Civil Aviation Authority to promote air ciency. (For more detailed information
transport in a competitive environment. A refer to Appendixes 3, National Action
regulatory framework will be introduced to Plan and 4, Monitoring Matrix.)
encourage private sector investment under
an ‘open skies’ policy.
Information and Communica-

Interaction with vulnerable groups: The tions Technology
Government will use an integrated par-
ticipatory regional development ap-
proach in rural areas, combining im- Role of the sector in ANDS
proved roads with agriculture, water,
The ANDS strategic vision and goal for the In-
education, health, and counter-narcotics
formation and Communication Technology
initiatives to ensure that the poor derive
(ICT) sector is to make affordable communica-
the benefit from roads. Someone will
tion services available in every district and vil-
undertake transport development
lage of Afghanistan through an improved envi-
through investments in secondary and
ronment for private sector investment. ICT
rural roads to significantly increase pro-
will contribute to the Government’s efforts for
vincial and village access to the national
a broad-based reconstruction effort. A modern
road system.
telecommunications sector, incorporating e-
Government initiatives will enhance the effec-
tiveness, efficiency and transparency of the
public sector and the provision of social ser-
Expected Outcomes vices. All Afghans, men and women alike, will
The key expected outcomes of the transport in time be able to access ICT to access informa-
sector strategy are: tion and social services, foster the rebuilding
process, increase employment, create a vibrant
An efficient and safe road transportation sys- private sector, reduce poverty and support un-
tem, through: derprivileged groups.

ICT provides an opportunity to bridge the ples have been given a statutory basis, in the
communications gap that exists within the form of the Telecom Law that was promul-
country. Women in particular face movement gated in Qaus 1384 (December 2005). The tele-
restrictions due to security concerns and local com infrastructure aspects are being imple-
traditions. To establish greater national unity, mented by ATRA, which was established in
it is important that all 365 districts, major vil- Jawza 1385 (June 2006). The ICT applications
lages and rural areas should be able to com- aspects are being implemented via the ICT
municate with Kabul, with one another, and Council, which was established in Saur 1386
with the rest of the world. ICT enables the (May 2007).
kind of informal social and economic discourse
necessary to strengthen civil society and the The transparent approach taken to the adop-
promotion of economic activity (e.g. access to tion of the policies and the consistency of the
markets and pricing). Despite its importance, vision from design to implementation has pro-
there are no explicit AC benchmarks or MDG duced rapid results. The fact that most of the
goals for this sector. The ICT Sector Strategy existing infrastructure was either antiquated or
will achieve the following targets established in broken meant that the industry was free to es-
the I-ANDS: By end-1389 (2010), a national tel- sentially start again with a clean slate. In 1382
ecommunications network will be in place, (2003), the obvious choice for personal com-
giving more than 80 percent of Afghans will munications was wireless. Accepted global
have access to affordable telecommunications; standards meant that the equipment was reli-
more than $100 million dollars per year will be able, cheap and could be deployed rapidly. In
generated in public revenues. Saratan 1382 (July 2003), two nationwide mo-
bile (GSM) networks began operation, follow-
ing an international competitive tender. The
Current situation in the sector licenses required commercial service to be of-
In 1381 (early 2003), Afghanistan had fewer fered in Kabul within six months of the effec-
than 15,000 functioning telephone lines, at tive date, with nationwide service within 18
0.06 percent, one of the lowest telephone pene- months. Pursuant to the original Telecom Pol-
tration rates in the world. In addition to a icy, these first two licenses were provided a
shortage of basic telephone switching capacity, legal “duopoly” for three years. In Mizan 1384
the local transmission network delivering last (October 2005) and Saur 1385 (May 2006), two
mile services, presented an even more difficult additional nationwide mobile (GSM) licenses
bottleneck. The cabling conduit, trunk cables were awarded, with identical terms and condi-
and copper wires were old or completely de- tions. There was immediate strong demand for
stroyed. Afghanistan did not have a function- mobile services, with over 5 million Afghans
ing long distance network to provide national now having access.
or international connectivity. The absence of
transmission and switching facilities meant that The 1382 (2003) ICT sector strategy has been
citizens could only complete calls within their the reference template for subsequent reform
own cities and were unable to reach any other policies, procedures and activities. The Tele-
parts of the country or the outside world. com Law was promulgated by President Karzai
on 28 Qaus 1384 (18 December 2005). The law
The Government adopted major policy reforms is compliant with the World Trade Organiza-
for the ICT sector in Mizan 1381 (October 2002), tion Basic Telecom Agreement framework re-
which were immediately posted to one of the quirements in that it separates the three basic
first Government websites. This initial broad functions and assigns responsibilities to three
policy statement was further refined and di- independent sector elements, as follows: (i) Pol-
vided into two separate policies— one for basic icy—MoCIT; (ii) regulation— ATRA; and (iii)
telecom infrastructure and regulatory princi- Operations—Licensed Service Providers. The
ples, and a second for ICT applications and a Telecom Law has led to the establishment of
vision for the Information Society. These poli- the independent sector regulator, ATRA. The
cies have remained the basis for reforms under- legal authority of ATRA rests with its five
taken over the last five years. The basic princi- member board appointed by the President.

Figure 7.2. Growth in phone use
Y 1381 Y 1382 Y 1383 Y 1384 Y 1385 Y 1386
Despite considerable progress in expanding the expansion of high-speed data services and ex-
use of mobile phones, much more needs to be tending mobile phone coverage. The private-
done to in both the private and public sectors sector is expected to make additional major
take advantage of the telecommunications rev- investments in the telecommunication sector.
olution. Impediments to the growth of ICT With the establishment of a national data center
sector include: by end of 1387(2008), and implementation of e-
Government, e-Commerce, e-Health (telemedi-
Lack of Security is an impediment to con- cine) Afghan citizens will be able to more fully
struction and maintenance of ICT infra- participate in the information age by the end of
structure in remote areas. Lack of clear 1389 (2010). For the next five years, MoCIT
property rights adds to construction policies, working through ATRA will also de-
times. ploy satellite-based services to the less popu-
lated areas where personal mobile facilities are
Government bureaucracy (length of time to
too costly. The current program is to reach at
make simple decisions) adds time and
least 3,000 villages by 1389 (2010). Plans are
cost to development and operation of the
also underway to issue new licenses for the
system.
provision of fixed wireless access for broad-
Lack of electricity and high cost of diesel fuel band internet.
for generators raises construction and
maintenance costs. There will be a $100 million revenue contribu-
tion to Government revenue by 1389 (2010).
The high level of illiteracy reduces the im-
The ICT sector is already the most heavily
mediate impact of many internet applica-
taxed, primarily because it is comprised of the
tions, especially limiting the access of
largest formal enterprises in the country. A
women to internet services.
major study is currently being prepared that
The numbers and skills within the ICT work will provide guidance to the ICT Council, and
force is a constraint to the adoption and the Government on improving governance and
promotion of ICT. increasing public sector capacity for the indus-
try.
The limited awareness and acceptance of ICT
within Government leadership.
The key programs of the ICT sector are: (i)
Enabling Environment; (ii) Infrastructure De-
Policy framework: sector strategy velopment; (iii) E-Afghanistan; (iv) ICT Liter-
acy. (For details refer to volume II.) In addition
The immediate goal of the sector is to increase
to the investment in the cable network, the pol-
access to telecom services to cover 80 percent of
icy priority for the Government is the passage
the country. Most populated areas will be cov-
and implementation of ICT legislation that will
ered by 1389 (2010). A key component of this
create an appropriate environment for further
effort will be the completion of the Fiber Optic
growth and development. MoCIT has com-
Cable and Copper Cable Network, allowing an
menced drafting the ICT Law, which will ad-

dress infrastructure and services, including costly waste and ensure information sys-
issues such as legal recognition of elec- tem inter-operability will be imple-
tronic/digital signatures and formation of elec- mented. This will involve adopting a full
tronic contracts (affecting transactions in both set of Rules and Procedures that will
public and private sectors); content regulation; govern the competitive procurement and
competition regulation; electronic evidence; utilization of ICT by all Government in-
data privacy protection; consumer protection stitutions. An e-Government resource
and rights; domain name registration and regu- center will be established for the design
lation; intellectual property rights; encryption and implementation of projects. MoCIT
and security; financial and banking sector law will promote private investment for Af-
and regulation relating to electronic transfers ghan Telecom to reduce the financial
and settlements; taxation of transfers, customs, burden on the Government, and adopt
jurisdiction, dispute resolution and civil and the legal instruments for private invest-
criminal offences; limitations of liability of in- ment in the sector. Afghan Post offices
ternet service providers; cyber piracy and digi- will be modernized using ICT to ensure
tal rights management; facilitation of e- reliable collection and distribution of
Government and cross border interoperability mail. The infrastructure of mobile net-
of e-commerce frameworks affecting trade. works will be adopted to enable mobile
commerce, meaning the use of phones to
The sector priority policy is passage and im- transfer funds and conduct other finan-
plementation of ICT legislation that will create cial transactions (pay utility bills and
an appropriate environment for further devel- taxes, make retail purchases). MoCIT
opment. MoCIT has commenced drafting the will submit draft ICT legislation govern-
ICT Law. The telecom law addresses the tele- ing e-transactions, electronic commerce,
com infrastructure and services, but not the electronic signatures and cyber crimes to
content of the services. The ICT law will ad- the National Assembly. The Afghanistan
dress issues such as legal recognition of elec- National Data Center will be ready to
tronic/digital signatures and formation of elec- host the e-Government applications.
tronic contracts (affecting transactions both in
A unified curriculum and regulatory frame-
public and private sectors), content regulation,
work for private ICT training centers will
competition regulation, electronic evidence,
be drafted in cooperation with Ministry
data privacy protection, consumer protection
of Education. MoCIT will have estab-
and rights, domain name registration and regu-
lished an IT Training center in all provin-
lation, intellectual property rights, encryption
cial capitals where security permits.
and security, financial and banking sector law
and regulation relating to electronic transfers By end-1388 (2009), further efforts will be
and settlements, taxation of transfers, customs, made to reduce corruption by reviewing
jurisdiction, dispute resolution and civil and all Government services and making rec-
criminal offences, limitations of liability of in- ommendations for the adoption of ICT to
ternet service providers, cyber piracy and digi- streamline and automate (for example,
tal rights management, facilitation of e- customs processing, procurement and li-
government and cross border interoperability censing).
works affecting trade.
An ICT Village will be established in Kabul,
to attract foreign and local investments in
The ICT Council, through the MoCIT, will
ICT. Efforts will be made to ensure that
work to achieve the following:
all schools have access to internet and
multimedia resources, together with a
By end-1387 (2008), actions designed to pro-
basic curriculum that includes browsing,
mote transparency and citizen access to
searching and messaging.
public information will be implemented.
This will include adopting Rules and By end-1389 (2010), the ICT sector will con-
Procedures to require all Government in- tribute five billion Afs ($100 million) an-
stitutions to publish documents on their nually to the treasury by broadening the
official websites (as a supplement to the tax base (attracting additional investors
Official Gazette). Actions designed to to the market, rather than over-
promote Government efficiency, reduce burdening the existing ones). ATRA will

foster a transparent legal-regulatory re- year ICT bachelors program (the first class of 50
gime that attracts a further 37.5 billion students have recently commenced studies).
Afs ($750 million) in private investment, Since 1382 (2003), it has been considering a
and adds 50,000 jobs. transformation to public-private partnership in
order to ensure that its curriculum meets the
National ICT networks will be expanded and
needs of the private sector (which has a huge
interconnected so that at least 80 percent
demand for properly skilled workers).
of Afghans will have access to affordable
telecom services.
The ICT Council is the primary forum for all
By end-1397 (2018), all pupils should be digi- stakeholders in the ICT sector. It consists of all
tally literate by the time they leave government institutions that have ICT activities
school. Digital literacy will be adopted and is open to all other institutions as they ac-
as one of the basic skills of all young Af- quire ICT infrastructure and applications. The
ghans. ICT Council is chaired by the First Vice Presi-
dent and its total membership is fully inclusive
The ICT sector strategy incorporates feedback, of all interested parties, including the private
proposed projects and comments from the Sub- sector, civil society organizations, and acade-
National Consultations. The Ministry actively mia. The National Assembly has become an
utilized its video conferencing capabilities to important institutional player in the ICT sector,
reach out to all 34 provincial capitals and many both in terms of policy and utilization.
of the 240 district capitals that are presently
served by the District Communications Net- The role of the private sector is central to this
work (DCN) infrastructure. MoCIT has also strategy. A modern telecommunications sector,
worked with National Assembly to reach all incorporating e-Government initiatives wher-
communities. The Ministry has furthermore ever possible, will enhance the effectiveness
conducted planning sessions by bringing to- and efficiency of the public sector. By mobiliz-
gether representatives from all 34 provinces for ing resources to build up the ICT sector within
workshops in Kabul. ATRA is in the process of the public sector institutions, MoCIT will also
instituting greater responsiveness to the needs be accelerating the development of private sec-
of remote communities by making financial tor support capabilities in Afghanistan, both
support from the Telecom Development Fund through contracts and via participation in the
(TDF) available upon request from community policy processes of the ICT Council.
leaders.
The ICT sector is Afghanistan’s biggest success
story in terms of attracting private sector in-
Policy framework: key initiatives and vestment, $925 million as of the end of 2007.
issues This is expected to reach $1.5 billion by end-
The MoCIT is responsible for providing the 1389 (2010). According to numerous studies,
institutional leadership for the ICT sector. It this is by far the largest investment in the licit
has the primary responsibility for developing economy.
policy and supervises the implementation of a
number of key ICT projects, such as the Na- Expected outcomes
tional Data Center, the Optical Fiber Cable and
the Copper Cable Network projects. The key expected outcomes in the Information
and Communications Technology sector are:
Afghan Telecom is presently a corporation that
is 100 percent owned by MoCIT; however, it is Improved Enabling Environment
in the process of being privatized (an 80 per- Improved Infrastructure with Fiber Optic
cent share is to be sold), reflecting the Govern- and Copper.
ment’s 1382 (2003) Telecom and Internet Policy.
This will lead to the further expansion of the E-Afghanistan created
mobile phone network. ICT Literacy improved
The Ministry’s Information Communication It is expected there will be wide community

Technology Institute (ICTI) provides special- acceptance of ICT facilities. Access to facilities
ized technical training and has launched a four

will be expanded. Government administration Urban Development: By the end of 1389
will be predictable and unbiased, in accord (2010), municipal governments will have
with all legislation. The role of the private sec- strengthened capacity to manage urban
tor will be increased. ICT access will be gener- development and to ensure that munici-
ally available in education institutions, includ- pal services are delivered effectively, effi-
ing many primary and secondary schools. (For ciently and transparently; in line with
detailed information regarding outcomes refer MDG, investments in water supply and
to action plan and M&E matrices. (For detailed sanitation will have ensured that 50 per-
information refer to Appendixes 3-National cent of households in Kabul and 30 per-
Action Plan and 4-Monitoring Matrix). cent of households in other major urban
areas will have access to piped water.
URBAN DEVELOPMENT Energy: By end-1389 (2010), electricity will

reach at least 65 percent of households
and 90 percent of non-residential estab-
Role of the sector in ANDS: lishments in major urban areas; at least
75 percent of the costs will be recovered
The ANDS strategic vision and goal for the ur-
from users connected to the national
ban development sector is to ensure increased
power grid.
access to improved services and affordable
shelter while promoting sustainable economic
The Millennium Development Goal most rele-
development as part of the effort to reduce ur-
vant to the urban sector development is:
ban poverty through encouragement of private
investment. The country’s urban areas will
Goal 7: By 1399 (2020), halve the proportion
become hubs for economic growth with all ba-
of citizens without access to safe drinking
sic infrastructure and services. Management of
water and sanitation. Significantly im-
urban areas will be improved through the de-
prove the lives of all slum-dwellers by
volution of authority and responsibility to mu-
the same date. Sustainable development
nicipalities in ways that improve urban infra-
to reverse the loss of environmental re-
structure and services, reduce urban poverty,
sources
allow urban residents to live safe, healthy and
productive lives and cities to grow and pros-
per. Effective management of the rapid ur- Current situation in the sector
banization process will make a significant con-
tribution to the recovery of the country. Cities Achievements: While investments in the urban
contribute to economic growth through high sector continue to lag far behind actual needs
productivity, a result of economies of scale and across the country, there have been some
agglomeration, and by providing opportunities achievements. The most important are:
for the accumulation of capital, investment,
Water supply and sanitation: 2 million urban
trade and production. Urban investments cre-
residents (31 percent of the total urban
ate employment opportunities and urban jobs
population) have benefited from invest-
account for a disproportionate share of GDP.
ments in water supply and 12 percent
Urban growth can stimulate rural development
from investment in sanitation in major
through increased demand for food, as markets
cities between 1381 (2002) and 1386
for rural products, by offering off-season em-
(2007).
ployment for farmers, and by providing oppor-
tunities to move goods and services in the re- Up to 1.4 million people (20 percent of the
gion. However, cities are often linked to in- urban population) have benefited from
creased violence, crime and insecurity. Im- rehabilitation of public works, with
proving the urban environment, and improv- 250,000 (4 percent) benefiting from up-
ing the livelihoods of the population will lead graded programs.
to improvements in security. The importance of
In addition to legislative reforms, a pilot land
effective management of the urban develop-
tenure security project is underway in
ment process has been recognized in the Af-
Kabul.
ghanistan Compact benchmarks:
The Dehsabz City Development Authority
has been established to facilitate the de-

velopment of new city housing for up to 1385 (2006,) suggesting that 68.5 percent
3 million people north of Kabul. Addi- of the urban population is living without
tionally, new small settlements (satellite security of tenure.
townships) have been planned for 1 mil-
Water and Sanitary Conditions: In
lion people.
1384(2005), about 20-22 percent of urban
Regional and city planning: Strategic devel- households had access to safe drinking
opment plans are being prepared for water, although the percentage varies
seven regional cities, while a city devel- significantly between urban areas. The
opment plan for three major cities (Ma- country’s total sanitation coverage is only
zar, Jalalalabad, Kabul) and existing- 8 percent, (16 percent urban and 5 per-
Kabul plan is due for completion by end cent rural as of 1381 (2002)). Few places
1387 ((mid-2008). in the world face such scarce and alarm-
ing water supply and sanitation coverage
Urban policy: Initiatives include a compre-
levels. The percentage of urban house-
hensive National Urban Program (NUP);
holds using (i) traditional covered la-
a draft National Land Policy was submit-
trines; (ii) improved latrines, and (iii)
ted in 1386 (2007) for approval to the
flush toilets are about 67 percent, 15 per-
Ministry of Justice. A draft of national
cent and 9 percent respectively. In Kabul
building codes for construction has been
city, 14 percent use a flush latrine; 2 per-
developed.
cent are covered by a sewage system.
Institutional reforms within MoUD, KM &
Roads: About 61 percent of urban dwellers
IDLG (established in 1386 (2007)) con-
access their homes by unpaved roads and
tinue, along with investments in
about 25 percent by footpaths, including
strengthening institutional capacity.
in Kabul.
Almost 5 percent of vulnerable families have
been provided improved shelter in major There are a number of challenges and con-
cities. The private sector has made little straints facing the Sector:
contribution to the development of hous-
ing sector to date. Low coverage of basic services and inade-
quate public resources to meet growing
Three conservation initiatives are under way
needs.
in historic quarters of Kabul, Herat and
Tashqurghan. A rapid pace of urbanization partly due to re-
turning refugees and rural-urban mi-
The Afghan Urban Water Supply and Sanita-
grants, which leading to high population
tion Corporation has been established as
density.
a quasi-independent public entity.
Widespread urban poverty and limited ac-
As of 1384 (2005) nearly a quarter of Afghani- cess to productive employment.
stan’s population lived in urban areas. By 1394
A high proportion of informal settlements
(2015) it is estimated that almost a third of Af-
and associated problems.
ghans will be living in urban areas. Current
needs include: Lack of capacity and coordination among ur-
ban sector institutions.
Urban Poverty: In 1381 (2002), one-fifth of the
Limited scale of private sector investment in
urban population was living below the
urban enterprises, facilities or services.
poverty line. The 1384 (2005) NRVA
study found that 28 percent of urban Lack of accurate data on which to base criti-
households perceive themselves to be cal policy decisions.
food insecure, 31 percent fall below the
Land security and titling: Absence of proper
minimum level of dietary energy con-
land registration system, land grabbing,
sumption, 45 percent borrow money to
inadequate legal instruments and institu-
purchase food, and 48 percent sometimes
tions.
have problems satisfying their food
needs. It is estimated that 4.95 million
people inhabited informal settlements in

Lack of available financial funds due to lim- Finance and Management: Steps will be
ited interest of donors in the urban sec- taken to increase revenue generation capacity
tor. and improve management by upgrading ac-
counting and budgetary practices and linking
The Urban Sector Strategy incorporates feed- the capital budget to the planning process. Ex-
back, proposed projects and comments from isting revenue base and assets will be reviewed
the Sub National Consultations (SNCs) and is a and action plans for revenue improvement
response to the people’s needs and develop- plans developed to include widening revenue
ment goals. Key urban infrastructure needs base, improved collection rates, user charges,
emerged from City Development Plan (CDPs) co-financing or co-production with users,
and PDP-related consultations as well as City property or sales taxes, intergovernmental
Action Plans (CAPs) (based on the city profiles transfers, municipal borrowing, mobilization of
report) have been integrated into the strategy, local government resources through loan guar-
reflecting the range of sub-national develop- antees. Mechanisms will be developed to in-
ment needs. crease local revenues in order to finance part of
the costs of improved urban service. Public
partnerships with the private sector and NGOs
Key components of the urban sector
will be promoted to more efficiently provide
strategy urban services or meet urban needs. A draft
The objective is to ensure increased access to Public Finance and Expenditure Management
improved basic infrastructure and services and Law will be enacted.
affordable shelter while promoting sustainable
economic growth. The key to the urban sector Urban Development and Land Manage-
development strategy is a policy that decentral- ment: The Government will prepare a national
izes decision making to the local level, encour- spatial development plan to provide: (i) a
ages participatory processes based on urban framework for balanced urbanization, urban-
community councils or other neighborhood rural links, and greater regional coherence; (ii)
organizations, adopts a market-based approach a town planning policy, processes, laws, stan-
that encourages private sector activity and es- dards, and guidelines as well as development
tablishes a regulatory framework focused nar- regulations; (iii) effective land management
rowly on environmental protection and the and information systems (a national settle-
rationalization of land use. The main programs ments plan will also be put in place); (iv) grad-
of the sector strategy are: (i) Urban Govern- ually improve tenure security through im-
ance, Finance and Management; (ii) Land De- proved infrastructure and services; (v) clarify
velopment & Housing, and (iii) Urban Infra- property rights by providing temporary certifi-
structure & Services. (for details of program cates and addressing environmental and plan-
refer to volume II). ning concerns; (vi) pass land management laws
with the objective of preventing unlawful oc-
Urban Governance: The Ministry and Mu- cupation of government and private land for
nicipalities will be restructured and work economic (and political) gain, facilitating land
jointly to prepare city action strategies and registration and adjudication and enabling
structure plans for Kabul and the 34 major ur- government acquisition of private land for
ban areas—with special attention paid to local public purposes; (vii) improve land manage-
area plans for fast growing areas— and to ment through steps to register land titles; (viii)
strengthen urban and municipal governance, develop a system for settlement of land dis-
finance and management. This involves the putes; (ix) develop a computerized (GIS) land
creation of an enabling environment in which management system; (x) conduct cadastral sur-
stakeholders can participate in municipal elec- veys and reconcile cadastre with actual condi-
tions and residents have a say in policy formu- tions; (xi) link cadastre to a municipal property
lation and the design of implementation activi- tax system and to land registration data; (xii)
ties. This will be done through democratically link to a planning and development control
elected Community Development Councils system; (xiii) create new serviced and un-
(CDC) at the neighborhood level, comprising serviced land in connection with new urban
clusters of households, and Area Development plans that identify real demand for serviced
Councils (ADC) at the sub-urban district level. land at specific locations within individual

towns and cities and in all urban areas. Stan- investment in the new city and for the pressing
dards of servicing will be based on afforda- reconstruction and infrastructure development
bility of target groups. Priority will be given to needs of Kabul.
sites and service schemes, an approach that has
proven effective in many countries. The Housing: New housing will be produced and
strengths of these schemes are that they can improved through (i) public sector housing
cater to various household affordability levels production; (ii) support to informal and small
and needs; provide basic infrastructure and scale housing producers , i.e., the “people’s
services relatively efficiently; permit progres- housing process”; (iii) support for research and
sive development through provision of a sani- development of appropriate building materials
tary core (known as an “embryo” housing and technologies; (iv) upgrading of the skills of
unit). Sectoral agencies will consider other op- contractors and laborers; (v) support for entre-
tions for providing developable land including preneurs to upgrade or set up building compo-
land-sharing, land readjustment, land pooling, nent manufacturing units; (vi) support to pri-
and infill development. vate sector production, particularly of rental
housing.
Land security will be improved through map-
ping and surveying of communities, tenure Housing programs will consider the particular
formalization, and land registration. If infor- needs of various groups such as civil servants,
mal settlements are recognized and provided returnees, Kuchis, IDPs, widows and other
with tenure security, they become more willing vulnerable groups. Housing finance will be
to invest their own financial and other re- provided for the purchase, rehabilitation, and
sources in improving the community and their construction of new housing by integrating
own houses. Moreover, they can use the title as housing finance; stimulating private banks to
collateral. Security of tenure may include both increase mortgage lending to low-income
formal and informal arrangements, from full households (through mortgage guarantees, for
land title to customary rights. Although the example); initiating community mortgage
tenure legalization approach is popular, it is schemes; lowering mortgage interest rates; re-
also possible to regularize without any policy ducing collateral and down payment require-
intervention to legalize tenure. The regulariza- ments; introducing flexible repayment
tion strategy focuses on physical interventions, schemes. This will enhance the purchasing
such as infrastructure, amenities provision, and power of urban inhabitants, attract private in-
health and education services. vestment in housing programs and lead to a
system of affordable land and housing with
The Government, through the Dehsabz City assured cost recovery for the investors.
Development Authority, will continue to exam-
ine the potential for the development of a new Housing subsidy programs will be provided
city on the Dehsabz plain north of the existing for very low income households, including
Kabul City. As part of the Dehsabz project, the both owners and renters. The following op-
Barikab area located to the north of the new tions will be examined: Direct loans to pur-
city will become a private commercial agricul- chase an existing or construct a new house;
tural zone designed to not only supply many of Government guarantees of loans made by pri-
the needs of Dehsabz, but to become a center vate sector lenders, thereby enabling house-
for the cultivation of exportable agricultural holds to purchase houses without a down
products. The development of this urban cen- payment; mutual self-help housing programs
ter will be undertaken primarily by the private to make homes affordable to groups of house-
sector. The extent of the Government’s direct holds through a system of "sweat equity;" port-
role will generally be limited to planning, in- able rent subsidies that give eligible house-
vestment in some of the basic urban infrastruc- holds a choice about where to live, including
ture and facilitating private commercial in- market rate rental subsidies directly to the
vestment. This project will be largely self- property owner, who then applies the subsidies
sustainable financially and become a center for to rents charged to low-income tenants.
new investment in private agro-based and ser-
vice industries. Most of the land in Dehsabz Urban Infrastructure and Services: A con-
belongs to the Government, hence the sale and certed effort will be made to improve infra-
lease of land will generate revenues needed for structure including roads, footpaths, storm

drainage, water supply, electricity, street lights, ity, and condition. The most significant heri-
sanitation, and solid waste collection. Social tage areas will be identified and a detailed in-
infrastructure will be improved, including ventory of heritage assets will be undertaken.
open space, children’s parks, community and This will be done in coordination with NGOs
health centers, schools, and markets. Support already working on the preservation of heri-
will be provided to house construction and re- tage areas. Conservation plans for each heri-
habilitation, but only in line with an approved tage area will be developed and implemented
plan and with careful consideration given to through efforts to raise public awareness, eco-
levels of cost recovery. Steps will be taken to nomic incentives to private owners, tourism
rehabilitate and extend water supply and sani- development, legal protection, public invest-
tation services, giving priority to rehabilitating ment, and outreach to international bodies.
existing areas to an adequate level of service
before extending service to new areas. Exten- Key steps to improve and monitor progress
sions to new areas will be done in connection with urban development will include the iden-
with an approved plan for new settlement de- tification of indicators on which strategic, tacti-
velopment. Solid waste management will be cal, and operational decisions will be based; the
improved through waste minimization (reduce, establishment of GIS and databases to manage
reuse, and recycle) and improved collection, information; and the improvement of analytical
transport, transfer, and disposal alternatives. routines and creation of web-based information
Consideration will be given to privatization, systems. The priority focus will be on the estab-
community management, affordability and cost lishment of land information and registration
recovery. Urban transportation management systems in municipalities.
will be improved through improvements to
circulation and road networks. transportation
facilities and services by function, type, capac-

The following actions will be taken: promote and regulate sustainable development
of minerals and ensure that the nation’s geo-
Strengthened municipal capacity to manage
logical resources are progressively investigated
urban development and deliver services.
and properly documented. This strategy sup-
Improved institutional coordination and ports large and small scale mining for immedi-
monitoring of key urban indicators ate and sustainable economic gains. For min-
ing and minerals, the emphasis is on the explo-
Increased access to basic services for urban
ration, extraction and delivery to market; for
households 47:
hydrocarbons the emphasis is on exploration
o Kabul: 50 percent of households with and exploitation.
piped water, sanitation, drainage and
waste collection; 30 percent coverage Experience during the period 1366-1379 (1987 -
for programs of hygiene promotion. 2000) has demonstrated that the country can
attract significant amounts of investment in this
o 30 provincial towns/cities: 30 percent
sector if issues such as: up-dating mineral pol-
of households with piped water, sani-
icy and strategy; amending mining legislation
tation, drainage and waste collection;
(particularly with respect to mining rights); up-
10 percent coverage of hygiene promo-
dating the mining taxation regime; reinforcing
tion programs.
government supervisory institutions; building
Phased regularization of tenure for 50 per- greater capacity (including good governance)
cent of households in informal settle- within institutions; and developing a reliable
ments, in parallel with upgrading of pub- and comprehensive scientific database. Can be
lic services and facilities, as well as new addressed
urban area development.
Employment and benefits from opportunities
Increased availability of affordable shelter,
for skill improvement will be substantial. Most
with 50 percent increase in numbers of
mining-related activity is expected to occur in
housing units and 30 percent increase in
isolated areas where unemployment is high. In
area of serviced land on the market, cou-
addition, the large contribution that the mining
pled with access to affordable finance.
sector will make to government revenues will
Improved urban environment with green ar- increase the availability of social services, such
eas and open spaces. as education and health services, which will
contribute to increased security and stability.
(For detailed information, refer to Appendix 3-
National Action Plan and 4-Monitoring Ma-
trix.)
MINING
Role of the sector in ANDS

The ANDS strategic vision and goal of the min-
ing sector is to establish Afghanistan as an at-
tractive destination for investment in the explo-
ration and development of mineral resources.
The intention is to encourage legitimate private
investment in the sector so as to substantially
increase Government revenues, improve em-
ployment opportunities and foster ancillary
development centered on mining activity. Im-
plementation of the strategy will help to de-
velop effective market-based economic policies,
47
Note, these targets are also identified in the Water Sector Strat-
egy.

Table 7.3. Mining sector reform and its effect on economic growth
Exploration (US$m) Production (US$m) Exports (US$m)
Before After Before After Before After
Country
Reform Reform Reform Reform Reform Reform
Argentina <3 150 340 1,310 70 700
Chile 15 250 2,400 7,500 2,300 6,900
Peru 10 200 2,000 3,900 1,900 3,600
Tanzania <1 35 53 350 53 350
The Afghanistan Compact Benchmark calls for The first major investment has recently been
an enabling regulatory environment for profit- announced for developing the Aynak copper
able extraction of Afghanistan's mineral and deposits in central Logar province, an almost
natural resources to be created and for the in- $3 billion investment. The selection of the
vestment environment and infrastructure to be company was made after an extensive evalua-
enhanced so as to attract significant domestic tion of tenders from nine major international
and foreign direct investment by 1389 (end- mining companies. There will be important
2010). indirect benefits from this investment. The
company will establish a power station with
400 mega watt capacity at a cost of over $400
Current Situation million and will construct a town for the work-
While geological studies of Afghanistan have ers of the company. The company will also
been conducted over the last 50 years, 90 per- establish a railway route from Hairatan port in
cent of the territory of Afghanistan has not northern Afghanistan to Torkham in eastern
been systematically studied despite highly Afghanistan. Ongoing and planned activities
promising findings. A geological map of Af- include (i) fertilizer and power plants at Balkh
ghanistan has been prepared and over 400 min- with capacity of 110,000 tons of urea each year,
eral deposits have been identified. These in- and 48 mega watt power per hour; (ii) the Gho-
clude copper, coal and a number of small and ri cement factory with a capacity of 100,000
medium deposits of gold, silver, platinum, tons per year; (iii) the Jabal Seraj cement factory
zinc, nickel, emerald, lapis, ruby, kuznite, with a maximum capacity of 30,000 tons per
tourmaline, fluorite, chromite and salt, as well year; and (iv) Herat cement factory and Ghori 2
as radioactive elements and numerous deposits with capacities reaching 200,000 annually.
suitable for construction materials.
In Saratan 1384 (July 2005) a Minerals Law was
The availability of oil and gas fields in Af- approved by the Government. In Qaus 1384
ghanistan has been well known for almost 50 (December 2005), a Hydrocarbons Law was
years. Russian equipment was used to explore also approved. Regulations are being drafted
the first fields. Subsequently, gas fields in Ya- which may be finalized during 1387 (2008).
teem Taq, Khwaja Gogerdak, Khwaja Bolan,
Zigdeli and Bayan of Ghor province as well as Some of the most immediate needs of the sector
the outskirts of the Sheberghan district of Jow- are being addressed as part of a $30 million
zjan province have been identified. Afghan project supporting sustainable development of
and Russian experts identified a total of 500 natural resources. The main purpose of this
structures, of which 67 were extended with project is to assist the Ministry of Mines to im-
exploratory approaches. Known gas reserves prove its capacity to effectively transform the
have a capacity of 180 billion cubic meters and sector so that it is primarily operated by the
an exploitation capacity of 120 billion cubic private sector and contributes to sustainable
meters. Sar-e-pul oil reserves have been identi- economic growth through tax revenues, em-
fied- 44.5 million tons with the extractable re- ployment, rural development and economic
serves of 14.5 million metric tons. During the spin-offs. The major institutional strengthen-
past few years, five additional oil and gas fields ing objective of the project will be to assist
have been identified. More work has been car- MoM to make the transition from a producer of
ried out in the vicinity of Amu Darya, and Af- minerals and other commodities to a policy
ghan-Tajik basins. making institution that will facilitate the opera-
tion of private firms within the industry. It will

also strengthen financial and budgetary proce- of minerals and other natural resources; and
dures in the Ministry, assist with the internal the establishment of a regulatory environment
geological survey work being done, assist in that facilitates local and international invest-
identifying unlicensed mining operations, and ment in the mining sector.
attempt to enforce improved and safer work
mining work practices. The key reform will involve the refocusing of
the Ministry of Mines from one involved in
The landlocked nature of Afghanistan and the production to one that is primarily concerned
current lack of rail links represent a barrier to with the creation of an enabling environment
the movement of large bulk commodities. Se- that requires mining companies to operate ef-
curity difficulties limit mining in some areas, fectively and responsibly in accordance with
principally in the South. Roads, energy and the law. Mining legislation will be passed and
water are all lacking. The danger of unex- implemented. Planned actions include explora-
ploded ordnance makes mining difficult. There tion and exploitation of mineral resources by
is a shortage of trained labor. Most of the state- the private sector or MoM; capacity building
owned mining enterprises are not operating on programs; successful implementation of the
a commercial basis. The North Coal Enterprise Aynak project; development of long term geo-
has been privatized and is operating success- science projects; and a reconstruction program
fully while Mineral Exploitation Enterprise and that includes equipping the laboratory and
Afghan Gas are about to be privatized. technical sections of the Ministry. Steps will
also be taken to raise the production level of
This Sector Strategy incorporates feedback and gas and increase utilization of mineral and gas
comments from the Sub-National Consulta- resources; encourage expansion of the cement
tions (SNCs). A key finding was the lack of in- industry and increase power supplies by rais-
formation available to local communities on ing the production of mineral resources, oil, gas
mine opportunities. A lack of market-based and underground water; and increase the pro-
thinking and considerable expectation for the duction of urea. The main programs of the sec-
Government to provide sector support is also tor are (i) implementing PRR; (ii) completion of
reflected in community comments. It should be legislative affairs;(iii) A comprehensive geo-
noted that investments in the mining sector are logical study follow up program in the country;
primarily commercial decisions that should be (iv) exploration and exploitation of mineral
taken by the private sector. Projects identified resources by private sector or geology survey
and prioritized during the SNC process include of MoM; (v) exploration, extraction and exploi-
the extraction of marble and, precious and tation program of gas and oil fields by the gov-
semi-precious stones in Anaba and Shotol dis- ernment or private sector; (vi) capacity build-
tricts of Panjshir province. The Ministry of ing; (vii) long term geo science research; (viii) a
Mines has been identified as the responsible program of reconstruction to included equip-
agency for enabling this development. ping the laboratory and technical section of the
Ministry. (For details refer to ANDS Volume
II.)
Policy framework: sector strategy
The sector strategy is geared to supporting de- Priority Projects: Top priority projects, in order
velopment through private firms engaged in a of priority, are:
mix of large and small operations. The private
sector will operate within a legislative and reg- Completing and implementing the hydrocar-
ulatory framework designed to facilitate in- bons regulations by Ministry of Justice;
vestment and a competitive sector. While there Finalizing of the Afghanistan gas law (down-
will be some public sector activity, it will be stream);
required to operate under the same legislative
and regulatory framework as the private sector. Completing the second round of PRR in the
The focus will be on using Government pro- MoM;
jects or competitive bidding for exploration Providing background information and invit-
contracts to better determine the extent of natu- ing bids for exploration and exploitation
ral resources in Afghanistan; on the establish- of three blocks of oil and gas in the
ment of an improved, transparent and capable northern provinces..
management system for the effective extraction

Expected outcomes Between 1382 (2003) and 1394 (2015) reduce
the under-five mortality rate by 50 per-
Given the known mining resources available, cent, and further reduce it to one third of
implementation of this strategy will lead to the 1382 (2003) level by 1399 (2020).
considerable investment in small and large pro-
jects. Mining will play a major role in achiev- Between 1381 (2002) and 1394 (2015) reduce
ing the high rates of economic growth and in- the maternal mortality ratio by 50 per-
creased government revenues envisioned in the cent, and further reduce it to 25 percent
ANDS. Increased revenues will be derived of the 1381 (2002) level by 1399 (2020).
from mining royalties, taxes and customs reve- To have halted and begun the reverse the
nues on largely private operations as well as spread of HIV/AIDS by 1399 (2020).
through licenses, permits and other taxes
charged as part of the bidding process. Mining To have halted and begun to reverse the in-
projects will generate employment opportuni- cidence of malaria and other major dis-
ties for thousands of citizens in remote areas eases by 1399 (2020).
where alternative legal productive opportuni-
ties are few. Mining firms will increasingly (For more details see Appendices I and II)
enter into the formal part of the economy.
They will operate within a legislative frame- Current Situation
work that is accepted and impartially adminis-
tered by MoM. Mining will bring with it access Afghanistan’s health indicators are near the
to advanced technology that can be of benefit bottom of international indices, and are far
in many areas of the economy. There will also worse than any other country in the region.
be major indirect benefits from mining, includ- Life expectancy is low, infant, under-five and
ing the construction of roads, bridges, hous- maternal mortality is very high, and there is an
ings, health clinics, mosques, playgrounds, extremely high prevalence of chronic malnutri-
schools and parks. (For detailed information tion and micronutrient deficiency diseases. (For
see Appendixes 3 National Action Plan and 4 more information see to Volume II of ANDS)
Monitoring Matrix.)
Achievements: Substantial improvements in
the health system and the health status of the
HEALTH AND NUTRITION people of Afghanistan have been achieved in
recent years.
The ANDS strategic objective for this sector is
to improve the health and nutrition of the peo-
Expansion of primary health care services.
ple of Afghanistan through quality health care
The percentage of the population living
and the promotion of healthy life styles. Af-
in districts where the Basic Package of
ghanistan ranks close to the bottom on global
Health Services is being implemented
measures of health and nutrition. Improving
has increased from 9 percent in 1382
health and nutrition is vital to improving the
(2003) to 82 percent in 1385 (2006). The
livelihood and well being of the Afghan people
percentage of people in Afghanistan who
and to achieving the goals of the MDGS and
live within two hours walking distance
the Compact which include:
of a primary health care facility was ap-
proximately 66 percent in 1385 (2006).
By end-1389 (2010) the Basic Package of
Health Services will be extended to cover Increased access to female health care
at least 90 percent of the population. workers. The percentage of primary
health care facilities with at least one fe-
By end-1389 (2010) maternal mortality will be
male doctor, nurse or midwife has in-
reduced.
creased from 26 percent in 1383 (2004) to
By end-1389 (2010) full immunization cover- 81 percent in 1386 (2007).
age for infants under-5 for vaccine-
Increased use of reproductive health ser-
preventable diseases will be achieved
vices in rural areas. Between 1382 (2003)
and their mortality rates reduced by 20
and 1385 (2006), use of modern family
percent.
planning methods among married
women in rural Afghanistan increased

from 5 percent to 16 percent, Receipt of Low levels of utilization for certain health
skilled antenatal care by pregnant services, especially preventive services.
women increased from 5 percent to 32
Variable levels of service quality.
percent, and use of skilled birth atten-
dants for assistance with delivery in- Insecurity, which makes program implemen-
creased from 6 percent to 19 percent. tation, recruitment and retention of staff,
expansion of service coverage and moni-
Increased coverage of child immunization
toring by the provincial and central lev-
in rural areas. Between 1382 (2003) and
els difficult.
1385 (2006), coverage of BCG vaccine
among children 12-23 months of age to Lack of effective financial protection mecha-
protect against tuberculosis increased nisms for poor households to receive the
from 57 percent to 70 percent and com- care they need without experiencing fi-
pletion of the three dose oral polio vac- nancial distress.
cine increased from 30 percent to 70 per-
Lack of mechanisms for effective regulation
cent.
of for-profit private sector clinics and
The Afghan Compact High Level Bench- pharmacies.
mark for reduction of infant mortality
has been reached ahead of schedule.
From a high baseline level of 165 infant Policy framework: sector strategy
deaths per 1000 live births, a 20 percent The strategy is for the MoPH to maintain and
reduction in infant mortality was tar- strengthen its stewardship of the Health and
geted by 1389 (2010). With the infant Nutrition Sector. For that purpose, a new or-
mortality rate estimated by the 1385 ganizational chart and programmatic structure
(2006) Afghanistan Health Survey to be have been defined, enabling a comprehensive
129 per 1000 live births, a 22 percent re- approach to health service delivery, with pri-
duction from the baseline level has al- mary health care services, hospital services,
ready been achieved. disease control, nutrition and reproductive and
The Afghan Compact High Level Bench- child health integrated under the Health Care
mark for reduction of under-five mor- Services Provision General Directorate. The
tality has been reached ahead of sched- overarching priority of the MoPH has been to
ule. From a high baseline level of 257 obtain nearly universal coverage of a standard
under-five deaths per 1000 live births, a Basic Package of Health Services (BPHS)
20 percent reduction in under-five mor- through a “contracting” out initiative, creating
tality was targeted by 1389 (2010). With strong linkages with the hospital sector
the under-five mortality rate estimated through an effective referral mechanism.
by the 1385 (2006) Afghanistan Health However, the MoPH will also be responsible
Survey to be 191 per 1000 live births, a 26 for creating an enabling environment for ex-
percent reduction from the baseline level pansion of the Health Care System beyond the
has already been achieved. provision of the BPHS.
A number of challenges and constraints must The MoPH will focus on the following areas:
be addressed if continued progress is to be
made. These include: Conducting, monitoring and evaluating im-
plementation of health care services in
Inadequate financing for many of the key order to ensure quality, equity and effi-
programs. ciency in the health system.
Reliance on external sources of funding. Coordinating the contributions of all national

and international agencies involved in
Inadequately trained health workers. the Health and Nutrition Sector, uphold-
Lack of qualified female health workers in ing standards and tracking services to
rural areas. avoid duplication and gaps.
Dispersed population, geographical barriers Decentralization of appropriate responsibility

and a lack of transportation infrastruc- and managerial autonomy to the provin-
ture. cial level;

Increase the active participation of communi- Pharmaceutical Management Support
ties in the management of their local Program: MoPH will also act to ensure the
health care services by developing accessibility, availability, safety, efficiency, ef-
strong, active participatory links with fectiveness and affordability of medicines
shura (community committees) and by through several means, including establish-
training and supporting community ment of a drug quality control laboratory at the
health workers; central level. MoPH will establish procurement,
Developing legislation and regulations to fa- stocking and logistics systems using interna-
cilitate growth and assure quality in the tional standards to facilitate international con-
private sector provision or civil service tracting, bidding, stocking and transportation.
provision of health care services. (For MoPH will also establish, maintain and further
more information see volume II of develop a medical/health communications
ANDS) network using modern information and tech-
nology systems at both national and provincial
The Government will give high priority over levels.
the next five years to the following projects:
Disease Control and Nutrition Program:
CDC and Non-CDC Program MoPH will establish and maintain a surveil-
Primary Health Care Program lance system (Disease Early Warning System)
Hospital Care Program to respond to epidemics, health emergencies
Reproductive Health and MCH Pro- and other risks to human health in a timely
gram manner. This will require improved manage-
Policy and Planning Support Program ment of integrated, cost-effective interventions
Human Resource Development and for prevention, control and treatment of com-
Research municable diseases. The prevention and man-
Pharmaceutical Management Support agement of outbreaks will be further strength-
Program ened by increasing public awareness and em-
ployment of the Disease Early Warning System.
The Health and Nutrition Strategy comprises A key action will be the development and insti-
eight core programs (Refer to Appendix I):– tutionalization of a Comprehensive Health
Four are related to the Health Care Services Preparedness Plan at the national and provin-
Programs (Primary Health Care Program; cial levels, with allocation of appropriate re-
Hospital Care Program; Disease Control and sources for responding to natural and man-
Nutrition Program; and RH and Child Health made emergencies in an effective and timely
Program) and four relate to the Institutional manner. This plan will set out the programs
Development program (Policy and Planning needed to address key emerging public health
Support Program; HRD and Research Program; problems, such as illicit drugs and their use,
Pharmaceutical Management Support Pro- smoking, HIV/AIDS, blindness, and road traf-
gram; and Administrative Program). In addi- fic accidents.
tion, the efforts to stimulate the development of
“for profit” private sector provision of health MoPH will also work to increase awareness
care services can be considered a third priority and understanding of the potentially adverse
component of the Health and Nutrition Strat- health consequences of environmental factors,
egy. such as poor water supplies, lack of adequate
sanitation facilities, inadequate rubbish dis-
Health Care Services Programs: Primary posal and collection, health facility waste, poor
Health Care and Hospital Care Programs: The food handling and hygiene, and high levels of
MoPH will ensure the provision of a compre- air pollution. MoPH will also oversee programs
hensive referral network of secondary and ter- to reduce malnutrition of all types, including
tiary hospitals that provide, as a minimum, the micronutrient deficiency diseases, through in-
Essential Package of Hospital Services and do tegrated and coordinated programming and
so within An agreed framework that sets stan- promotion of food and nutrition security for
dards to improve clinical and managerial per- all. By adopting a public nutrition approach it
formance. will be possible to address the underlying
causes of malnutrition, including food insecu-

rity, poor social environment, and inadequate mal and informal mechanisms and facilitate
access to health care services. stronger donor coordination, especially when
undertaking assessment and planning missions
This program will also develop a flexible range and in supporting health priorities. MoPH will
of integrated mental health support and care also work with donors, partners and the pri-
services at all levels of the health system. Par- vate sector to coordinate the delivery of health
ticular attention will be given to post-traumatic care services by setting and distributing poli-
counseling through the training of more com- cies, standards and guidelines, convening the
munity health care workers and psychologists Consultative Group on Health and Nutrition
and their placement in accessible community and task forces to work on specific technical
health facilities. People with temporary or issues under the leadership of the MoPH. It
permanent disabilities must have access to both will also further develop Provincial Public
general health services and specialized ser- Health Coordination Committees within each
vices, so that disabilities can be detected and province.
treated at an earlier stage. Reproductive and
Child Health Program: High priority will be MoPH will review and develop relevant legal
given to ensuring that development partners and regulatory mechanisms, such as accredita-
deliver the different components of reproduc- tion systems, that govern health and health-
tive health as an integrated package. This related work in the public and private sectors.
means increased access to and utilization of, The goal of the regulatory system will be to
quality reproductive health care services, in- facilitate competitive and cost effective provi-
cluding antenatal care, intra-partum care, rou- sion of services, carrying out its broader man-
tine and emergency obstetric care and post par- date to not only contract out service provision
tum care, counseling and modern family plan- to civil and private groups but also to facilitate
ning services. In terms of children’s health, the growth of the “for profit” sector. This being
focus will be on reducing child mortality, mor- said, MoPH will also review, develop and en-
bidity and disabilities and improving child force relevant legal and regulatory instruments
growth and development by the promotion of that govern health and health related work to
exclusive breast feeding, integrated manage- safeguard the public and ensure service qual-
ment of childhood illnesses, greater control of ity. MoPH will work to identify, encourage,
vaccine preventable diseases and attention to coordinate, review, and in some cases conduct
adolescent health issues through school health relevant, useful research that can assist evi-
programs. (For more information refer to Vol- dence-based decision making and the formula-
ume II tion of new policies, strategies and plans.
Institutional Development Programs: The Human Resource Development, Research

national health care system will be organized and Administration Programs: The MoPH
and managed to reduce inequity and improve will work closely with the Civil Service Com-
efficiency and accountability at all levels. Steps mission to implement competitive recruitment
will be taken to improve capacity at the provin- processes for placing the most highly qualified
cial level and to decentralize responsibilities as Afghan health professionals in established
provincial capacity is established. In addition, posts throughout all levels of the health system.
efforts will be made to enhance evidence- Efforts will be made to promote a culture of
based, bottom-up and participatory strategic quality throughout the Health and Nutrition
planning in all levels of the health system Sector, especially in health facilities, through
through development of annual business plans leadership and good examples set in day-to-
with costs in all departments; strengthened day work, to strengthen the use of quality stan-
links between the different levels of the health dards, and to promote frequent and supportive
system; implementation of the National Moni- supervision. A Quality Assurance Committee
toring and Evaluation Strategy, and translation has been established to promote improvements
of recommendations from research and practi- within public sector facilities. Once effective
cal experiences to policy formulation and regulatory mechanisms are developed and can
health planning. be enforced, the MoPH will address quality
issues in the private, for-profit sector, in par-
MoPH will enhance coordination between the ticular pharmacies and drug sellers. A com-
MoPH and partner organizations through for- prehensive approach to human resource devel-

opment will be developed to produce a well- engaging the for-profit private sector. Many of
trained health workforce with the range of the latter issues have been discussed in describ-
skills needed to deliver affordable, and quality ing earlier programs.
health care services to all. A health care worker
registration system and a national testing and Civil society plays a role in the delivery of
certification examination process will be estab- health services and in the interaction between
lished in collaboration with the Ministry of government and the population in determining
Higher Education. New standards for accredi- health needs and priority areas. This strategy
tation of training institutes and programs will has been designed to specifically target the
also be established. The proven model of the health and nutritional needs of the most vul-
community midwife training program will be nerable groups in Afghanistan. Civil Society
expanded to other cadres of health workers, groups will play a key role interacting between
with particular emphasis on recruiting, training all players to ensure this happens Recognizing
and deploying couples to work together in that transparency and accountability are essen-
health facilities in their community after grad- tial in order to attract resources, and aware that
uation. (For more information refer to the Vol- in a post-conflict environment many well-
ume II and Appendix II, National Action Plan intentioned governmental and non-
Matrix.) governmental partners tend to impose and ar-
range for the implementation of programs of
Health Care Financing: The MoPH will un- their own design, the MoPH has pursued a
dertake health advocacy to increase funds and strategy of close coordination with all actors in
resources to the health sector. The MoPH will the health sector. A Consultative Group for
ensure that spending is in line with priorities Health and Nutrition that includes donors, ma-
and coordinated across sectors; it will ensure jor NGOs, ISAF, UN agencies, and other line
transparency in the allocation of financial re- Ministries meets regularly to review recent de-
sources and financial management, strengthen velopments in the health sector and to contrib-
coordination of different sources of funding, ute to making policies and suggesting pro-
and monitor different mechanisms of financing grams for the future. (For more information
delivery of services to determine their cost- refer to volume II.
efficiency and acceptability. MoPH will also
coordinate closely with the Ministry of Finance The Sub-national Consultation (SNC) process
on the National Development Budget, the de- of the ANDS has successfully engaged admin-
velopment of mechanisms to improve total istrators at the sub-national level. It has streng-
public expenditure from internal and external thened the sense of cohesion between the cen-
resources, and the development of alternative tral MoPH and provincial public health de-
health care financing. Efforts to facilitate pri- partments. The MoPH’s evaluation criteria for
vate sector growth in the health sector will in- the SNC proposals seek equity by looking at
clude exploration of their potential costs or sav- the depth of poverty and vulnerability of the
ings. population to be served. Considerations take
into account health indicators of mothers and
Rule of Private Sector and Civil Society: children, utilization and availability of the
Through the Basic Package of Health Services, health services in the area of concern, and
the contracting out initiative, and the focused availability of funds:48
development of the MoPH’s ability to exercise
the stewardship function, highly effective part- Proposals that are on-going and/or to be im-
nerships with non-profit private sector agencies plemented with the current funds;
have been achieved. Strategic actions related to
the private sector include: (i) continuing the
effective partnership with non-governmental
organizations in the health sector; (ii) further
48
developing the MoPH’s capacity to establish While maximizing the number of beneficiaries, the MoPH
seeks equity by looking at the scientific data on topography,
policies, strategies and plans, monitor perform- depth of poverty and vulnerability of the population to be served
ance in delivery of health services and coordi- for, health indicators of mothers and children in particular, utili-
nate diverse actors from the public and private zation and availability of the health services in the area of con-
cern, availability of funds and so forth. By doing so, the propos-
sectors working within health and nutrition; als are categorized according to four criteria.
and (iii) developing regulatory mechanisms for

Proposals that are included in the MoPH Increased access to health care services.
Construction Plan and to be imple-
Effective Reproductive and Child health sys-
mented when fund is available;
tem.
Proposals that are considered in the HNSS
Increased competition among health care
timeframe and implemented when fund
providers.
is available; and
Proposals that have to be discussed in detail
with the MoPH because they do not ad- EDUCATION
here to the evaluation criteria, colliding
with the HNSS strategies and/or dupli- Role of the Sector in ANDS
cating the efforts and inputs of the MoPH
and its partners. The ANDS strategic vision for this sector is that
regardless of gender, ethnicity, socio-economic
The MoPH acknowledges that the SNC is an status or religious affiliation, all Afghans will
opportunity for all the stakeholders in the sec- have equal access to quality education to en-
tor to create more dialogue and thus refine the able them to develop their knowledge and
route towards the accomplishment of the skills and thereby maximize their potential. An
HNSS. education sector that engenders a healthy
workforce with relevant skills and knowledge
Private Sector “For Profit” Health Care is key to long-term economic growth.
Provision: In addition to the contractual ar-
rangements with NGOs and Private Sector Over the last six years the sector has experi-
groups to provide MoPH service packages, me- enced a number of major achievements, nota-
chanisms will be developed by which ‘for prof- bly in terms of enrollment rates. There are to-
it’ private sector providers of medical and hos- day more than six million children, youths and
pital services can be supported by Government. adults receiving education. Communities have
This reflects the realization that while public demonstrated their desire for a better future for
funding for many social services such as educa- their children by sending them to school in un-
tion and health is necessary, for private sector precedented numbers. Tens of thousands of
provision may be more efficient. In many youths and adults, both female and male, at-
countries, private sector provision has devel- tend literacy classes and vocational training
oped to cover the needs of a significant propor- programs. Households are making large per-
tion of the population seeking quality educa- sonal and financial sacrifices to provide an
tion and health care. These “for profit” private education for their children. However, much
sector providers have emerged despite not hav- remains to be done. This strategy outlines the
ing any access to public funding. As part of the Government’s priorities for developing an edu-
ANDS, an effort will be made to foster compe- cation sector capable of producing emerge lit-
tition between public sector providers, public erate, numerate and technologically proficient
sector contractors and “for profit’ private sector citizens.
operations. Communities or individual con-
sumers who feel they can get better service Access to education is enshrined in the consti-
from the “for profit” private sector providers tution, which states that:
should not lose their claim on public funds just
because they make this choice. Voucher education “is the right of all citizens and
schemes and/or direct public sector payments offered free of charge in State institu-
for approved services provided by accredited tions….and that the State is obliged to de-
“for profit” private sector providers will be vise and implement effective programs for
used to encourage this competition. a balanced expansion of education all over
Afghanistan” (article 43).
Expected Outcomes
The education sector in Afghanistan comprises
The key expected outcomes in the Health and three sub-sectors: (i) Primary and Secondary
Nutrition sector are: Education, which includes general, Islamic and
technical/vocational education, from Grades 1
Increased quality of health care services. to 14; (ii) Higher Education for all tertiary edu-

cation; and (iii) Skills Development, encom- from 6.1 million to 7.7 million. Other priority
passing literacy and technical vocational educa- policies include an increase in the quality and
tion/training. independence of the Higher Education system
and a move to place vocational education on a
The Millennium Development Goal for the sec- more sustainable basis so as to better contribute
tor is that by 1399 (2020) all children in the to emerging demands for skills.
country—boys and girls alike—will be able to
complete a full course of primary education. A
set of medium term benchmarks identified in Current Situation in the Sector
the Afghanistan Compact has guided the de- After decades of disruption to education and
velopment of strategies for each of the sub- the near total destruction of the educational
sectors. system, one of the Government’s top social pri-
orities was to get children to return to school.
The Afghanistan Compact benchmarks for the Data from the sub-sector49 indicate unparal-
sector are: net enrollment in primary schools leled success, a clear reflection of the aspira-
will be at least 60 percent for girls and 75 per- tions of the people and of the social transforma-
cent for boys; a new curriculum will be operation taking place (Box 7.4).
tional in all secondary schools; the numbers of
female teachers will be increased by 50 percent;
70 percent of Afghanistan’s teachers will have Box 7.4. Success in the education sector:
passed a competency test, and a system for as- Increased primary education
sessing learning achievement will be in place; The Back to School campaign launched in
the total number of students enrolled in uni- 1381 (2002) aimed to enroll 1.5 million
versities will be 100,000 of which at least 35 children in primary and secondary grades.
percent will be female;150,000 men and women From under one million in 1380 (2001) the
will be trained in marketable skills through school population has grown to 5.7 million
public and private means. in 1386 (2007) and new enrollments into
Grade 1 have averaged between 12-14
The Government has set itself the goal of ena- percent per annum over the last five years.
bling at least 1.8 million Afghans to attain dem- Two million (or 35 percent) of the children
onstrated literacy by 1389 (2010), and ensuring enrolled are girls—a 35 percent increase over
that at least 60 percent of the literacy students five years. In keeping with the exponential
are females, members of minority groups, no- increase in enrollment, the number of
mads or persons with disabilities. schools has trebled to 9,062 in 1386 (2007)
including 1,337 all girls’ and 4,325 co-
Expected Outcomes: The agreed-upon edu- educational schools. Similarly, the number
cation system outcomes include: an increase in of teachers has increased seven-fold to
the literacy rate; improved quality of education, 142,500, of whom nearly 40,000 are female.
expansion in the capacity of the education sys- Fifty thousand of these teachers have
tem to absorb more students (particularly fe- received in-service teacher training. Islamic
male students); equal access to education for education in Afghanistan has been reviewed
all; improvement in opportunities for and qual- and a broad-based curriculum has been
ity of Higher Education; expanded capacity developed through a national consultative
and improved quality of vocational education process. The number of reformed religious
and skill development; improved conditions schools that teach a broad-based Islamic
for sport; improved and expanded capacity of education curriculum has increased to 336
the Academy of Science, and mainstreaming of and the National Islamic Education Council
cross-cutting issues. (For detailed information has been established to oversee and monitor
refer to Appendix 3 National Action Plan and the delivery of Islamic education across the
Monitoring Matrix.) country.
Sector Priority Policies: Priority short term

policies over the next four years involve re-
training 70 percent of teachers in primary and 49
School Surveys Summary Report, 1386 (February 2008), Min-
secondary school and coping with increased istry of Education, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.
demand for education by upping enrollments

In Higher Education, universities have re- rolled in schools and there are huge provincial,
opened. There are now 52,200 students in insti- gender and rural/urban disparities. Eighty-
tutions higher learning, taught by 2,713 lectur- two percent of children enrolled in schools are
ers. Demand for higher education is currently in primary grades.
four times greater than the available places.
The next stage of rehabilitation involves im-
Box 7.5. Progress is still required in the
proving the quality of education in existing
education sector
institutions and expanding the number of plac-
es available. Partnerships with foreign univer- Half of all schools today do not have
sities and other educational institutions have adequate, safe or appropriate learning
been introduced in about half the universities. spaces that are conducive to parents
Such partnerships foster and provide support allowing their girls, particularly at the
to develop and enhance the capacity of these secondary level, to enroll in schools. This
universities. together with a severe shortage of female
teachers in rural areas – 80 percent of rural
Skills development—through technical and districts do not have a girls’ high school
vocational education and training as well as because there are no female teachers
focused functional literacy—has also seen sig- available locally to teach in them (there are
nificant growth in the last five years. The Gov- only 216 girls’ high schools across the
ernment established the National Skills Devel- country, a majority of them located in
opment Program in 1384 (2005) as a national regional and provincial capitals). Only 28
priority program. Technical/vocational educa- percent of all teachers are women and eighty
tion at the secondary level through public insti- percent of them are found in urban schools.
tutions has seen a 10-fold increase in the last Schools for children with special needs are
five years, with nearly 10,500 students enrolled woefully lacking while those for Kuchi
in 44 schools. Short-term technical/vocational children are inadequate. Every year between
training courses that focus on specific skills sets 40,000-70,000 youth graduate from high
are conducted by the non-government and the schools across the country but only 25-30
private sectors. Similarly, functional literacy percent of them are able to enter tertiary
training for youth and young adults is carried education due to the severe shortage of
out by both the public and non-government places in higher education institutions. In
sectors. In the public sector alone nearly 2006 there were 58,300 applicants for entry
320,000 persons undertook a 9-month literacy into tertiary education institutions. Only
course in 1386 (2007), 75 percent of whom were 17,700 were successful. Most of the
female students. universities have buildings that require
rehabilitation and there is a drastic shortage
The achievements noted above are commend- of qualified lecturers.
able but are by no means the whole picture.
While the Government is satisfied with the
The lack of access to education in the recent
progress made so far, it recognizes the many
past has resulted in a massive backlog of illiter-
challenges that lie ahead in achieving its long-
ate people in Afghanistan. Based on recent
term vision and medium term objectives.
national surveys51 it is estimated that only
These challenges pertain to meeting the grow-
28 percent of the population in the country can
ing demand for access to quality and relevant
read. Disaggregated by gender this statistic
education.
reveals that only 18 percent of females and
The demand for education far outstrips the 36 percent of males are able to read, a female to
supply across the board in Afghanistan today. male ratio of 0.5. Based on population projec-
tions developed specifically for this work, and
Only half of all school-age children50 are en-
literacy rates reported by the Afghan Institute
for Rural Development, it is estimated that
there are 11.2 million illiterate persons in the
50
School age refers to children between 6-18 years of age; 6-13
years = primary school which is Grades 1-6; 14-18 years = sec-
ondary school from Grades 7 to 12. Basic education is described
51
as Grades 1-9 (6-15 years of age), which is also compulsory as NRVA 1384 (2005) and projected population projections spe-
stated in the Constitution. cifically developed for this report.

country today, about half of whom are out-of- sub-divided into levels of competency. The
school children above the age of thirteen. quality of student input is low and conse-
quently students entering formal higher secon-
Other quality constraints revolve around teach- dary or tertiary education do not possess the
ing spaces, teacher and trainer qualifications, literacy and numeracy skills needed to cope
skills and motivation, outdated curricula and with higher level theory and practical courses.
poor teaching and learning materials. To this In the case of vocational training the problem is
list can be added weak assessment and accredi- further compounded by the lack of prior aca-
tation systems. Only half the teachers em- demic training.
ployed in the primary and secondary sub-
sector meet the minimum qualification, which Throughout the education sector there is a gen-
is set at Grade 12 for primary school teachers. eral lack of engagement with the private sector
Improvement is hampered by a shortage of of the kind that would generate competitive-
high school graduates available and/or willing ness and encourage and enhance quality of the
to train as teachers. There is also a major short- education services. Benefits to delivery of rele-
age of qualified master trainers in the voca- vant education services would be greatly en-
tional training. hanced through market linkages with the pri-
vate sector.
The primary school curriculum has been re-
viewed and revised and new textbooks devel- Perhaps the most daunting challenge facing the
oped; production and distribution of these sector today is that posed by terrorism. Educa-
textbooks is still ongoing. However, secondary tional institutions, students and teachers have
school students are still being taught from an become the soft targets through which terror-
outdated curriculum developed more than 20 ists are depriving the population their basic
years ago. While a new curriculum has been rights. Threats to schools, destruction of school
developed over the last 12 months, the devel- buildings, killing and maiming of students and
opment, production and distribution of text- teachers is increasing, particularly in the south-
books, teachers’ guides and learning materials ern provinces. Despite the bravery of commu-
will take an additional 12-18 months. Teacher nities and school authorities in keeping schools
training in the use and teaching of the new cur- open when threatened or reopening them as
riculum still needs to be addressed. Libraries soon as possible after an incident or threat, the
and laboratories are singularly lacking even in terrorists continue their campaign of intimida-
most urban schools and higher education insti- tion. In 1386 (2007) alone, 117 schools were
tutions as are trained librarians, technicians burned down or destroyed, 207 schools had to
and science teachers. In higher education there be closed due to severe threats, 157 students
is a need to transform the monolithic system and teachers lost their lives and more than 200
into a modern system of independent, well others have been injured or maimed. (For de-
managed universities that operate in the inter- tailed information refer to Volume II.)
ests of their students. Technical/vocational
education and training are overloaded with
academic subjects, have poor laboratory envi-
Policy Framework: Sector Strategy
ronments for practical training, are short of Three dominant policy goals drive the educa-
teaching aids and lack adequate training mate- tion sector strategy; equity, quality and rele-
rials. These programs provide limited expo- vance:
sure to students on the practical application of
their training. Equity: Access to education for all is enshrined
in the Constitution, which makes it illegal to
The relevance of education is a challenge that is deny or refuse access to schools for any reason.
still being defined in the sector today. Skills Although there has been significant progress in
development is rarely linked to market rele- the past five years at the national level, boys’
vance and weak job linkages. No minimum enrolment in primary schools is still nearly
qualification standards are imposed for course twice that of girls, while at the secondary levels
content or procedures for assessing techni- it is three to four times higher. In urban areas
cal/vocational training. Similarly, there is no girls are approaching gender equity but only at
uniformity in course length across various the primary level. In rural areas, girls are much
training programs and courses are often not less likely to be enrolled at any level, but after

the primary years boys are more than 10 times that the knowledge level of teachers is also ex-
as likely to be enrolled. The shortage of girls’ tremely low. This indicates the need for a
schools and of female teachers, especially at teacher training program that includes both
post-primary levels, pose the greatest challenge subject-content training and pedagogical train-
to achieving higher participation rates and gen- ing. The quality of education will also be im-
der equity in rural areas. Access to education proved by continual updating and revision of
for nomadic children, those with learning dis- the curriculum, and by increased community
abilities, pre-school children and older children involvement in the management of education
who have missed the first years of basic educa- delivery. Enhanced quality of education will
tion and now want to enter the system is also be measured by the rates of students progress-
generally low. ing through the system, the number of teachers
who have successfully completed competency
Equality of access to primary and secondary tests and the systems put in place to monitor
education will provide a firm base for equity in and coach teachers on a regular basis.
higher education. In order to improve and in-
crease access, the Government plans to pursue Relevance: For education to contribute to po-
an aggressive building and equipment pro- verty reduction and economic growth it is im-
gram in addition to assessing the potential for portant that the skills and knowledge acquired
distance learning strategies. This will include in the education system are relevant to present
assessing the optimal role for Government and day needs and market demands. The content
identifying strategies for achieving national of education in Afghanistan has not evolved
coverage relatively quickly through the use of with the times and not for want of good rea-
existing national facilities. As part of the ag- sons. However, it is urgent now to leapfrog in
gressive building program, efforts will be made time and adopt methodologies and content that
to include improved security, comfort and hy- suit both individual students and the people at
giene in the building designs in order to im- large.
prove the physical learning environment. Im-
provement in equitable access to education will The review and revision of curriculum to make
be indicated through increased net enrollment Islamic education broad-based and encourage
in the various sub-sectors, by gender and spe- multiple career paths for graduates; the teach-
cial needs and in additional physical infrastruc- ing and learning of technical and vocational
ture and facilities that cater to all, including skills that are in demand and will lead to jobs;
females, special needs and nomadic communi- adult literacy that is linked to productive skills,
ties where needed. are some examples of how government is at-
tempting to make education more relevant to
Quality: The quality of education in Afghani- present day Afghanistan. (For detailed infor-
stan remains quite low. There are multiple rea- mation refer to Volume II.)
sons for this, including teachers who lack a tho-
rough knowledge of either the subjects taught
or effective teaching methods; a shortage of
Strategic approaches
learning spaces, and learning materials. The The underlying principle of ensuring equal ac-
classroom environment and the quality of edu- cess to education for all is to develop a strategy
cation are critically dependent on the quality of that is national in scope but local in focus and
teaching. Teacher-centered classrooms and delivery. A variety of measures will be re-
rote learning are the norm in Afghanistan’s quired to overcome access difficulties. These
classrooms across the sector. Existing teaching access difficulties can relate not only to geogra-
methods do not deliver basic literacy and nu- phy, but also to issues such as gender.
meracy nor do they develop critical thinking
and analytical skills of students. Teachers ei- Government will work towards strengthening
ther do not know how to implement more stu- partnerships, clarifying responsibility and
dent-centered methods or are not motivated to transferring skills. The value and contribution
change their teaching style. of partners to the education sector will be en-
hanced through improved understanding and
Although improving the pedagogical skills of collaborative implementation.
teachers will help improve the quality of edu-
cation in Afghanistan, recent surveys indicate

A Government-led education sector needs an & Learning Materials, Education Infrastructure
accountable and transparent system of educa- Rehabilitation and Development, and Educa-
tion financing and administration. The under- tion Administration Reform and Management.
pinning strategy that the Government will em- Each of these programs has a set of costed pro-
ploy to achieve its policy goals, therefore, is the jects that are prioritized and sequenced for im-
reform and restructuring of the management plementation. (For details refer to Volume II.)
systems that deliver education services. At the
primary and secondary school level, a major Higher Education: The Higher Education
policy shift will devolve greater authority to strategy involves improving both quantity and
the school level for minor operating expenses, quality to satisfy the demand for the market
planning and execution. This is part of the based economy with skilled professionals. This
overall intention to improve governance and will involve an increase in capacity to accom-
management standards. modate more qualified students, together with
improvements in the number and quality of
Recruitment processes will be reviewed and be lecturers and a greater variety of courses.
part of overall public administration reforms. There are plans to provide universities with
Registration of all teaching professionals across greater autonomy. A key component of the
the sector, implementation of public admini- strategy is to encourage universities to enter
stration reform, teacher salaries and other in- into cooperative arrangements with other uni-
centives are being reviewed as part of the pay versities, both domestic and foreign, so that
and grading process, including appropriate there can be an exchange of lecturers. Imple-
career development of teaching professionals mentation of this strategy has already com-
based on merit and performance to increase menced. Eleven cooperative partnerships be-
retention, in conjunction with the Civil Service tween individual universities in the country
Commission. with well qualified foreign universities are in
various stages of finalization.
Strategies In 1386 (2007) a Higher Education Law was
Primary and Secondary Education: A com- passed by Cabinet. A Master’s course has been
prehensive five-year strategic plan52 for the instituted as part of the objective to offer a
delivery of education services has been devel- greater variety of courses. The Ministry of
oped by the Ministry of Education to meet the Higher Education has begun to introduce ac-
medium-term benchmarks for primary and creditation through the Academic Coordination
secondary education set in the Afghanistan Committee. This body, while still in the early
Compact by 1389 (2010). Based on the over- stages, will also be involved in quality assur-
arching policy of attaining national and gender ance and control, an integral component of the
equity in access to quality education, including accreditation procedures. This component of
affirmative action initiatives, the Strategic Plan the strategy will be monitored by the structure
encompasses the National Education Program, established through a Memorandum of Under-
which in turn is made up of two subsets of pri- standing (MoU) signed with the World Bank
ority programs. The first set comprises service on establishment of Afghanistan National Qua-
delivery programs; the second set comprises lification Authority. In its efforts to improve
quality assurance and support programs. The the quality of Higher Education, most funds
service delivery programs are General Educa- available to the Ministry will be used to refur-
tion, Islamic Education, Technical/Vocational bish existing university campuses and carry
Education and Literacy,53 while quality of edu- out construction of buildings for libraries and
cation is assured through Teacher Education & laboratories. It is also important as part of the
Working Conditions, Curriculum Development strategy to conduct a review of university
funding so that universities have greater au-
tonomy in making expenditures (For detailed
information refer to Volume II.)
52
National Education Strategic Plan (1385-1389 (2006-2010),
Ministry of Education, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Skills Development and Training: Many of
53
the courses delivered by mandated institutions
Outputs of these programs contribute to the development and
delivery of the Skills Development sub-sector. suffer from the similar problems: lack of mod-
ern equipment that can be used by students to

acquire trade-relevant skills and lack of ade- skills program is being launched with the aim
quately trained and motivated staff. Issues that of making at least half a million people literate
need to be addressed include the need to clear- and numerate, with skills that will enable them
ly identify administrative responsibility for to find employment. This would be in addition
delivering and setting standards in the area of to numerous other literacy service providers
vocational education. There are problems of who coordinate their activities and interven-
staff shortages, overbuilding, lack of standardi- tions under the leadership of the National Lit-
zation in training courses, and qualifications eracy Centre.
that are difficult for potential employers to ac-
cess. These problems are being addressed Firm proposals have been agreed to by relevant
through the MoU mentioned above. institutions regarding the establishment of reg-
ulatory bodies to operate across the whole of
The strategy that has been proposed to address the education spectrum with the goal of im-
this is to establish a new organization, a Na- proving educational standards. These include
tional Vocational Education and Training a Board of Secondary Education, a National
Board (NVETB) that would manage, but not Vocational Education and Training Board, the
operate, all vocational training institutions. Islamic Education Board and the Higher Edu-
The NVETB would set minimum core compe- cation Board. The necessary legislation to estab-
tencies for courses, carry out accreditation, and lish these Boards and to implement the Af-
inspect vocational institutions to ensure that ghanistan National Qualifications Framework
they meet minimum standards. The Board has been agreed by the Ministries. In order to
would be responsible for calling tenders to op- oversee these components of the strategy, a
erate vocational training facilities owned by the committee on education and skills policy has
state. Tenders to operate training centers that been established. This committee covers the
comply with NVETB standards could be ac- entire education sector, and is chaired by the
cepted from both the public and private sec- Vice-President. There are four Government
tors. The proposed approach would address members representing MoE, MoHE, MoL-
the problems of lack of modern equipment for SAMD and MoF, two members representing
training in trade-relevant skills, lack of ade- the private sector and two members represent-
quately-trained and motivated staff, and lack of ing the donor community. A committee to
standardization in courses. It would provide monitor Capacity Utilization, headed by the
for sustainability of the sector, which is cur- Minister of Economy will also be established.
rently lacking. Part of the strategy would in- This committee will monitor individual pro-
volve the development of an accreditation sys- jects where there is potential for capacity utili-
tem for NGO and private sector providers who zation issues to present implementation prob-
provide the bulk of vocational training. By lems. The private sector will be represented on
end-1387 (2008) there a plan to formalize exist- this Committee. (For detailed information refer
ing apprenticeship arrangements and expand to Volume II.)
the system would be in place. The approach
will ensure that a recognized qualification is In some countries, heavy investments in higher
provided to people undertaking apprentice- education have resulted in low returns because
ships who have achieved specified basic com- of a shortage of jobs requiring high skills that
petencies. results in unemployment rates for graduates
unwilling to take jobs beneath their skill level.
Technical/vocational education, as part of the This is not expected to be a problem in Af-
formal secondary education, is included under ghanistan where there is a dearth of well-
the National Education Strategic Plan, as is Lit- qualified individuals. Increased investment is
eracy and Non-formal education. These two crucial for the demand for labor to increase.
programs address all three policy goals of the This requires higher rates of growth, broad in-
sector. Under the former, a National Institute vestment and higher productivity. With in-
of Administration and Management is being creased investment in many areas of the econ-
established to address the lack of capacity in omy, there will be high demand for well-
both the public and private sectors in basic pro- qualified Afghans.
ject management, accountancy and booking,
and information and communication technol- There is an urgent need for qualified teachers,
ogy. A nation-wide literacy and productive trainers, doctors, and professors, as well as for

highly-trained workers in every sector of the refer to Volume III Provincial Development
economy, from the Civil Service to the indus- Plans.)
try, communications, energy, mining, aeronau-
tics, transport and trade. If the ANDS educa- Institutional Arrangements: Education ser-
tional strategy is successful in addressing the vices are delivered by a number of government
shortcomings in the public education system institutions. The Ministry of Education is
and expanding the scope for private education, mandated to deliver primary and secondary
the expected growth of the economy will create education, including general education, Islamic
extra demand for education and for jobs for education, teacher education, techni-
those emerging rom the educational system. cal/vocational education and literacy. The
Care will need to be taken to ensure that cur- Ministry of Higher Education is responsible for
rent, under-qualified employees in the public all tertiary education while the Ministry of La-
sector do not block the way of better qualified bor and Social Affairs is mandated to deliver
applicants, although existing employees should vocational training.
also be given the opportunity to develop the
needed skills through in-house development
programs and “educational leaves” to upgrade CULTURE, YOUTH AND
their skills. MEDIA
There are other sub-sector policies covering
areas such as Sport and the Afghan Academy Role of the Sector in ANDS
of Science. The ANDS strategic vision for this sector is to
preserve and protect the cultural heritage of
In sports policy there will be an effort made Afghanistan and hand it on to new generations
to encourage private sector support. Pro- to foster cultural creativity and to establish
vided funds are available, along with a media that are independent, pluralistic and
program to build sports complexes and accessible to women and men throughout the
strengthen sports through provincial country, thereby promoting an open and de-
sports departments and sports improve- mocratic society, encouraging young people
ment programs in the capital and the (male and female) to believe that they have a
provinces. The anti-narcotics message stable, prosperous and productive future in the
will be promoted strongly through sports country.
activities.
The Academy of Science will be strengthened Culture provides the social basis that
and supported so as to use the resources makes it possible for creativity, innovation,
and talents of the academy to assist with human progress and a sense of well-being
the restoration and development of Af- to flourish. In this sense, culture can be
ghanistan society seen as a driving force for human devel-
opment, irrespective of economic growth
Integration of the PDPs: At the provincial and
and also as a means of leading a more ful-
district level, Provincial and Development
Plans (PDPs), have been developed through a filling intellectual, emotional, moral and
sub-national consultation process. These Plans spiritual life.
ensure that the ANDS priorities reflect the best
interests and most urgent needs of the people. The Afghanistan Constitution Article 47 articu-
The most urgent provincial needs in education, lates that the state shall devise effective pro-
health, and transport have been identified and grams for fostering knowledge, culture, litera-
will be integrated in the sector strategies. One ture and arts. The state shall guarantee the
problem in the education sector has been direct copyrights of authors, inventors and discover-
provincial infrastructure aid by country do- ers, and shall encourage and protect scientific
nors, such as construction of provincial agricul- research in all fields, publicizing their results
tural colleges, that is not sustainable because for effective use in accordance with the provi-
the recipients dos not have the funds to finance sions of the law. Freedom of expression shall be
the running costs. (For detailed information inviolable according to Article 34 and every
Afghan shall have the right to express thoughts
through speech, writing, and illustration

The Afghanistan Compact Benchmarks targets In Media, a large number of media outlets, tel-
comprehensive inventory of Afghan cultural evision, radio and newspapers have been
treasures by end-1386 (2007) and measures will started in the last six years. These stations pro-
be taken to revive the Afghan cultural heritage, duce considerable local Afghan content and are
to stop the illegal removal of cultural material popular within the country. The media law is
and to restore damaged monuments and arti- drafted and is under debate.
facts by end-1389 (2010).
In Youth a Joint National Youth Program is
being implemented. This program is designed
Current situation in the sector to increase the participation of youth in gov-
Achievements: Considerable progress has ernance, recovery, development and peace-
been made in the past six years. From virtually building. It is based on input from eight Minis-
no public debate, there are now over 130 inde- tries and seven United Nations agencies.
pendent television and radio stations serving
the entire country. In Kabul alone there are 11 Challenges and constraints
independent television stations, while access to
cable television is increasing. There are large There is an urgent need to take action to pre-
numbers of independent newspapers. Many of vent the looting of valuable cultural arti-
these outlets target youth, female and minority facts and to encourage other countries to
groups. This provides avenues for vulnerable return them.
and marginalized groups to have a voice in The inability of the Ministry to reach as-
society. signed targets is due to the lack of re-
sources, both human and financial. This
These advancements have created an environ- is the basic cause of the weaknesses in
ment in which the caliber of public debate is the Sector. Institutional strengthening
high and lively. Both criticism and praise for should look not only at the resource
public programs and figures are common and needs of the Ministry but also at the way
encourage the public’s involvement in Gov- resources are organized.
ernment actions and the development process.
This debate filters down through society and is In the area of Culture, legal and policy
responsible for increased questioning and frameworks, such as those guaranteeing
analysis of Government activities. respect of cultural rights for all Afghans,
are neither strong nor comprehensive.
The Government is committed to furthering Most media infrastructure and equipment for
this public debate and independence of media. print and broadcast media are out-of-
The Government recognizes that public debate date or have been damaged or deliber-
is crucial for allowing the needs of the Afghan ately destroyed. State-owned media
people to be fed into development activities. needs to be reformed in order to ensure
Independent media report development activi- that it promotes democratic values and is
ties and programs and are critically important editorially independent of influences
to increasing public awareness on the Govern- from various interested factions.
ment and international community’s efforts.
Media legislation that will provide an envi-
At the same time, local independent entertain- ronment in which a free, independent
ment programs have been developed and are and responsible media can operate has
highly popular. Regional television shows are been drafted. It will be passed through
also broadcast, meeting the needs of the Af- Parliament in 1387 (2008). Despite some
ghan people. setbacks, the Government is determined
that the freedoms that have been intro-
Many historical and valuable artifacts that were duced will remain and will be protected
believed lost or stolen have been accounted for by appropriate legislation.
and returned. There is now a need for a com-
prehensive inventory to determine the extent of
Policy framework: sector strategy
holdings.
Culture

The objective of this sub-sector to the ANDS An increase in the number of hours of public
will be to establish a system that documents broadcasting, and improved quality of
and safeguards Afghanistan’s history and cul- programming.
ture for the benefit of future generations. Major
Introduction of measures to provide greater
goals include:
press freedom.
Establish an accessible and well maintained
cultural artifacts data base.
Plans will be accepted, and donors will be Youth
identified, to establish regional muse-
ums. The contribution of this sub-sector to the ANDS
will be to instill in young people a sense of con-
Maintain Kabul museum and take measures
fidence in a stable, prosperous and productive
to establish thematic museums such as
future. In addition, a Joint National Youth Pro-
ethnology, anthropology, science and
gram is now in the process of being imple-
technology, handicrafts and community
mented. This program, produced with input
museums.
from eight Ministries of the Government of
The cultural artifacts collection held by the Afghanistan and seven United Nations agen-
Ministry will be expanded. cies, is designed to increase the participation of
youth in governance, recovery, and peaceful
Take appropriate measures to promote live
development of the country. It provides young
culture (music, poetry, arts, theater &
women and men with enhanced capacities,
dance).
education, and recreation and employment
opportunities.
In the longer term, goals will include the estab-
lishment and expansion of museums as well as
The Joint National Youth Program contains
the protection of historical and heritage sites.
four main components:
(For detailed information refer to Volume II.)
Strengthening the capacity of the Govern-
Media
ment to respond to the needs of the
youth of the country.
The contribution of this sub-sector to the ANDS
will be to ensure an independent, pluralistic Promoting non-formal education, increasing
and accessible media for Afghan men and awareness and developing skills (liter-
women throughout the country which it is acy, leadership, strategic planning, con-
hoped will promote an open and democratic flict resolution, peace-building, etc.) in
society. The objectives with respect to media young people so as to provide a better
are: quality of life and improved livelihood
opportunities.
To establish legislation that will provide a
Engaging youth in governance, development
stable and predictable environment in
and social-political processes at local, dis-
which a largely private-sector, independ-
trict, municipal, provincial and national
ent media can operate;
level, ensuring the participation of young
Media will be employed as an educational women and men in democracy and ad-
tool in addition to entertainment. vocacy.
Promoting voluntary efforts for peace and
Expected outcomes for the media sub-sector in
development and establishing a youth
the short term will include:
volunteer corps for the country. (For de-
tailed information refer to Volume II.)
New Media legislation to be passed and leg-
islation to be administered transparently.
The most important projects to support the
Introduction of a country-wide coverage of sub-sector strategies included the development,
public Afghan media (radio and televi- maintenance and expansion of the database
sion). that documents the collection of artifacts held
by the Ministry; and the passage of the new

Media legislation and its implementation as dent’s authority and a number of interventions
well as the implementation of the Joint Na- for risk mitigation have been made.
tional Youth Program.
Despite the progress in the strengthening of
social protection, important challenges and
SOCIAL PROTECTION constraints remain, including security issues
and low mobilization of domestic revenues. A
further constraint is limited coordination with-
Current situation
in the Government and with the donors, which
Improving social protection is vital to reducing leads to duplication of efforts and inefficient
poverty and increasing the livelihood of the targeting.
Afghan people, particularly the poor and most
vulnerable. This sector strategy is critical to the The ANDS Risk and Vulnerability Assessments
Government’s ongoing poverty reduction ef- indicate that the Afghan people are vulnerable
forts. The programs highlighted below form a to a number of risks:
key part of Government’s approach to alleviat-
ing the impacts of poverty and improving the Security and economic risks: Continued
welfare of the country. insecurity has led to the loss of lives and forced
people to migrate. Afghanistan is one of the
The Afghan Constitution defines the role of most heavily land-mined countries. In 1385
social protection and obliges the Government (2006), landmines killed or injured an average
to take necessary measures to support the most of 61 people per month. The latest survey
vulnerable. Since 1380 (2001) progress has (NRVA 1386 (Spring 2007)) estimated that 42
been achieved in number of areas: cash transfer percent of the total population was estimated
benefits have been established (martyr’s fami- to be poor and living below the CBN poverty
lies and disabled) as the main instrument of line. The incidence of food poverty has been
social support for the victims of the war; regu- estimated to be even higher. Afghanistan has
lar support to orphanages has been provided one of the largest child populations and the
from the Core Budget; the MoLSAMD has es- smallest proportion of working age popula-
tablished departments in all provinces and tions in the world. Almost 40 percent of the
strengthened its capacity for targeting and co- adult population is unemployed.
operating with the NGOs and the donors. In
total, some 2.5 million people have been cov- Health and natural risks: Afghanistan has
ered with some type of public arrangement for one of the lowest life expectancies in the world,
social protection. with a life expectancy of 43 years for women
and 44 years for men. Unlike in most coun-
The pension system has been strength- tries, the life expectancy of women is shorter
ened: Although highly dependent on budget than for men. Faced with natural disasters,
transfers, the basic pension scheme for civil many vulnerable families sold their assets,
servants and military personal has been estab- children were taken out of school to work,
lished. The number of pensions paid has stead- many pre-pubescent girls were married and
ily increased from around 10,000 to more than many young men migrated in search for work.
50,000 in 1385 (2006). The MoLSAMD’s Pen-
sion Department receives technical assistance Life-cycle and social risks: Despite legisla-
for further improvements and the MoF has in- tion prohibiting this practice, around 57 per-
tensified its effort on collecting pension contri- cent of girls are married before the age of six-
butions. teen. The early marriage of girls, and conse-
quent early pregnancy puts women at high
The capacity of ANDMA to coordinate disaster risk. Widespread poverty and the absence of
preparedness and response has improved as an effective safety net or pension system leaves
well. Basic risk vulnerability studies have been a high proportion of elderly people vulnerable.
either completed or initiated. The links with According to a study conducted by UNIFEM,
sub-national structures have been established. out of the 1,327 registered cases of violence
The Emergency Budget for Disastrous Situa- against women 30.7 percent were related to
tions has been established under the Presi- physical violence.

Environmental risks and seasonality: Peo- per year; by end-1391/92 (2012/13) the
ple’s high dependence on natural resources has proportion of the population below
increased, with rising poverty resulting in seri- minimum level of dietary energy con-
ous devastation of the environment. Forests sumption (urban and rural areas) will
have been seriously depleted. This adversely decrease by 2 percent per year;
affects soil stability and weakens flood protec-
By Hamal 1390 (March-2011), the number of
tion. According to the NRVA 1384 (2005) the
female-headed households that are
consumption of the poorest citizens is highest
chronically poor will be reduced by 20
in summer and typically falls to critical levels
percent and their employment rate will
in winter.
increase by 20 percent.
Table 7.6. Reach of social protection programs By end-1389 (2010) increased assistance will
Social protection Number of recipients be provided to meet the special needs of
program all disabled people, including their inte-
Martyrs’ families 224,850 gration into society through opportuni-
Disabled 87,717 ties for education and gainful employ-
Orphans 10,500 ment.
Children enrolled in 25,000
kindergartens By end-1389 (2010) skill development train-
Pensioners 54,000 ing will be provided for 150,000 unem-
Public works 1,700,000 ployed, of which women will comprise
Microfinance 340,000 35 percent and the disabled will comprise
Total 2,442,067 a minimum of 10 percent.
By end-1391/92 (2012/13) the Government
A rough estimate shows that half of the Afghan
will employ 3 percent of disabled per-
population (12 million) requires public sup-
sons within its administration.
port. They are either poor or concentrated very
close to the poverty line and are vulnerable to By end-1391/92 (2012/13) the Government
falling into poverty. In 1384 (2006) only around will employ 20 percent of women within
2.5 million people benefited from social protec- its administration.
tion arrangements. Currently, social protection
By end-1394 (2015) reduce gender disparity
interventions cover several groups: (i) martyr’s
in access to justice by 50 percent, and
families; (ii) disabled with war-related disabili-
completely by 2020.
ties; (iii) orphans and children enrolled in kin-
dergartens; (iv) victims of natural disasters; (v) By end-1389 (2010) the number of treated
pensioners; and (vi) unemployed. A rough drug users will increase by 20 percent.
calculation shows that the Government would By 1391/92 (2012/13) pension reforms will
require annually around $2 billion just to keep be implemented.
the poorest and most vulnerable above the po-
verty line. By end-1389 (2010) effective system of disas-
ter preparedness disaster response will
be in place.
Sector targets and expected results
The strategy will aim to achieve the following Implementation of these strategic objectives
targets in line with the Afghanistan Compact and priority policies will lead to visible pro-
and MDGs: gress in implementation of the following major
outcomes: (i) poverty and vulnerability reduc-
By end-1391/92 (2012/13) the spring national tion; (ii) improved social inclusion: (iii) lower
poverty headcount rate (42 percent) will infant and maternal mortality; (iv) reduction in
decrease by 2 percent per year; by end- harmful child labor; (v) reduction in drug de-
1389 (2010) the proportion of people mand within the country; (vi) improved em-
who suffer from hunger will decrease by ployment; (vii) reduction in vulnerability to
5 percent per year; natural disasters; (viii) improved aid effective-
ness.
By end-1391/92 (2012/13) prevalence of un-
derweight children under five in urban
and rural areas will decrease by 2 percent

Policy framework: sector strategy In the future, social protection will target two
main groups: the population “at risk” and war
Fiscally sound and well targeted social protec- survivors.
tion interventions are of critical importance for
improving poverty outcomes. The Govern-
ment is committed to pursuing sustainable in- Box 7.7. Greater support to poor families
terventions through social support, a pension with small children: Zakat-based tax
system and improved disaster preparedness Limited resources are an impediment to
and response. Given the scarcity of donor and providing more substantial support to poor
public funds, the focus will be on allocating families with small children. Introduction of
adequate resources to the poorest areas, a Zakat-based tax and establishment of the
through nationwide targeted programs and Afghanistan Social Protection Fund to attract
transfers and by phasing out non-targeted sub- charity contributions in line with the Islamic
sidies (such as energy subsidies) and building values could mobilize significant resources
the planning and administrative capacity of the to support vulnerable families. More
MoLSAMD (and other line Ministries) to de- generous support to poor families would
liver coordinated programs and improve social help reduce the number of underweight
protection. children and infant mortality. Given this, the
MoLSAMD will initiate a public debate
The ANDS strategic objectives for the social about prospects and modalities for
protection sector are to decrease vulnerability introduction of the Zakat-based tax.
of large numbers of Afghans and help the poor
to climb out of poverty. A parallel goal is to
empower the poor and make their voices The population “at risk” includes: (i) chroni-
heard—to decrease inequality, especially cally poor female headed households with
among women, and to enhance social inclusion small children; (ii) children “at risk” (orphans,
of the neglected such as minorities and dis- street working children, children involved in
abled. The ultimate objective is to build a begging and exploitative work; children in con-
country of social justice in line with Islamic flict with law; children with mothers in deten-
values and Afghan traditions. Other important tion; children with severe disabilities); (iii) poor
objectives are to support economic growth by persons with disability; (iv) victims of violence,
improving human capital accumulation; and to abuse and human trafficking of all ages; (v)
support the stability of the country by reducing extremely vulnerable individuals, including
poverty and increasing social inclusion. mentally ill persons and drug addicts, and (vi)
the unemployed, underemployed and victims
To achieve these objectives the Government of natural disasters.
will pursue the following priority policies: (i)
maintain macroeconomic stability, ensure equi- The target group of “war survivors” includes:
table growth and increase mobilization of do- (i) martyr’s families from previous and ongoing
mestic revenues; (ii) build fiscally sustainable conflicts; (ii) individuals with war related dis-
social support and pension systems; and (iii) abilities, and (iii) civilian victims of the ongoing
improve disaster preparedness and response conflict.
capacity.
The civilian victims of the ongoing conflict in-
Social support: Reform in this area will focus clude the following: (i) families who lost the
on the following priority policies: (i) to im- breadwinner or other family members as result
prove efficiency of the public arrangements for of military operations; (ii) families who lost
social risk management; (ii) to diversify market their breadwinner or other family members as
based arrangements; (iii) to strengthen infor- result of suicide bombings targeting interna-
mal arrangements; (iv) to improve targeting; tional or Government troops; (iii) families that
(v) to strengthen the capacity and restructure lost the breadwinner or other family members
the MoLSAMD; and (vi) to improve partner- as a result of military attack at the international
ship with the civil society (NGOs) and enhance or Government troops; (iv) individuals who
aid coordination. became disabled as result of military opera-
tions; (e) individuals who became disabled as
result of suicide or military attacks on interna-

tional or Government troops; and (vi) families new system of payments in kind will be intro-
or individuals whose property was destroyed duced for the poorest families with small chil-
or damaged as result of military operations, dren for the winter period.. Parcels with basic
suicide and military attacks on international food and non-food items will be distributed
and the Government troops. Social support to through the Afghan Red Crescent Society to
these groups will be coordinated with the sup- support the poorest households in the most
port from the MoD and MoI. difficult period of year. Given the high inci-
dence of rural poverty the new program will
Implementation of this support will be through provide free distribution of livestock, orchards
the National Social Protection Sector Program and tools for farming to help the poor diversify
and will consist of: (i) public arrangements; (ii) their agriculture production. Both direct cash
market-based arrangements; (iii) informal ar- transfers and payments in kind will be made
rangements; and (iv) capacity building. Pre- conditional: families will have to enroll their
liminary costing of the program indicates that children in school and take them to regular
around $500 million will be required over the health check-ups.
next five years, which will need to be met
through the Core and the External Budgets. Given the extent of unemployment, skills de-
velopment will remain one of the highest prior-
Public arrangements to enhance social ity public arrangements in the social support
support reform: Future social support sys- system. Public works programs, such as NSP,
tems will include most of the existing public NABDP and NRAP will continue to provide
arrangements, such as: (i) direct cash pay- job opportunities for the poor. The new public
ments; (ii) payments in kind; (iii) public works; work program to re-forest Afghanistan (i.e.,
(iv) skills development; (v) lump sum pay- “Greening of Afghanistan”) will supply addi-
ments; (vi) support to orphanages; and (vii) tional jobs. All programs will be redesigned to
land redistribution. Given their minimal im- reach the most isolated and remote areas. In
pact on the poor some arrangements, like sub- addition to other public arrangements, targeted
sidies for fuel, pensions, and kindergartens, land distribution and lump sum payments will
will gradually be eliminated. Support to or- continue to be used to help the poorest war
phanages will remain part of the social support victims and victims of natural disaster.
system; however, they will be reorganized to
provide day care services for other children “at Diversification of market-based arrange-
risk.” ments: In Afghanistan, market-based ar-
rangements for social protection are dominated
The current cash transfers to martyr’s families by microfinance schemes. These will be further
and to individuals with war-related disabilities developed and strengthened. Efforts will be
will be integrated into the pension system and made to develop other market-based arrange-
cease to be part of the social support system. ments as well, such as increasing financial
However, this will occur only in the medium market literacy and the introduction of com-
term and after completion of pension reforms. munity-based insurance schemes. Loss of
New direct cash transfers will be gradually in- women’s inheritance entitlements to male rela-
troduced for poor disabled individuals with tives and denial of their property rights pre-
non-war related disabilities. The inclusion of vents women from using collateral and limits
the poorest families with small children in the their access to loans that would create new em-
direct cash transfer program will depend on ployment opportunities. Therefore, future
mobilization of domestic revenues and possible Government policies will introduce measures
introduction of the Zakat-based tax. to enforce women’s rights to inheritance.
Payment in kind, through distribution of Strengthening informal arrangements for

humanitarian assistance, will continue to be social risk management: Migration to work
used to increase children’s enrollment in in neighboring countries and remitting funds
schools (e.g., food for education) and training will continue to be a crucial informal arrange-
of teachers (e.g., food for training). According ment for survival among the poor. The Gov-
to the NRVA 1384 (2005) the poorest house- ernment will ensure that Afghan migrant
holds have critically low consumption during workers are not subject to abuse in their host
winter, especially in Afghan Month (March). A

countries. In this regard, the Government will obtain qualification for social workers will be
conclude international agreements with neigh- important for capacity building.
boring and other countries to protect the rights
of Afghanistan’s migrant workers. Pension reform: The main objective of pen-
sion reform will be to improve old-age protec-
In order to guarantee adequate protection of tion (especially for civil servants and military)
the country’s most vulnerable citizens, and establish fiscally sustainable pension
the Government will: Integrate the cur- schemes. Priorities will include the enhance-
rent direct cash transfers to martyr’s ment of fiscal sustainability by increasing col-
families and people with disabilities into lection of the pension contributions, and build-
the pension system. ing the capacity of the Pension Department
Develop projects for the distribution of live-
stock, orchards and tools for farming. Design of the pension reform: Coverage:
The future pension system will cover the same
Develop projects for the distribution of food groups of employees that are covered in the
parcels in winter. current system (civil servants and military per-
Develop a new public works program: the sonal). The system will remain a defined bene-
“Greening of Afghanistan.” fit system based on a formula that will take into
account age, years of service, and a specified
Develop mechanisms for distributing direct accrual rate. The average benefit for an em-
cash entitlements to poor disabled indi- ployee with 25 years of service will equal 50
viduals with non-war related disabilities percent of final pay after Pay and Grading re-
and include rehabilitation of the disabled form. The benefit accrual rate will be 2 percent
in the BHP in all provinces. for each year of service. This formula will be
Develop programs for community-based re- adjusted to increase equity, reduce cost, and
habilitation of drug-addicts. address human resource needs of the Govern-
ment. Pension benefits will be increased in ab-
In cooperation with NGOs implement pilot solute terms (as a result of Pay and Grading
projects to support extremely vulnerable reform), but reduced as a percentage of last
groups, to include options for reintegra- drawn pay of an employee. They will be au-
tion into families. tomatically indexed for increases in cost of liv-
Conduct surveys to collect data on civilian ing to preserve the value of pensions. Employ-
victims of conflict and develop policies to ees will be eligible for a pension at age 65 if
support civilian victims. they have 10 years of service and will be able to
retire at age 55 if they have accumulated 25
Conduct reviews of the MoLSAMD and pre- years of service. In addition to regular pen-
pare plans for capacity building and re- sions, benefits will be provided to pre-
structuring, including the establishment retirement and post-retirement war survivors.
of the Child Secretariat within MoL- The existing direct cash transfers to martyr’s
SAMD. families and individuals with war related dis-
abilities will be integrated into the future pen-
Strengthening the capacity and restruc- sion system.
turing MoLSAMD: Implementation of effec-
tive social protection reform will require sig- Financing and transition: The pension sys-
nificant capacity building of the MoLSAMD. tem will be self-financed from Government and
The main objectives will be to improve pol- employee contributions on wages (payroll tax).
icy/strategy/elaboration of standards of care, Direct budget subsidies will be gradually elim-
monitoring, targeting and project prepara- inated. The overall contribution, however, will
tion/implementation in partnership with increase from 11 percent of pay to 16 percent to
NGOs in charge of service delivery; and to ef- ensure fiscal sustainability. Around 2 percent
fect an increase in absorption capacity. En- (of the 16 percent) will be used to fund post-
hanced roles for the private sector and NGOs retirement survivors’ benefits. Both the Gov-
in providing the services will support timely ernment and employees will contribute 8 per-
implementation of the projects. Finally, devel- cent of the payroll amount. The employee’s
oping courses to enable university graduates to contribution will gradually increase while the
Government’s will gradually be reduced. Em-

ployees retiring before implementation of the ronment. This objective will be achieved
Pay and Grading reform will earn pension through implementation of the following prior-
based on the current pension system rules. ity policies: (i) to strengthen the capacity of
ANDMA, not only for coordination and policy
The implementation of pension reforms will making, but also for implementation of pro-
also be supported through the National Social grams and projects; (ii) to strengthen the capac-
Protection Sector Program. The specific com- ity of line Ministries for disaster preparedness
ponents of the pension reform will include: (i) and disaster response; (iii) to enhance the pro-
budget subsidies to the pensions system (which vincial and community mechanisms for disas-
will gradually be eliminated); (ii) capacity ter preparedness and response; (iv) to improve
building, and (iii) modernization of equipment. coordination within the Government for disas-
Preliminary costing of the funding needs have ter preparedness and response; (v) to improve
placed the cost at around $150 million, which aid coordination in the area of delivering the
will be covered principally through the Core humanitarian assistance, and (vi) to address
Budget In support of implementation of pen- long-term needs for rehabilitation.
sion reform, the Government will:
ANDMA: Under existing legislation, the
Promulgate pension reform by decree. prime responsibility of ANDMA is to coordi-
Conduct capacity building training for the nate the Government’s efforts and make policy.
staff and managers of the Pension De- However, lack of responsibility for implemen-
partment, and develop new IT system tation of key projects for disaster prepared-
and processes. ness/response and over-reliance on the line
Ministries is a weakness. Therefore, the exist-
Modernize accounting and internal opera- ing legislation will be amended to reflect the
tional procedures in harmony with the IT need to strengthen the ANDMA’s role in im-
system implementation and improve re- plementing key projects. It is important to
cord keeping and processes. stress that line Ministries will remain responsi-
Improve collection of pension payroll taxes ble for the implementation of most projects for
and establish a central database to store disaster preparedness/response.
and process details on pensioners and
their bank accounts. Disaster preparedness will also be supported
by the National Social Protection Sector Pro-
Introduce payments of pensions through gram and will include: (i) finalization of risk
banks in Kabul by end 1388 (mid-2009), vulnerability assessments and disaster prepar-
and throughout the country by 1389 edness plans at the national and sub-national
(end-2010), subject to availability of level; (ii) strengthening the capacity and the
banking services. role of the ANDMA; (iii) establishing emer-
gency operation centers at the provincial level
Strengthening the capacity of the Pension and regional warehouses; and (iv) moderniza-
Department: Employees of the current pen- tion of equipment.
sion department, including management, will
be required to go through comprehensive train- In support of the sub-sector strategy for disas-
ing. The staff will be trained in the use of new ter preparedness, the Government will:
automated systems. Managers will be required
to acquire new skills in program supervision Amend current legislation to reflect the lead-
and project management. The most significant ing role of the ANDMA in coordinating
attribute of the new pension scheme will be the national efforts implementing key
introduction of the payment of pensions programs and projects;
through authorized banks.
Approve annual plans for disaster prepared-
ness, finalize disaster risk analyses and
Disaster preparedness: The main objectives guidelines for disaster response, and de-
of the sub-sector strategy for disaster prepar-
velop the provincial disaster manage-
edness will be to decrease risks from natural
ment plans.
disasters and improve disaster preparedness
and response with the aim of protecting human Develop standardized operating procedures
lives, assets, public infrastructure and the envi- for quick assessment, response and re-

porting, and for rapid mobilization of in- Situation in the sector
ternational assistance.
More than five million Afghans have returned
Establish Emergency Operation Centers at to their homes since 1381 (2002). Yet over three
the provincial level, response centers and million Afghan refugees remain in Iran and
teams at the regional level and effective Pakistan. Several hundred thousand others are
early warning systems; develop the com- living in former Soviet Union countries (CIS,
munity emergency response system and CAR) and Europe.
back-up communication system based on
Codan. The majority of those who remain in Pakistan
Construct 12 regional storage facilities for aid (2.1 million) and Iran (0.9 million) have been in
assistance and equipment and raise na- exile for over 20 years.. The presence of these
tional awareness of disaster risks and communities places strains on both the Afghan
vulnerabilities. Government and the governments of neighbor-
ing countries. The desire of the neighboring
Strengthening capacity and improving countries to engineer large scale return is a
challenge to the principle of voluntary repatria-
coordination: The ANDMA, and to a lesser
tion. Experience indicates that such pressures
extent the line Ministries, require strong capac-
will not produce sustainable or humane out-
ity building and equipment modernization.
comes. This is particularly the case for ex-
Having rescue equipment, management tools
tremely vulnerable individuals: unaccompa-
and operational centers available at the provin-
nied women, unaccompanied minors, the eld-
cial level will ensure a prompt response to dis-
erly, the very poor, those in need of medical
asters. Strengthening disaster preparedness
care and drug addicted individuals.
and response at the community level through
CDCs will be required. Maintaining access to
Economic and social reintegration poses many
modern technology, such as with alarm sys-
constrains and challenges. Since 1384 (2005)
tems, is important for reducing casualties and
repatriation of refugees has slowed considera-
damages during disasters. Finally, given the
bly. This is attributable to several factors: (i)
existing legal ambiguities, the role of the
the deterioration in the security situation; (ii)
ANDMA in leading and coordinating national
limited economic opportunities, including em-
efforts for disaster preparedness and response
ployment, upon return (iii) access to housing;
will need to be clearly defined; this will require
(iv) limited access to basic health and education
adjustment of the current legislative frame-
facilities; and (v) the length of time in exile.
work.
Lower return figures have led to an increase in
pressures from the neighboring countries to
REFUGEES, RETURNEES AND stem the continuing trend of out-migration
from Afghanistan. The most visible indication
INTERNALLY DISPLACED has been the deportation from Iran of over
PERSONS 350,000 unregistered Afghans.
The ANDS strategic objective for the Refugee,
It is probable that high levels of mass and vol-
Returnee and Internally Displaced Persons
untary repatriation are over. The refugees’
(IDPs) strategy is to facilitate the planned and
long experience of exile, and discouraging con-
voluntary return and integration of refugees
ditions in many areas of Afghanistan will make
The planned and voluntary return of refugees
return even more difficult in future.
and IDPs will contribute to economic growth,
reduction of poverty and the strengthening of
Internal displacement remains a significant
security and stability of the country and the
problem, characterized by facing the same con-
region. World-wide experience has indicated
straints and challenges that face refugees: (i)
that large, unplanned, and essentially involun-
ongoing conflict; (ii) natural disasters (drought,
tary returns generate a range of negative con-
floods); and (iii) lack of livelihoods. There are
sequences when they are managed as emergen-
approximately 160,000 internally displaced
cies.
persons, mostly in southern Afghanistan.
There is also evidence of secondary migration

of returnees from places of origin to cities and Prepare plans to improve the response to in-
back to the neighboring countries. ternal displacement crisis. Give greater
attention to the protection of the more
Many of those who return home face signifi- vulnerable groups among refugees and
cant hardships integrating into life in Afghani- IDPs, including children and women.
stan. Drug abuse and its repercussions are ag-
Improve, through policy negotiation and co-
gravated by the large numbers of refugees re-
ordination, the possibility of gradual re-
turning. These groups have often been ex-
turn for all Afghans who wish to repatri-
posed to drugs during their stay abroad. The
ate from Pakistan, Iran and other host
difficulties of economic and social reintegration
countries;
place them at particular risk of drug abuse on
their return. Ensuring that they do not con- Strengthen the Government’s capacity to
tribute to drug production or become drug uses plan, manage, and assist the reintegra-
requires viable and visible employment oppor- tion of returning Afghans and IDPs.
tunities.
Improve the Government’s capacity to plan
for and respond to internal displacement.
The sector strategy provides policies for volun-
tary, planned and sustainable return of refu- Improve the terms and conditions of stay for
gees and IDPs that will promote internal stabil- Afghans in neighboring countries.
ity, economic development and poverty reduc-
Make progress toward the implementation of
tion. The strategic vision of the sector strategy
bilateral agreements on temporary labor
is to provide safe, voluntary, gradual and sus-
migration.
tainable reintegration possibilities for all Af-
ghan refugees, returnees and IDPs who choose Improve access to land for refugee and the
to return. This vision supports the right of all IDP populations.
Afghans to return to their homes, repossess
property and enjoy all constitutional and hu- The strategy will also support the implementa-
man rights. Greater attention to protection of tion of the following Afghanistan Compact
the vulnerable groups among refugees and benchmarks:
IDPs, including children and women is an im-
portant part of this vision. By end (1389 (2010), all refugees and inter-
nally displaced persons opting to return
The main strategic objective of the sector is to will be provided assistance for rehabilita-
transition out of an humanitarian emergency tion and integration into their local
framework to a more comprehensive set of pol- communities; their integration will be
icy arrangements that will advance durable supported by national development pro-
solutions for the remaining 3 million Afghans grams, particularly in key areas of return.
in the neighboring countries, for returnees, and
Afghanistan, its neighbors and other coun-
for IDPs, and which will not rely solely on vol-
tries in the region will reach agreements
untary returns.
to enable Afghanistan to import skilled
labor, and enable Afghans to seek work
The Government’s overall strategic goals and
in the region and send remittances home.
objectives are to:
Human rights monitoring will be carried out
Support the safe, voluntary, and gradual re- by the Government and independently
turn of refugees from Pakistan, Iran and by the AIHRC; the UN will track the ef-
elsewhere. fectiveness of measures aimed at the pro-
tection of human rights; the AIHRC will
Prepare and implement more visible and ef-
be supported in the fulfillment of its ob-
fective, sustainable reintegration pro-
jectives with regard to monitoring, inves-
grams and interventions.
tigation, protection and promotion of
Improve social protection and disaster pre- human rights.
paredness.
Depending on the success of the implementa-
Strengthen the management of cross border
tion of the ANDS and specific sector programs,
movements and economic migration.
some broad scenarios for the return and reinte-

gration sector could be envisaged for the pe- as refugees though less than before. In-
riod 1387-92 (2008-13). These assume that cur- ternal displacement continues as a con-
rent trends will be unlikely to deviate dramati- sequence of localized conflict. Under
cally (positively or negatively) from the present these conditions, it may be envisaged
situation and that there will still be a substan- that a projected figure of between 400,000
tial number of Afghans remaining outside their and 600,000 Afghans return home volun-
country in 1392 (2013): tarily and sustainably, predominantly to
the west, north and central regions of the
Scenario One: Progress towards peace and country.
security, political stability, economic and
social development improves on current The Government will implement the following
trend lines. There are no changes to cur- priority policies to achieve the sector objective:
rent legal and operational frameworks
governing repatriation. Support for rein- Prepare and implement more visible and ef-
tegration through national programs fective reintegration programs and inter-
benefits from increased and better tar- ventions and improve the mechanism for
geted investments. Afghans continue to delivering immediate reintegration assis-
enjoy international legal protection as tance to returning refugees and IDPs.
refugees. Internal displacement contin-
Improve social protection and disaster pre-
ues as a consequence of localized conflict.
paredness.
Under these conditions, as many 800,000
to 1,000,000 Afghans might return home Address concerns of Afghans who prefer to
voluntarily and sustainably, predomi- remain in exile.
nantly to the west, north and central re-
Develop broader policy responses to popula-
gions of the country.
tion movements.
Scenario Two: Progress towards peace and
Retain the Tripartite Agreements as an im-
security, political stability, economic and
portant tool to ensure policy coordina-
social development follows current
tion and respect for refugee law and hu-
trends. The number of Afghans returning
manitarian principles.
outside the Tripartite Framework in-
creases as a result of new measures in- Improve access to land for the refugee and
troduced by the neighboring countries. IDP populations.
Support for reintegration through na- Improve inter-ministerial coordination.
tional programs benefits from increased
and better targeted investment and im- Improve aid coordination and increase aid ef-
proved response capabilities. The terms fectiveness.
and conditions for registered Afghans to
remain in the neighboring countries de- Specific activities the Government will under-
teriorate. Conflict-induced internal dis- take are detailed below.
placement persists, especially in southern
Afghanistan. Under these conditions it
Maintaining frameworks to manage
may be envisaged that a projected overall
figure of 600,000 – 800,000 voluntarily re-
repatriations
turn or are forcibly returned. Within the region, the principle legal and op-
Scenario Three: Progress towards peace and erational framework governing voluntary repa-
security, political stability, economic and triation is provided by the Tripartite Agree-
social development deteriorate. There are ments signed by Afghanistan, UNHCR, Iran
no changes to current legal and opera- and Pakistan. These agreements are serviced by
tional frameworks governing repatria- regular meetings of Tripartite Commissions at
tion. Support for reintegration through both the Ministerial and the working level.
national programs benefits from in-
The Tripartite Agreement with Iran was re-
creased and better targeted investments
newed for a further year in Month 1386 (Febru-
but implementation is weak due to poor
ary 2007); an extension of the agreement with
security. Afghans continue to enjoy a
Pakistan for three years was signed in Month
measure of international legal protection

1386 (August 2007). Afghanistan has signed quences of large induced returns, and taking
similar agreements with Denmark, France, the into account the need to develop broader policy
Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom, responses to population movements, future
Sweden and Switzerland. policy actions will benefit from the active in-
volvement of a wider cross section of Govern-
The Government is committed to continue ment Ministries.
working with Iran, Pakistan and the UNHCR
on the implementation of the Tripartite Agree-
ment and the Tripartite Commission. Provide housing, facilities and social
services to returnees
Specifically, the most important measures to be The Government will continue to provide
taken to support implementation of the strat- housing, land plots and infrastructure to re-
egy are to: turnees to encourage voluntary returns.
Fully reflect the principles of voluntary, dig- Key programs and projects to support imple-
nified and gradual return under the Tri- mentation of the strategy will be implemented
partite agreements between countries of by several line Ministries. These projects will
asylum, Afghanistan, and UNHCR. support the reintegration of returnees by pro-
Discuss and agree to the annual return plan- viding housing, public services and income
ning figures with the Governments of generation opportunities. Distribution of land
Pakistan and Iran within the Tri-Partite plots to solve the housing problem will remain
Commissions. an important public strategy. Public works
programs will provide job opportunities to-
Strengthen the management of cross border gether with skill development training. These
movements and economic migration. projects will be developed, costed and inte-
Promote policy guidelines for the protection grated into the National Budget by the end of
of IDP 1387 (2008).
The Government’s policy supports voluntary, Since 1381 (2002), over a million returnees have
planned and sustainable repatriation. At the benefited from a rural housing program im-
same time, the Government is committed to plemented in all regions of the country. Ap-
increasing the overall rate of return. This re- proximately 170,000 houses have been built.
quires improving the livelihoods and welfare Over 10,000 water points have been con-
opportunities in the country, and increasing the structed in key returnee destinations.
attractiveness of the country to displaced per-
sons. A Land Allocation Scheme was launched in
The Government will work to address the con- 1384 (2005) to address the needs of landless
straints returnees face on returning, including returnees and IDPs for land for housing. These
limited economic opportunities (employment) settlements have the necessary infrastructure,
and social services (health and education). including schools, clinics, roads, mosques, po-
table water, parks and sanitation.
The Government, with support from the inter-
national community, will develop a range of Priority has been given to those who have al-
political and practical solutions to address the ready applied for land (those that returned be-
concerns of neighbors on the recent slowing of tween 1381 and 1385 (2002 and 2006)) and the
repatriation rates. This will help to reduce bi- most vulnerable (for example the disabled and
lateral tensions on this issue. widowed). Over 520,000 applications have
been registered, approximately 100,000 benefi-
The Tripartite Agreement is an important tool ciaries have been selected, 23,000 plots have
to ensure policy coordination and respect for been distributed and 5,500 families have
refugee law and humanitarian principles. En- moved into houses on site.
suring the voluntary nature of return is criti-
cally important in improving sustainability and The Government will also increase the provi-
minimizing humanitarian distress. In view of sion of social services available to returnees,
the potential political and humanitarian conse- refugees and IDPs. These programs include:

Providing legal aid and vocational training sector and Ministry strategies are presented in
for Afghan refugees and support to the ANDS Volume II.
host communities in Pakistan.
The objective of the ANDS with respect to eco-
Improving primary and secondary health
nomic and social development is to provide
care for Afghan refugees in Mashhad and
effective support for the mobilization of the
Zahedan, Iran. Enhancing emergency
country’s resources through the private sector,
preparedness for IDPs to ensure that
including efficiently providing the needed
timely and necessary support is provided
physical, legal and commercial infrastructure
to minimize hardship and suffering.
and institutional frameworks, while taking ac-
Providing public works programs which will tion to meet the pressing needs of the poor and
provide job opportunities along with most vulnerable members of the society. This
skill development training. strategy recognizes the need to highlight the
lessons learned over the past six years. These
have been reflected in common themes that run
Enhance Government capacity to en- throughout the ANDS.
courage voluntary returns
Ongoing efforts to increase Government capac- The ANDS provides a renewed emphasis on
ity to manage returns will continue. Specifi- mobilizing private sector investment, both be-
cally, the Government will work to: cause of the limited resources available, and
because of the much greater efficiency of pri-
Improve internal Government coordination vate sector operations compared to state owned
mechanisms, internal-ministerial coop- enterprises, Ministry implementation efforts, or
eration and capacity for refugee and IDPs donor funded and implemented activities. This
return, principle is reflected in most of the sector strat-
egies under this pillar. A model for these ef-
Enhance policy advice, data collection, analy- forts is what has been accomplished in the tele-
sis, research, knowledge generation and communications sector. For many reasons, it is
advocacy. Provide policy advice to pro- easier to establish a good enabling environment
vincial authorities. and regulatory framework for telecommunica-
Promote a national framework and policy tions services than it is to attract private in-
guideline for the protection of IDPs and vestment to the development of natural re-
an IDP mapping exercise. sources, infrastructure and public utilities or
educational and health care services. A num-
Identify and implement programs and inter- ber of the approaches set out in the ANDS are
ventions to support voluntary refugee built on enabling private investment to play a
and IDPs return. greater role in sectors presently dominated by
Incorporate IDPs and returnees into devel- state operations (e.g., power, mining) or to car-
opment and national programs and to rying out pilot projects to test the potential for
provide for a national framework for doing so (e.g., education and commercial agri-
their protection. culture utilizing state owned land).
Ensure greater access to land for the refugee An attempt has been made to create more fo-
and IDP population, cused Ministries and government agencies
Ensure that refugees and IDPs have greater based on well defined mandates, in line with
access to microfinance loans. their capabilities within the appropriate role of
the public sector activities, and with mecha-
Improve the capacity of the Ministry for nisms in place to efficiently monitor and evalu-
Refugees and Returnees. ate their performance. In some cases, past at-
tempts to establish the role of Government in
the economic and social development process,
CONCLUSION
for state building purposes, left Ministries and
The sector strategies summarized here identify Government agencies with very broad and un-
the ANDS strategic objectives, principal output realistic mandates and objectives.
targets and the projects and programs that will
be required to reach these goals. More detailed

Efforts are also being made to devolve respon- place regulatory frameworks needed to assure
sibilities for narrower tasks to results-oriented effective competition. For example, river basin
departments or authorities, providing the man- authorities will eventually be given greater au-
agers of these institutions with sufficient autonomy and responsibility for development of
thority to achieve results. Thus, responsibility the five major river basins in the country; a Civ-
for Urban Development is being devolved il Aviation Authority will be given greater re-
down to Municipalities, where municipal lead- sponsibility for civil aviation development and
ers are expected to be more responsive to the safety. Various regulatory authorities are al-
needs of their cities and more accountable to ready being given a mandate to create the con-
their residents for municipal services. Similar ditions necessary for attracting private invest-
devolution of both operational control and re- ment while maintaining a competitive market-
sponsibility is at the heart of the National Soli- place. At the same time, provincial governors
darity Program’s efforts to enable Community are being given greater responsibility to over-
Development Councils to implement projects see development activities in their provinces, to
to the benefit of their communities. Accord- be coordinated by the Independent Department
ingly, independent regulatory authorities will for Local Governance under the supervision of
be established with well defined mandates to the President.
encourage private sector investment and put in

Table 13.0.1. Cross Cutting Issues in Social and Economic Development Pillar
138
Anti- Counter- Regional Capacity

Sector Gender Environment
Corruption Narcotics Cooperation Development
Energy A high priority on Improved local Improved supply of Improved sector govern- Regional coopera- Improved technical, commercial and
improved sector gov- energy can reduce power can have an im- ance includes environ- tion in the trade regulatory skills are essential in all en-
ernance and the devel- traditional women’s mediate impact on local mental regulation as well and transmission ergy sub-sectors. This strategy supports
opment of improved household burdens communities by increas- as meaningful measures of energy products (1) the development of vocational train-
procurement, tender through efficient ing employment and for enforcement of stan- plays an important ing for power and energy sector workers
and contracting proc- stoves, water drawing labor from dards. part in the expan- to become familiar with installation,
esses will mitigate cor- pumping and agro- poppy productions. sion of power health and safety and monitoring of op-
ruption. processing that will Emphasis on energy effi- supplies in Af- erations; (2) improved university and
also improve the Energy as a business— ciency, renewable energy, ghanistan. other academic training to instill project
By promoting in- health of women power generation, sup- and improved cooking finance, project management, legal skills
creased private sector and other house- ply and fuel supply— fuels will have measur- and overall commercial capacity; (3) pro-
participation, interna- hold residents(i.e., can provide alternative able impact on improved fessional training for Government offi-
tional operating stan- young children, employment to those environmental condi- cials to implement important regulatory
dards and government older relatives). without options for em- tions. and oversight functions; (4) commercial
as sector regulator, a ployment in many skills to manage and operate the sector.
new paradigm for sec- communities. The current energy law
tor operations can im- provides for environ-
prove transparency, mental protections that
service quality and are now being developed.
compliance with the
law.
Transport The strategy provides a Government Trans- Support enforcement Environmental impact Improved trans- A Transportation Training Institute will
framework to improve port agencies will activities of the MoI and assessments and man- portation links be established to boost capacity of sector
governance in the increase female police against narcotics agement plans will be will significantly Ministries and institutions. This will help
Transportation Minis- participation smuggling. Checkpoints prepared and imple- improve Afghani- strengthen the planning capacity of staff
try. This includes ex- through additional for narcotics smuggling mented in accordance stan’s links with for all transport modes for feasibility
panding merit-based training and new will be built into border with Afghan Law for all regional and in- studies and infrastructure planning.
selection and perform- opportunities customs clearance sta- works. Better quality ternational mar-
ance based contracts tions, truck pull-offs for roads improve the effi- kets. This will Capacity will be increased so that Minis-
for key staff. Penalties Greater consulta- permanent and roving ciency of vehicles, reduc- strengthen Af- try staff are able to conduct drivers’ li-
for corrupt practices tion with women. weigh stations, and ur- ing per km fuel usage. ghanistan’s posi- censing tests, vehicle safety inspections
are also specified. Also implement the ban bypasses. Civil air- Fuel and other petroleum tion with a num- and enforce traffic flow regulations. Ca-
National Action ports will be secured products must be clean in ber of trading pacity will also be increased in the Civil
Plan for the Women against narcotics smug- order to meet Afghan groups, including Aviation Authority in order to take over
of Afghanistan. gling. environmental standards. SAARC, CAREC, control of civilian airspace from interna-
SCO and ECOTA tional forces
Water Resource Adoption of a Access to clean Implementing strong water Environment Law establishes a Since water resources Water sector capacity
Management River Basin ad- water and im- strategy programs having framework for the conservation require the rationaliza- building programs are
ministrative struc- proved sanitation extensive user participation and productive use of natural tion of use by different essentially targeted at the
ture should de- facilities will im- should infuse effective anti- resources, including water, countries, regional three principal develop-
centralize tradi- prove health in narcotics sentiments into the granting enforcement and per- cooperation is re- ment components: Insti-
tional mecha- households, there- populace. mitting rights to the govern- quired for effective tutional, organizational,
nisms which have by benefiting all ment to be implemented management of water and individual. And,
been prone to household mem- Control of water allocations through NEPA. resources shared by each component is fur-
foster corruption. bers but particu- could be sued to discourage different countries. It ther sub-divided
larly women who the poppy cultivation and Water sector strategy programs is an important factor amongst various relevant
often are caretakers encourage production of and the sector’s institutional in developing effective sub sectors comprising
and who face other high value crops. structure will be used to sup- management of sev- water resources man-
threats to health port environmental policies, eral key river basins. agement, rural and urban
during child birth. regulations and laws. water supply, and irriga-
tion.
Information and E-Governance Mobile and Elec- Better communications will Telephone services and the in- Better communica- Communications are at
Communications and other E- tronic commerce improve enforcement and ternet reduce the need for phys- tions assists regional the forefront of skills
Technology Enabled services will make it possi- detection ical travel. It reduces congestion cooperation. development. Effective
(ICT) will reduce the ble for women to costs and pollution from vehicle communication encour-
scope for corrup- work at home and emissions. ages computer literacy
tion because it be commercially which is a key capacity
provides better viable without of- constraint in Afghani-
records and more fending cultural stan.
information sensitivities.
Economic and Social Development
Because it is based on
English, it encourages
key language skills.
Urban More effective Women will bene- Contributions could be Introduction of an environ- Focus on the specific The strategy includes a
Development scrutiny of tender- fit from improved made to demand-reduction mental focus in planning proc- situation of frontier strong focus on reform
ing for public sec- living conditions as through sustainable em- esses and new regulatory cities, including Herat, and strengthening of key
tor projects a result of upgrad- ployment and vocational frameworks, to cover wa- Mazar, Jalalabad. urban institutions, both
ing. training. ter/waste management, pollu- at the central and re-
Monitoring of tion control, etc. Take account of the gional level, as a precon-
sources of finance Improved living potential for regional dition of effective urban
for private urban conditions could Enforcement of environmental business in develop- governance.
development, enhance levels of impact assessments for all ur- ment of new cities.
139
140

where appropri- female education. ban projects.
ate. There could be RC for
Women could en- urban planning.

joy access to hous-
ing finance and
economic devel-
opment initiatives.
Roles and respon-

sibilities of female
professionals in
government will be
enhanced.
Mining There will be im- Mining will be an alterna- Inspectorate and Cadastre to be The Ministry proposes
There have been There is already con-
proved sector tive source of employment established at the Ministry capacity building for its
virtually no wom- siderable cross-border
governance aimed in some poppy growing Mines. staff members.
en entering the trade in this sector.
at increased le- regions in the South.
sector in recent Opportunities to for-
gitimate private This includes environmental
years. A targeted malize these arrange- Capacity building will be
investment. inspection and regulation.
initiative for ments and enhance required to implement
“Women in Min- government revenues the hydrocarbon and
Reforms include ing” to improve Regulations will be specifically exist. mineral legislation, and
improved tender female employ- drafted that address environ- bidding and tendering
and contracting ment will be sup- mental requirements for public Government will con- processes, including ten-
functions of Gov- ported. and private investment. sider opportunities to der evaluation.
ernment, and work with cross-border
drafting of fun- countries where im-
damental legal proved transport (i.e.,
and regulatory select light rail) and
documents, as infrastructure may
well asthe estab- have mutual benefit.
lishment of legal,
financial and
monitoring insti-
tutions.
Education This issue has been The strategy re- There will be spe- Environmental is- The education system is Lack of capacity development in
addressed with institu- duces barriers for cific counter nar- sues will be incorpo- regionally dispersed. The the past has resulted in a failure
tional strengthening women to enter the cotics programs rated into the pri- primary and secondary to spend allocated funds.
programs in all Minis- education sector introduced into mary and secondary strategy has a component to An inter-ministerial committee
tries. There are also both as students primary and sec- curriculum support remote and disad- with the education Ministries and
improved accounting and teaching staff. ondary school cur- vantage communities. Ministry of Finance has been es-
procedures and sup- ricula. tablished to solve this problem.
port with procurement The universities in Kabul Capacity building projects have
that will lower the In addition an anti- and in the provinces are to been included in MoE ad MoHE.
probability of corrup- narcotics message be considerably upgraded,
tion. will be built into and each university will be
the sports program supported by a recognized
external university.
Culture, Media There will be institu- Gender will be a The Ministry will Preservation and Tourism, culture and media The major capacity weakness is
and tional strengthening core issue covered work closely with rehabilitation of his- can be further developed the lack of qualified staff at the
Youth program at the Minis- in all state owned the Ministry of torical sites and arti- through an effective and Ministry.
try. media. Counter Narcotics facts makes an im- fruitful cooperation with
and seek advice portant contribution regional partners. The Ministry requires a computer
As part of this, an in- from them about to the environment. department with trained staff
ternal audit department the incorporation Regional cooperation can ,software and hardware, an inter-
and a computing de- of an anti drugs Under the Youth also support and ensure the nal audit department with ac-
partment will be estab- message in all Program, youth will efforts of MoIC by strength- countancy skills, and officials
lished and there will be forms of media. be encouraged to ening the legal framework with legal skills to deal with draft-
a review of security become involved in and the enforcement of the ing legislation and retrieval of
procedures. The National Youth environmental pro- law in relation to archaeo- artifacts
Program, through grams logical sites to stop illicit
Legal and diplomatic all its components traffic at the borders, and
efforts to retrieve miss- will promote a awareness-raising at both
ing artifacts will also be drug-free society. the national and the interna-
made tional level.
141
142

Agriculture and All programs within The focus on com- The Sector Strategy The Government Strategy is to develop insti- Capacity development is an inte-
Rural the Sector Strategy munity level devel- focuses on providing will provide ca- tutional linkages in the areas gral part of the ARD Sector Strat-
Development emphasize account- opment promotes viable income- pacity develop- of collaborative research, egy. In addition to internal capac-
ability and transpar- gender mainstream- generating alterna- ment to assist technology transfers and ity building and institutional re-
ency. ing and gender- tives by raising the communities to training/skills enhance- form both at the central and local
balanced develop- profitability of licit be able to manage ment, and the exchange of levels, every program intervention
ment. crops, promoting their natural re- scientific information with in agriculture and rural develop-
Local governance pro-
market linkages and sources and im- regard to Afghanistan’s dis- ment has a significant capacity
grams reduce corrup-
Strategy is designed creating off-farm plement projects aster preparedness program. development component.
tion, since the act of
to ensure that women employment. based on sustain-
community ownership
have community able use. AREDP will require a high
and participation
representation and to Rural communities level of regional interaction,
promotes a sense of
promote gender- are closely knit. Government is particularly in the area of
obligation and ac-
sensitive develop- Those communities currently devel- current imports and poten-
countability, which is
ment planning, im- isolated from gov- oping the regula- tial future exports.
continually reinforced
plementation and ernment are more tory environment
through all functions
monitoring of all pro- prone to grow poppy in such areas as Afghanistan’s membership
of project manage-
jects. and other illicit environmental in the South Asian Associa-
ment.
crops. Those benefit- impact assess- tion for Regional Co-
Involvement in in- ing from integrated ments, protected operation (SAARC) will
come-producing ac- rural development areas manage- implement a Regional Food
tivities. programs are less ment and compli- Security Reserve and pro-
likely to grow poppy. ance and en- posed Regional Food Bank
Skills development forcement.
and other capacity Improved govern- The Center on Integrated
building programs ance can influence Rural Development for Asia
will contribute fur- entrenched attitudes and the Pacific (CIRDAP) is
ther to both women’s and is therefore vital a regional intergovernmen-
empowerment and to the enabling envi- tal autonomous organization
increasing household ronment to tackle established for the promo-
income levels. drugs production. tion of integrated rural de-
velopment in the region.
Health & Nutri- Strategic actions re- The Basic Package of The MoPH is the Environmental health, Afghanistan is fully com- The strategy provides a
tion lated to anti- Health Services is aimed line Government of including water and mitted to the implementa- framework for increasing
corruption include: at women and children. Afghanistan agency sanitation, indoor and tion of International Health the capacity of staff in the
with primary re- outdoor air quality and Regulations 2005 (1384), sector to better deliver
Establish Health Ser- The MoPH has placed sponsibility for de- proper housing is an through which the MoPH is health and nutrition ser-
vice Ombudsmen unit emphasis on having fe- livery of treatment important pillar of responsible for detecting, vices.
as a fully autonomous male health staff em- and rehabilitation public health. reporting and responding
entity. ployed at every health services to drug to all public health emer- Strategic actions include
facility. users throughout Strategic actions re- gencies of international undertaking a Training
Promote public Afghanistan and lated to the environ- concern. Needs Assessment of
awareness campaign Increased number of implementation of ment include the en- MoPH staff; building the
related to the Health qualified female health HIV prevention forcement of existing Afghanistan has increas- core skills of MoPH staff in
Service Ombudsmen.. workers at local facilities. programs. laws, by-laws and reg- ingly become a full partici- English, report writing,
ulations; strengthening pant in health activities in basic computer skills, basic
Raise professional Increase awareness of Strategic actions human resource exper- the South Asia region and management and introduc-
standards in key gender and health and related to counter- tise in the field of envi- its role in international or- tory public health; estab-
MoPH entities. rights, raising women’s narcotics include ronmental protection; ganizations, including lishing different levels of
decision-making role in the implementation raising awareness of WHO and UNICEF, has training courses suited to
Promote Civil Service relation to health seeking of the National environmental issues strengthened over the past the Afghan situation; im-
Commission Code of practices. Drug Control Strat- with the public; formu- few years. proving the coordination
Conduct. egy and of the lating a National Envi- between MoPH and its
Ensure that women have Counter-Narcotics ronmental Action Plan Strategic actions include partners in the implementa-
Establish permanent equal employment op- Implementation for Afghanistan; and implementing the Kabul tion and revision of the
MoPH transparency portunities within the Plan. monitoring progress Declaration on Regional MoPH training plan, and
working group. Sector. toward the achieve- Collaboration in Health determining unmet training
ment of a clean and and fostering a stronger needs based on the job de-
Monitor equity issues. safe environment. partnership with Iran and scription of the employees.
Pakistan that will provide a
platform for dialogue and
ensure joint actions for ad-
dressing critical cross-
border health issues.
143
144
Anti-
Sector Gender Equality Counter-Narcotics Environment Regional Cooperation Capacity Building
Corruption
Social To improve To introduce benefits for To improve treat- To prepare and To support implementa- To improve MoLSAMD’s capacity for
Protection management chronically poor female- ment of drug ad- implement new tion of the SAARC’s vulnerability analysis, targeting and
of the direct headed households, victims dicts. public work pro- Social Protection Chart. project preparation and implementa-
cash transfers of violence and other cate- gram (Greening of tion.
and eliminate gories of women “at risk.” To improve rehabili- Afghanistan) to To establish the Na-
irregularities. tation of drug addicts reduce de- tional Coordination To improve the capacity of the Pension
To improve legislation to and their access to forestation of the Committee in line with Department for implementation of the
to ensure that ensure women’s rights to education, skill de- country and miti- the SAARC’s recom- pension reform.
distribution of inherit. velopment and job gate environment mendations.
the land plots opportunities. risk. To improve ANDMA’s capacity for
will be free of To improve “Food for coordinating the disaster preparedness
corruption Scholl” programs to increase To contribute to re- process within the Government, with
primary school enrolment of duction in domestic sub-national level and with donors and
girls. drug demand and humanitarian agencies.
poppy cultivation by
To introduce free legal ad- improving the social To modernize ANDAMA’s equipment.
vise benefit for women “at support system and build regional warehouses
risk” and improve women’s
access to justice
Refugee, In the design of Special attention To improve re- Environmental issues will merit The Government will aim The capacity for Inter-ministerial
Returnee & reintegration pro- will be paid to habilitation and greater focus, especially in view to conclude and imple- cooperation will need to be im-
IDP’s gram components protect children, reintegration of the additional strains on urban ment regional and bilat- proved. The refugee return is not
such as land allo- women and the into society large and municipal infrastructure and eral agreement on popu- responsibility of MoRR only.
cation, shelter and elderly during number of drug services occasioned by possible lation movements and
housing, attention the return proc- users will be return of further 3 million persons migration. Capacity for program preparation
will be paid to ess. among the re- which will put additional pressure and implementation will also need
anti-corruption turnees. on natural resources; Plan to better communi- to be improved, especially for im-
measures by pro- cate to the neighboring mediate response to IDPs crisis.
viding full trans- As the refugee return increases, countries the Government
parency on bene- the Government will need to pay policies and programs for The draw down of funds from Min-
ficiary selection particular attention to the potential repatriation of the refu- istry of Finance has been slow. A
processes. for conflicts over land and access gees. program/project implementation
to natural resources (land, pasture, unit (PIU) has been established
water, forests) especially in ethni- within MORR to assist with the
cally mixed provinces Land Allocation Scheme.
Private Removal of nui- Economic Increased de- Increased formalization of firms Efforts at developing Government, donors, the private
Sector sance procedures, growth will pro- mand for labor increases the likelihood that envi- closer regional coopera- sector and NGOs will provide addi-
Development licenses and taxes vide a strong and increased ronmental regulations are adhered tion with neighboring tional support to increase the skills
will reduce cor- base for increas- investment op- to. countries will help ex- of the Afghan workforce. This will
ruption. ing demand for portunities in pand markets for the pri- help assist both government and the
female labor and legal private sec- vate sector and contribute private sector.
Making admini- increasing their tor activity pro- to the success of the pri-
stration more pre- role in all as- vides an alterna- vate sector development
dictable so that pects of the eco- tive to the in- strategy.
laws are followed nomic life of the comes they are
and administra- country. now making in Open domestic markets
tive discretion is the illicit narcot- with a strong private sec-

reduced will also Also programs ics trade. tor will further increase
help. that will provide integration as trade,
. women with transport, communication
greater access to and other links are made
training and with neighboring coun-
credit facilities tries.
and will encour-
age the women-
owned and op-
erated busi-
nesses.
145
CHAPTER 8
CROSS-CUTTING ISSUES
The ANDS has pursued a proactive policy with pletion of a bridge at the border with Tajiki-
regard to the treatment of cross-cutting issues. stan.
The Government views cross-cutting issues as
being of equal significance to the sector strate- Anticipated outcomes of the strategy include:
gies themselves. The development vision of
the ANDS cannot be met without addressing Enhanced regional cooperation provides Af-
the presence of large scale illegal narcotics ac- ghanistan an opportunity to connect land-
tivities, high levels of corruption, gender ine- locked and energy-rich Central Asia with
quality, limited public and private capacities, a the warm water ports of energy-deficient
degraded environment and weak regional co- South Asia. As a result of this expanded
operation. For this reason, the Government has trade Afghanistan would be able to meet
fully integrated six crosscutting issues into the part of its own energy needs.
ANDS: (i) regional cooperation; (ii) counter-
As a transit country, Afghanistan will realize
narcotics; (iii) anti-corruption; (iv) gender
increased revenue and enhanced economic
equality; (v) capacity building; and (vi) envi-
activity, enabling it to better meet its main
ronmental management. The strategic objec-
development challenges.
tives and mainstreaming of the outcomes of
these six issues are outlined below. The removal of trade impediments and lower
trade barriers will create a freer market,
enhancing the flow of goods, services, in-
REGIONAL COOPERATION vestment, and technology.
Regional cooperation facilitates harmonization
Background and context of standards and regulations to enhance
cross border initiatives, such as greater re-
The strategic vision of regional cooperation is
gional trade and investment, the exploita-
to contribute to regional stability and prosper-
tion of hydro-power, hydrocarbons, infra-
ity, and ensure that restore Afghanistan’s cen-
structure development, and social devel-
tral role as a land bridge between Central Asia
opment.
and South Asia, and the Middle East and the
Far East, the most direct way for the country to Improved border management and customs
benefit from increased trade and export oppor- cooperation at the regional level increases
tunities. security and helps to fight organized cross-
border crime such as trafficking in arms
The reestablishment of trade allows for the re- and drugs.
connection of Central Asia with South Asia,
Improved access for women to wider political
and the development of potentially important
and economical participation at national
trade links with China, the Middle East and
and regional levels.
Europe. This will contribute substantially to
the economic growth and integration of the Improved economic conditions for facilitating
countries in the region and foster cooperation the return of refugees and reduce migra-
on mutual interests. Access to Chinese markets tion.
and its rapidly developing business hub of
Urumqi has already expanded with the com-

Implementation framework opment of projects to strengthen regional coop-
eration. In security, the Government will seek
The re-establishment of Afghanistan as a major better intelligence sharing and cooperation in
trading hub at the heart of Asia will require the counter terrorism measures.
support of the key international players,
namely the U.S., E.U., and the big economies of Since late 1381 (2002), the Government has fol-
South Asia and the Far East. Since early 1381 lowed a policy of joining effective regional
(2002), Afghanistan has signed at least 21 groupings. Afghanistan is now the only coun-
agreements in trade, transit, transport and in- try enjoying membership or affiliation in all the
vestment with countries and organization in major regional economic groupings of the sur-
the region. The Kabul Conference on Good rounding region. In addition to the Govern-
Neighborly Relations (Qaus 1381 (December ment’s ongoing efforts to join the World Trade
2002), the Regional Economic Cooperation Organization (WTO), it is also actively pursu-
Conference held in Kabul (Qaus 1384 (Decem- ing the expansion of bilateral and regional
ber 2005), and subsequent follow up confer- trade agreements with the countries of the re-
ences in New Delhi and the more recent Pak- gion. While Afghanistan already has in place
Afghan Regional Peace Jirga, held in Kabul in bilateral trade agreements with India and Paki-
Asad 1386 (August 2007), are all important re- stan, the two largest members of the South Asia
gional initiatives. Association for Regional Cooperation
(SAARC), there is considerable scope to in-
Improving bilateral, regional and international crease trade with South Asia now that Af-
trade relationships benefits all countries in- ghanistan has become a full member of SAARC
volved. Likewise, improving security benefits (as of Hamal 1386 (April 2007)). Since Aqrab
all countries. Part of the Government’s effort 1384 (November 2005), Afghanistan has served
will be to work with regional partners on im- on the Contact Group of the Shanghai Coopera-
plementing practical project based activities. tion Organization (SCO). In Hamal 1382 (April
This includes an emphasis on increasing the 2003), Afghanistan became a Partner of the Or-
transfer of knowledge with regional partners. ganization for Security and Cooperation in
Increasing the human interaction between Af- Europe (OSCE). Afghanistan also attended the
ghanistan and its neighbors, at the government, Special Session of the Regional Advisory
diplomatic, social and local level will lead to Committee of the United Nations Program for
improved relationships. the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA), held in
Astana in Saur 1384 (May 2005).
The Government is implementing a multi-
faceted Pro-active Regional Diplomacy Pro- Afghanistan is a signatory to a number of re-
gram (PRDP). The PRDP will encompass secu- gional consultative processes that focus on de-
rity, political, economic and social aspects. veloping frameworks to manage migration.
Under the PRDP, the Government, through The Government continues to make all possible
relevant Ministries, will commit the necessary efforts to integrate politically, socially and eco-
human and technical resources towards re- nomically with its regional neighbors.
gional cooperation capacity building programs,
including the mobilization of Afghan Missions
in the regional countries COUNTER NARCOTICS
Improving security, governance, justice and the
rule of law will remain a central focus of the Background and context
Government’s reform efforts. The Declaration The continuing expansion of the narcotics in-
of the cross-border Pak-Afghan Regional Peace dustry represents the single greatest threat to
Jirga, , recommends further expansion of eco- Afghanistan’s stability. The narcotics trade is
nomic, social, and cultural relations between inextricably linked to insecurity and terrorist
the two countries. It identifies the implementa- activities, and undermines Government efforts
tion of infrastructure, economic and social sec- at reform. According to the United Nations Of-
tor projects in the in the Southeast as a key part fice on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Afghani-
of bringing security to the country. There is stan Opium Survey 1386 (2007), the cultivation
still some tension in the region but the Gov- of poppy in the country broke all records in
ernment gives the highest priority to the devel- that year and the trend is likely to continue in
Cross-Cutting Issues 147

1387 (2008). The number of domestic drug us- users; and (iv) to strengthen state institutions
ers in Afghanistan has also increased signifi- at the center and in the provinces.
cantly and illicit drugs and the corruption sur-
rounding it is threatening to destroy the next
generation of Afghan youth. The explosive
Implementation framework
growth of poppy production has taken place in The implementation of the strategy will rely on
five southern provinces. In the other 29 prov- a provincial-based approach to counter-
inces, poppy production has been cut in half narcotics, which will assign the provinces re-
over the past four years. sponsibility for developing counter narcotics
action-plans aligned with the Provincial Devel-
In 1385 (2006) the Government adopted the opment Plans (PDPs). Governors will be con-
National Drug Control Strategy (NDCS), which sulted in the process of developing local CN
remains the overall strategy for Counter narcot- implementation plans that will ultimately be
ics (CN) activities. The Government is moving consolidated and prioritized into a national
immediately to accelerate and improve its implementation plan. The governors will co-
strategy implementation through: ordinate the local planning process involving
line departments, international organizations,
Provision of force protection for eradication in districts, and communities. At the national
targeted areas. level, the Ministry of Counter Narcotics, in con-
Restructure and reform of the Counter- junction with provincial governors, line-min-
Narcotics Trust Fund (CNTF). istries, the IDLG, and ANDS will help identify
provincial CN priorities. They will also support
Provincial based planning for CN policy im- the design of comprehensive provincial counter
plementation based on the Provincial De- narcotics plans in line with Provincial Devel-
velopment Plans. opment Plans (PDPs).
Expansion and effective delivery of programs
to promote licit development, including The Government will increase its eradication
economic support for licit cash crops and efforts. The JCMB has established a goal of
rural industries. eradicating 50,000 ha of the opium cultivation
in 1387 (2008). A robust system of eradication
Strengthening of justice, other legal institutions will be introduced together with strategies tied
and interdiction efforts. to reductions in the level of corruption and im-
Further strengthening of cross-border, regional, proved access of the eradication teams to less
and international cooperation for CN ac- secure areas. Targeting will be made more ac-
tivities; and, curate through mechanisms to monitor and
evaluate the availability of alternative devel-
Mainstreaming CN into all government poli- opment.
cies.
Articles 52 and 54 of the Law on Drug Control
As a core crosscutting issue in the ANDS, as well as chapter 3 of the NDCS articulate the
Counter Narcotics will be the responsibility of roles and responsibilities of ministries for im-
all sectors with the MCN taking the leadership plementing counter narcotics activities. Pro-
role. The goal is to ensure a rapid and sustain- vincial-based planning will identify further
able decrease in cultivation, production, traf- roles for line ministries and other organiza-
ficking and consumption of illicit drugs with a tions. NDCS Chapter 3 also specifies the minis-
view to complete and sustainable elimination tries and organizations that are expected to be
of narcotics. This will be accomplished by pro- involved in the evaluation and implementation
viding a conducive development environment of CN plans. The Government will mitigate
and opportunities at the same time as direct weaknesses in the ministries, agencies and
action is taken against those involved in the provinces charged with implementing the CN
sector. Progress will be measured against four plans by drawing on the resources of interna-
priorities set out in NDCS: (i) to disrupt the tional donors and contracting expert staff. The
drug trade; (ii) to strengthen and diversify legal other key institutional capacity that needs to be
rural livelihoods; (iii) to reduce the demand for addressed by the international community is
illicit drugs and expand the treatment of drug the lack of sufficient CN expertise. The interna-
tional community will be asked to provide sus-

tained CN technical assistance to Afghan coun- bottom among the 212 countries in terms of its
terparts. ability to control corruption, ranking in the
lowest percentile alongside Bangladesh, Soma-
The new NDCS implementation plan will in- lia and Zimbabwe.
clude a commitment by the international com-
munity to fund and support efforts to: The Government is fully committed to control-
ling corruption, promoting transparency and
Integrate CN into operations of ISAF/NATO accountability through establishing new and
(this is suggested but will be required to be effective preventative mechanisms and imple-
dealt with in a bilateral manner in consid- menting the Afghanistan Compact Anti-
eration of the individual partner’s capacity Corruption Benchmarks. The chronic poverty
and sensitivity. conditions in Afghanistan are seen as natural
breeding grounds for systemic corruption due
Provide adequate financing of CNTF and ad-
to social and income inequalities and perverse
just alternative development programs to
economic incentives. A key ANDS strategic
the priorities of PDPs, subject to reform
objective is to establish a state administration
and improved functioning.
that operates with integrity and accountability
Increase funding of the Good Performance Ini- to encourage economic and social development
tiative. based upon the rule of law, impartiality in po-
litical decision-making, the proper manage-
Create markets for Afghan products through
ment of public resources, the provision of effi-
trade preferences and investment in infra-
cient administrative systems and the active en-
structure for export.
gagement of civil society.
Arrest and prosecute international drug dealers
and traffickers. The National Anti-Corruption Strategy and
Roadmap developed as part of the ANDS will
Procure supplies and services for international
be implemented in support of the following
military forces and organizations in Af-
strategic aims: (i) enhancing Government anti-
ghanistan from Afghan sources, as envis-
corruption commitment and leadership; (ii)
aged in the “Afghan First” policy.
raising awareness of corruption and evaluating
Improve intelligence sharing on counter- the effectiveness of anti-corruption measures;
narcotics activities. (iii) incorporating anti-corruption within all
Provide large scale assistance to follow up Government reforms and national develop-
eradication and reduction in cultivation. ment; (iv) improving anti-corruption enforce-
ment by strengthening the legal framework for
Establish/institute production and market de- anti-corruption and building a system of insti-
velopment programs for cash crops in cer- tutions to support the effective implementation
tain areas. of the UNCAC; (v) reinforcing counter-
Reduce global demand for illicit drugs. narcotics integrity; (vi) reinforcing the integrity
of public and business sector relationships;
and, (vii) increasing political accountability.
ANTI-CORRUPTION
Background and context The mainstreaming process will be driven pri-
Corruption, the misuse of public office for primarily by the three inter-dependent areas of
vate gain, undermines the authority and ac- public administration:
countability of the Government, lessening pub-
lic trust and reducing the legitimacy of state Improving Public Sector Management: aimed
institutions. Corruption is a significant and at the creation and consolidation of a moti-
growing problem in Afghanistan. According to vated, knowledgeable, skilled, efficient and
one of the most widely-used international ineffective public service sector.
dexes, “Worldwide Governance Indicators, Strengthening Public Accountability: aimed at
1996-2006” published by the World Bank Insti- increasing the transparency and account-
tute in 1386 (2007), Afghanistan is close to the ability of procedures and controls for the

management of public resources, thereby The Government is firmly committed to fully
deterring corrupt practices, or increasing and effectively implementing these anti-
the likelihood of their detection and gener- corruption measures.
ating systemic improvement to prevent
their future reoccurrence.
GENDER EQUITY
Reinforcing the Legal Framework and Judi-
cial System: aimed at ensuring the com-
prehensiveness and robustness of the legal Background and context
and regulatory framework in order to sup-
The Gender Equity Cross Cutting Strategy is
port activities and measures of Afghani-
the basis for the ANDS to address and reverse
stan’s anti corruption institutions and
women’s historical disadvantage. The strategy
measures.
provides a roadmap for various sectors to bring
about changes in women’s position in society,
The anti-corruption mainstreaming process
their socio-economic condition and their access
will be applied jointly with the security sector
to development opportunities. This strategy is
strategy and the economic and social develop-
an overarching framework that synthesizes the
ment sector strategies to ensure that anti-
critical measures to be pursued through all
corruption measures are explicitly included
ANDS sectors to fulfill the Government’s
and implicitly reflected in their development
commitments to women’s development. These
proposals. Implementation will draw upon the
commitments are embodied in the Constitu-
diagnostic efforts for institutional arrange-
tion, Afghanistan MDGs, Afghanistan Com-
ments to combat corruption concluded by
pact, I-ANDS, and international treaties such as
UNDP’s Accountability and Transparency pro-
the Convention on the Elimination of all forms
ject. However the key partners for anti-
of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)
corruption will be the ministries and agencies
and the Beijing Platform for Action (BPFA).
with responsibilities for delivering the Gov-
ernment’s reform agenda, comprising:
The ultimate goal is “gender equality”; a condi-
tion in which women and men fully enjoy their
The IARCSC, responsible for the Govern-
rights, equally contribute to and enjoy the
ment-wide PAR program, directed at im-
benefits of development and neither is pre-
proving public service management and
vented from pursuing what is fair, good and
public service delivery by addressing ad-
necessary to live a full and satisfying life. Three
ministrative structures and systems.
immediate goals have been prioritized, namely:
The Control and Audit Office and the Ministry (i) to attain the 13 gender-specific benchmarks
of Finance, responsible for strengthening of the Afghanistan Compact/I-ANDS, includ-
the Government’s financial control systems ing the five-year priorities of NAPWA; (ii) to
and practices. realize the gender commitments that are main-
streamed in each of the ANDS sectors; and (iii)
The Ministry of Justice and Supreme Court,
to develop basic institutional capacities of min-
responsible for strengthening the legisla-
istries and government agencies on gender
tive framework and improving the effi-
mainstreaming.54
ciency and effectiveness of the justice and
rule of law sector.
This strategy targets three main outcomes:
The AGO, the GIAAC, and Ministry of Interior,
responsible for policing anti-corruption A significant number of Government entities
measures and investigation of corrupt embracing and implementing gender eq-
practices in the public and private sectors. uity efforts, as indicated by gender sensi-
tive policies, strategies, budgets and pro-
The AIHRC and the National Assembly repre-
grams; increased expenditures on gender
sentative oversight bodies, such as the Na-
equity; and increasing number of ministries
tional Assembly and Provincial Councils,
responsible for promoting links between
civil society and the political decision-
making processes. 54
Constraints and challenges have been addressed in detail in
sector strategy paper as well as the NAPWA.

with functional gender equity-promoting national gender mainstreaming will be
mechanisms and technically capable pro- strengthened.
fessionals.
International organizations are encouraged to
Measurable improvements in women’s status
adopt gender equity in all their dealings with
as evidenced by reduced illiteracy; higher
local groups. The NGO Coordination Council
net enrollment ratio; control over income;
will be strengthened as the major link between
equal wages for equal work; lower mater-
Government and the NGO community on the
nal mortality; increasing leadership and
subject of gender equity. NGOs will be encour-
participation in all spheres of life; greater
aged to target women as project participants
economic opportunities and access to and
and beneficiaries and to increase the participa-
control over productive assets and income;
tion of women in the management of their or-
adequate access to justice systems that are
ganizations. An advocacy and public commu-
gender sensitive; and reduced vulnerability
nication strategy aimed at transforming nega-
to violence in public and domestic spheres.
tive perceptions and attitudes toward women
Greater social acceptance of gender equality as will be implemented nationwide and targeted
manifested in support for women’s partici- at all players in the society. Non-traditional,
pation in public affairs, increased apprecia- culturally-sensitive forms of mass communica-
tion of the value of women’s and girls’ tion will be explored for remote and tribal
education, increasing number of influential communities to address cultural obstacles to
men and institutions promoting gender women’s education, leadership and participa-
equity; and participation of women in pol- tion in public life, reproductive rights, property
icy discussions. ownership and inheritance.
The Government will establish mechanisms to

Implementation framework effectively facilitate, monitor, and coordinate
The implementation of strategy for gender eq- activities on gender. The Government will also
uity is a shared responsibility among govern- adopt a monitoring scorecard that ministries
ment entities at the national and sub-national will use to track their own performance on
levels. MoWA’s status as lead ministry for gender equity. All sectors will be required to
women’s advancement will be maintained and collect and use sex-disaggregated data, adopt
strengthened. All government entities will: gender sensitive indicators, and include gender
(i) foster a work environment that supports related performance in their regular reports.
egalitarian relationships between women and Performance of sectors on gender will be moni-
men; (ii) establish internal enabling mecha- tored by the Oversight Committee and the
nisms for gender equity; and (iii) support JCMB. The gender indicators and statistical
women’s shuras. ANDS consultative and framework of MoWA will be expanded to in-
working groups will be provided with capacity clude indicators on the performance of Gov-
to pursue gender mainstreaming. Gender ca- ernment on the promotion of women’s status.
pacities of sector professionals will be strength- The monitoring and evaluation system of every
ened and Gender Studies Institutes will be es- ministry will:
tablished in selected universities beginning
with Kabul University. The informal network Include gender in the terms of reference of the
of gender advisers will be tapped for a “gender monitoring and evaluation unit and job de-
mentoring program” that will transfer gender scription of its chiefs.
expertise to Afghan staff. A technical support Provide training on gender sensitive monitor-
program for women managers in the civil ser- ing and reporting.
vice will also be created. Local chief executives
are mandated to ensure that the gender equity Adopt gender sensitive indicators.
theme is incorporated into the local develop- Collect and process sex disaggregated data.
ment plan and the overall work of the local
government. Pilot programs on gender main- Highlight gender achievements in ministry and
streaming will be developed in selected prov- sector reports. Surveys that will set the
inces. DOWAs will build a network of gender baseline data for monitoring will be con-
advocates and their capacity to oversee sub- ducted.

The baseline statistics on women and men in understanding of the historic and cultural envi-
Afghanistan will be updated annually and dis- ronment in which development activities are
seminated to strategic users. NRVA data collec- being implemented. Development projects that
tion process will be further strengthened to focus on capacity building should increasingly
support greater gender desegregation. Evalua- be designed to build on regional human re-
tion will be undertaken periodically to take source capacity. The Government also recog-
stock of achievements, correct gaps and adjust nizes that increasing reliance on building
strategies as necessary. A mid-term evaluation managerial capacity in both the public and pri-
will be conducted in 1387 (2008) and another in vate sectors will be necessary to effectively im-
1390 (2011). Insights from the evaluation will plement the goals of the ANDS.
be used to inform future planning, including
the updating of the National Action Plan for
the Women of Afghanistan.
To effectively implement such extensive and
intensive capacity development programs in all
CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT areas will require a well-structured institu-
tional mechanism, which must be built and
Background and context constantly strengthened. The institutional ar-
rangements for capacity development, in addi-
It has become increasingly evident that techni- tion to the ICCD, include the Capacity Devel-
cal and financial support will remain underuti- opment Working Group (CDWGs), Independ-
lized or poorly utilized unless adequate sys- ent Administrative Reforms and Civil Service
temic capacities are built. Years of strife and Commission (IARCSC) and the Reform Imple-
outmoded methods of governance and man- mentation Management Units (RIMUs). ICCD
agement absent accountability or transparency, will seek the assistance of the international
has weakened the public sector, particularly at community to establish and staff a technical
provincial and district levels. There are, how- secretariat, to provide the administrative and
ever, indications that the capacity of the public technical support to ICCD.
sector has been increasing over time. In 1383
(2004), ministries were able to spend roughly ICCD has undertaken a survey of capacity de-
31 percent of their development budget alloca- velopment and technical assistance programs.
tions. By 1385 2006 this c figure had risen to At the ministerial level, under the guidance of
about 49 percent; in real terms this represents the Independent Administrative Reforms and
an average growth rate of around 60 percent as Civil Service Commission (IARCSC), Reform
budget allocations are increasing quite fast. Implementation Management Units (RIMU)
There are no clear indicators as to whether the have been established primarily to restructure
effectiveness of these expenditures has also ministries so that they can move ahead on pay
increased. There are indicators that lack of ca- and grading reform, This process requires clari-
pacity remains a serious problem within the fying roles and responsibilities, laying down
public sector. The Government, through spe- very clear reporting lines, and assessing
cific institution building, will take the lead in whether individuals are fit to hold the job they
directing capacity development to where it is are holding. Capacity development is not the
most needed and to evaluating the impact of primary role of the RIMUs, but the RIMUs will
capacity development and technical assistance identify capacity development needs, coordi-
programs. This institutional responsibility will nate programs and initiatives to meet those
rest with the Inter-ministerial Commission for needs, and monitor and evaluate the impact.
Capacity Development (ICCD), which will The ICCD will monitor the progress of the ca-
serve as a single reporting point for both the pacity development projects and programs.
Government and donors. ICCD will work out The President and Cabinet will receive regular
detailed goals for capacity development that reports on performance of all projects. Those
will serve cross-sectoral purposes. that are under-performing will be required to
provide explanations for their underperfor-
The Government encourages donors to engage mance and recommendations for bringing per-
qualified Afghan expatriates whenever possi- formance back on target. Persistent under-
ble and to make greater use of technical experts performance will result in a major redesign or
from the region. Such workers bring greater closing/discontinuation of the project.

Under the auspices of Inter-ministerial Com- Afghan Expats in country with their different
mission on Capacity Development (ICCD) the skills and knowledge,
Independent Administrative Reform and Civil
Technical assistance from the region, given the
Service Commission (IARCSC) will be empow-
many qualified people fully familiar with
ered to encourage the Reform Information
regional issues,
Management Units (RIMUs) to work together
along the lines of the ANDS/sectoral group- Experienced managers trained for a variety of
ings, to identify common needs and solutions managerial positions.
as well as assist to articulate specific needs and
formulate outline proposals as appropriate.
Where needed, the IARCSC, with donors’ assis- ENVIRONMENT
tance, will provide training on capacity needs
assessments, capacity development activities Background and context
and monitoring and evaluation. To that end,
the IARCSC will: The National Environment Strategy recognizes
the need to give greater attention to environ-
Reach agreement on specific terms of reference mental protections as development occurs. In
for RIMU. Month 1384 (May 2005), an independent Na-
tional Environmental Protection Agency was
Identify any short-term technical assistance
established, being elevated from a department
requirements.
previously established in the Ministry of Irriga-
Conduct capacity assessments with RIMUs, tion, Water Resources and Environment. The
establish and implement training pro- ANDS focuses on developing National Envi-
grams. ronment Protection Agency’s (NEPA) capacity
to perform its regulatory, coordination and pol-
Empower and train RIMUs in capacity assess-
icy-making duties.
ment, capacity development, monitoring
and evaluation.
The ANDS strategic vision is to improve the
Reach agreement on reporting protocol quality of life of the people of Afghanistan
through capacity development unit to In- through conservation of the nation’s resources
ter-ministerial capacity development com- and protection of the environment. The main
mittee. goals are to: (i) secure a clean and healthy envi-
ronment; (ii) attain sustainable economic and
Empower RIMUs to undertake a department
social development while protecting the natu-
by department capacity assessment until all
ral resource base and the environment of the
ministries have been assessed and capacity
country; and (iii) ensure effective management
development plans drawn up to meet
of the country’s environment through partici-
needs.
pation of all stakeholders. The strategy elabo-
rates priority program areas for environmental
Once the basic institutions required for capac-
management based on thematic strategies that
ity development, program implementation
include: restoration and sustainable use of
mechanism and priority sectors have been
rangelands and forests; conservation of biodi-
agreed upon, there will be a need to set up a
versity; agreement to, and signing and en-
number of training projects. These will include
forcement of multilateral environmental
core public sector training, financial manage-
agreements (MEAs); preservation of natural
ment training, procurement training, policy
and cultural heritage sites; encouragement of
formulation, project development and man-
community-based natural resource manage-
agement, priority capacity development in the
ment, prevention and abatement of pollution;
private sector, priority capacity development to
urban environmental management, and envi-
increase skills in work force and to make more
ronmental education and awareness.
effective use of diaspora Afghans.
It will take some time to get results from the Implementation framework
capacity development efforts. In the meantime,
more efforts will be made to attract: Strengthening EIA awareness and the institu-
tional capacity of NEPA and the line ministries
will be given priority. Short term and long

term outcomes linked to the thematic objectives tile region and improving the prospects for
(e.g. conservation of biodiversity, abatement of economic growth and development in Af-
pollution, environmental awareness, etc.) will ghanistan. A key objective in the regional co-
also be prioritized based on assessment of the operation strategy is to remove barriers to in-
expected environmental, social, and health im- vestment and trade so that regional investors
pacts and the institutional, economic and po- will be better able to do business in Afghani-
litical constraints. stan and Afghan firms will have greater access
to regional markets.
Strategic coordination of the ANDS is to take
place on a sector-by-sector basis through inter- The elimination of the narcotics industry is es-
ministerial and Consultative Group (CG) sential for increasing security, improving gov-
mechanisms. Under the CG mechanism, the ernance and strengthening the formal economy
environment features as a cross-cutting issue, of the country. The large amount of money
but is also a sectoral issue in its own right. En- derived from narcotics supports terrorism and
vironment must be mainstreamed across all creates opportunities for corruption in public
sectors and in each program area through the institutions. Narcotics produced in Afghani-
development of policy benchmarks to ensure stan not only destroy the lives of Afghans, but
that Government, donors and implementing impose enormous social costs on people in
agencies follow established norms with respect other countries. The Government, with the
to the incorporation of environmental consid- active support of the international community
erations into the design and implementation of is determined to eliminate this menace from the
projects, and that they provide adequate over- country. Establishing gender equality is essen-
sight and monitoring of the environmental im- tial so that the country is able to make use of a
pact of economic and social development pro- major human resource that has long been sig-
jects. nificantly under-utilized, Afghan women. Re-
moving barriers that prevent women from full
There is a defined institutional arrangement for participation in all aspects of public and private
implementation and monitoring of environ- life requires comprehensive efforts by the Gov-
ment themes. Groups engaged in the imple- ernment, donors and throughout the private
mentation of the ANDS will play a crucial role sector.
in ensuring that issues encountered in the im-
plementation of programs and ministe- Developing the capacity of the Afghan people
rial/sectoral strategies are effectively ad- to effectively govern their country and to en-
dressed. Their assessment must be frank, iden- gage in productive employment is essential if
tifying the problems encountered in the im- poverty is to be substantially reduced. The
plementation of these activities. This will allow Government has established mechanisms to
the Government to more effectively address ensure that the enormous resources being de-
issues and meet its obligation to report to the voted to developing capacity in the public and
Oversight Committee (OSC) and the JCMB on private sectors are utilized in the most effective
its progress in fulfilling these objectives. ways possible.
Achieving these goals require a long term vi-

CONCLUSION sion. All of the cross-cutting issues will have
The ANDS consolidates critical crosscutting significant impacts on core national objectives
issues and integrates them into sector strate- as poverty reduction, economic growth, peo-
gies. These are issues that will have a decisive ple’s participation in the development process,
impact on the achievement of all ANDS goals. human rights, reduction of social vulnerability,
an enhanced role for civil society, effective pub-
Greater regional cooperation will contribute lic administrative reforms, the development of
significantly to establishing security in a vola- a sound legal system and expanded financial
opportunities.

PART III
AID EFFECTIVENESS
AND
COORDINATION
CHAPTER 9
AID EFFECTIVENESS AND COORDINATION

The Government will continue to maintain the over their development policies; (ii) donors
principles of the Paris Declaration as the cor- align their overall support with partner coun-
nerstone of the ANDS. Since 1380 (2001), Af- tries' national development strategies; (iii) do-
ghanistan has received more than $15 billion in nor actions are more harmonized, transparent
Official Development Assistance (ODA), not and collectively effective; (iv) resource man-
including off-budget security spending which agement and decision-making are more results-
is not formally reported as part of the OECD oriented; and (v) donors and partners are ac-
DAC aid reporting system. Current estimates countable for development results. In addition
for total assistance, ODA and security-related to this the Government’s aid effectiveness poli-
expenditures are $40 to $50 billion. This chap- cies are also in line with the Afghanistan Com-
ter lays out the Government’s approach to in- pact, MDGs and ANDS poverty reduction tar-
creased effectiveness and efficiency as a vital gets.
element in the successful implementation of the
Afghanistan Compact and ANDS. Moreover,
and in spite of considerable gains in recent CURRENT SITUATION:
years, the Government remains concerned ASSESSMENT OF AID
about the urgent need to strengthen the aid
delivery framework (management, coordina-
EFFECTIVENESS
tion, mobilization, and effectiveness) to im- The effectiveness of aid can be measured
prove results, particularly at the sub-national against attainment of MDG, Compact and
level. The Government is aware that donor ANDS poverty reduction targets. While much
funds are limited. The main principle of the has undoubtedly been achieved over the course
Government’s aid effectiveness policy is to en- of the past six years, lack of services, high pov-
sure that donors’ funds will be spent in the erty incidence and a lack of security in some
most productive way and in line with the parts of the country continue to undermine
ANDS priorities. reconstruction and development efforts. Af-
ghanistan’s current reliance on aid can be at-
The other core principles relevant to this strat- tributed to the fact that most of Afghanistan’s
egy include: Afghanistazation (ownership); institutions, infrastructure and human capacity
alignment; coordination and harmonization; were destroyed or depleted during the three-
managing for results; and mutual accountabil- decade-long war. Despite this and since 1380
ity. (2001), there has been noticeable progress in
improving the peoples’ lives: the average per
capita income almost doubled from 1380 (2001)
PARIS DECLARATION AND to 1386 (2007), from US$147 to US$289, 6 mil-
AFGHANISTAN COMPACT lion children have enrolled in primary and sec-
ondary education, of which 35% are female; the
Afghanistan and the international community basic package of health services is now at 87%
agreed on the Afghanistan Compact and national coverage, with immunization at 80%
signed the Paris Declaration on Aid Effective- coverage; more than 5 million Afghans have
ness in 1385 (2006) to improve the delivery and returned home; more than 12,200 km of roads
impact of external assistance. The Govern- have been rehabilitated or rebuilt, including the
ment’s aid strategy is in line with the major ring road; and in urban areas especially, pro-
principles of the Paris Declaration whereby (i)
partner countries own and exercise leadership
Aid Effectiveness and Coordination 157

fessional opportunities for women are begin- projects by both the Government and the
ning to increase. international community is vital in ensur-
ing development goals are met.
AID EFFECTIVENESS Good Governance: Good governance provides

the broad setting for development and the
STRATEGY FRAMEWORK quality of that governance will have a pro-
Experience in other countries has shown that found effect on development success and
external aid has in many cases, contributed to aid effectiveness.
economic growth, private sector development, Building Capacity: Enhanced capacity in both
and poverty reduction. The Government is the public and private sectors is critical to
strongly committed to making aid more effec- sustainable development. Past aid pro-
tive by working with donors to achieve the gramming often failed because it focused
benchmarks set out in the Paris Declaration on resource transfers by donors but did not
and the Afghanistan Compact. The Govern- provide enough support for local capacity
ment will continue to work to deepen the own- development to sustain these investments
ership and successful implementation of the after donors had withdrawn support.
ANDS. This will require the full cooperation
and assistance of the donor community. The Engaging Civil Society: Participatory proc-
motivation behind this commitment is simple: esses, particularly those that engage civil
the realization that making aid more effective society, are essential to establishing clear,
by reducing overlap, duplication and the ad- locally-owned priorities ensuring that aid
ministrative costs will have a significant im- is demand-driven, has maximum impact,
pact on increasing the benefits of aid in the and meets the needs of the poorest and
long term. most marginalized people in society.
The Government will continue to provide Aid Effectiveness Objectives: Key objec-
strong political backing for economic reforms tives are to increase aid effectiveness, maximize
through its support of the conditions attached the impact of international assistance and
to programs and projects by donors. This will achieve the following objectives: (i) improved
be strongly supported by the Government security and stability; (ii) reduced poverty; (iii)
where institutions and policies are weak and an enhanced environment for private sector
the policy environment is distorted. The Gov- development; (iv) further democratization of
ernment encourages program and project de- Afghan society in accordance with Islamic val-
signs that focus on creating and transmitting ues; and (v) increased social inclusion and
knowledge and building capacity. Over the equality. For the Government, aid is one of
ANDS period, post evaluation of all develop- most important tools in implementing the
ment projects will be undertaken, and will pro- ANDS.
vide valuable information on the lessons
learned as well as improve the future design of Expected Outcomes: The Government’s aid
development programs and projects. The Gov- effectiveness policies will achieve the following
ernment’s aid policies will be based on the fol- outcomes: (i) improved security and poverty
lowing principles: reduction; (ii) higher participation of the pri-
vate sector in the GDP and employment; (iii)
Maintaining Macroeconomic Stability: Sus- higher school enrolment and literacy; (iv)
tainable growth and poverty reduction greater social inclusion; (v) lower infant and
both require a sound and stable macroeco- maternal mortality; (vi) improved access to a
nomic framework. The Government will higher quality of public services, and (vii) im-
continue to improve its overall macroeco- proved human rights.
nomic framework by identifying and re-
moving structural rigidities and market Developing Priority Policies: Increasing aid
distortions to permit higher levels of eco- effectiveness is a joint effort by Government,
nomic growth. donors and agencies involved in the implemen-
tation of programs and projects. The Govern-
A Performance/Results-based Approach: with
ment will implement reforms that will lead to
improved monitoring , coordination and
greater transparency and absorption capacities.
evaluation of development programs and

Donors will be expected to undertake measures audit processes and agencies—had their roots
to improve aid delivery in line with the Paris in the desire of the Government to avoid earlier
Declaration. abuses of graft and political patronage.
Equally important will be the Government’s
Building Greater Ownership: The Govern- accountability to the Afghan people with re-
ment has demonstrated a genuine commitment gard to the expenditure of aid money, which
to lead the development process and make aid will be supported by the ongoing efforts of the
more effective by establishing the Afghanistan MoF to develop the Public Expenditure Finan-
Compact and signing the Paris Declaration in cial Accountability (PEFA) framework.
1385 (2006). Afghanistan’s long-term devel-
opment vision, as set out in the ANDS, identi- This process will be strengthened by: (i) deep-
fies and articulates national priorities in the ening the linkages between the ANDS, MTFF,
medium term. All assistance should be aligned MTB and in the future, with the MTEF; (ii) en-
with ANDS priorities as presented in the sector hancing the “budget literacy” of citizens and
strategies. To this end, the Ministry of Finance civil society organizations through engagement
will monitor the Government’s total aid portfo- in budget processes; (iii) support to civil society
lio and it will, in collaboration with line minis- organizations and downward accountability in
tries, encourage donors to channel their re- the context of decentralized service delivery;
sources in a manner that is consistent with the (iv) assessing the experience gained under the
principles of Islam, the Government’s Aid Pol- National Solidarity Program and the National
icy and the ANDS priorities. Rural Access Program and disseminating these
lessons; (v) regular reporting to National As-
Improving Public Finance Management: sembly and other public entities in how budg-
Although the tax system does not directly re- etary resources (core and external) are being
late to aid effectiveness, its further strengthen- spent; (vi) better communication with the pub-
ing will increase domestic revenues and the lic using the ANDS framework on plans, aid
Government’s potential to allocate more re- received, disbursed, outcomes and impact, and
sources to fund recurrent costs of donor- (vi) supporting civil society organizations and
funded projects. The tax system is in the proc- non-governmental organizations to ensure that
ess of being strengthened. Institutional capac- local governments are held accountable on how
ity for efficient tax collection will improve tax aid money is being spent to improve the peo-
administration at all levels. The Government’s ple’s welfare.
domestic revenue collection has significantly
improved, to the point where today it covers as Curbing Corruption: The drug trade, porous
much as 64 percent of recurrent expenditures. borders, and informal markets have led to in-
creased corruption in public institutions. The
Even though the Government is putting in Government is conscious of the fact that cor-
place increasingly effective public financial ruption and aid effectiveness are inversely cor-
management systems, it still faces major chal- related and is therefore committed to signifi-
lenges. The Government seeks cooperation cantly reducing corruption. Some of the meas-
from its development partners to channel more ures designed to improve anti-corruption in the
funds through the Core Budget, an important area of aid delivery include: (i) increase pub-
step for enhancing financial management sys- licly available information about donor aid
tems. The capacity to implement the Devel- provision at the national and provincial levels;
opment Budget more efficiently will improve, (ii) harmonization of donor support around the
resulting in a higher donor contribution to the Government’s anti-corruption strategy as pre-
overall Core Budget. The Government’s target scribed in the ANDS; (iii) increase donor sup-
is for 75 percent of aid to be channeled through port for preventive action based on corruption
the core budget. vulnerability assessments of specific processes
and actions by government departments and
Major public administration reforms being im- agencies, and (iv) eliminate the narcotics indus-
plemented or planned—such as the introduc- try in a manner that provides alternative
tion of a merit-based civil service system, and sources of income to the farmers.
professional management of government min-
istries and departments, or the creation of a The Government has also passed the Public
more formalized budget, procurement, and Finance Management Law, Procurement Law,

and the Auditing and Accounting Law, and systems across the different layers of Govern-
will ensure that these laws and regulations are ment.
implemented and enforced diligently. As cor-
ruption is one of the main causes of ineffective Funds disbursed through the external budget
aid delivery, the Government will address this often have high transaction costs, particularly
issue in an affirmative manner to win the trust, those funds disbursed to stand alone projects.
confidence and continued support of the donor As highlighted in the Afghan Economic Impact
community. study, the greatest local economic impact is
obtained when resources are provided directly
Improve information on aid flows and to the Government (local impact around 85
predictability: Incomplete Official Develop- percent) compared to funds provided to inter-
ment Assistance (ODA) reporting to the Gov- national companies (less than 20 percent) to
ernment, including reporting on the activities carry out projects. Where funds are disbursed
of Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs), through the external budget their economic
civil society organizations and the international impact is maximized when spending is on lo-
NGOs has limited transparency and hindered cally procured goods and services.
the Government’s ability to monitor and man-
age external assistance. This information is To manage its own resource allocation in an
critical to planning and budgeting processes as effective manner and ensure maximum align-
well as to the execution of the development ment with national priorities, the Government
budget. The MoF expects that the ongoing will require that information on all activities
Paris Declaration Survey will improve informa- financed under parallel funding mechanisms
tion about the aid flows. be communicated to the MoF in a timely man-
ner. Donors who are implementing parallel
Additionally, a lack of multi-year commitments funds are encouraged to show flexibility in
by development partners has made it difficult aligning their projects with ANDS sector
for the Government to plan for the medium to strategies and having definite time-lines for
long-term allocation of resources to national eventually bringing such assistance on-budget.
priorities. Consequently, it has been difficult to
obtain a complete picture of external assistance Prior to the allocation of resources for parallel
to Afghanistan. funding, there should be consultation with the
Government through existing consultation
The conduct of the Financial Reviews and the mechanisms (CGs, WGs, Aid Effectiveness CG
implementation of the Harmonized Reporting and JCMB). This will help improve aid coordi-
Format since Mizan 1386 (October 2007) will nation, management, mobilization and effec-
enable the Government to access comprehen- tiveness. The Government’s aid policy calls for
sive and coordinated information on aid flows the reduction of parallel funding mechanisms
as well as highlight the problems and issues through the gradual integration of these
that impede project implementation, and im- mechanisms within the Government’s budget
provements in aid management. and a policy of “no pinching of Government
staff” by other stakeholders.
Reducing High Transaction Costs and
Parallel Funding Mechanisms: Even Reducing Tied Aid: A significant proportion
though significant progress has been made in of aid provided to Afghanistan is still tied to
terms of aligning external resources and priori- donor countries. That is, many donors procure
ties of the ANDS a number of challenges still imported goods, mostly from their own coun-
remain. For instance, a significant proportion tries, and import their own labor force to Af-
of external resources provided are still being ghanistan rather than hire local workers to
routed directly to projects by donors. Funds work on their projects. According to the 1385
channeled through the Core Budget, by means (2006) Baseline Survey of the Paris Declaration
of pooled funding modalities, including the on Aid Effectiveness, 56 percent of aid is “tied”
Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund in Afghanistan. This indicates that a large per-
(ARTF), Law and Order Trust Fund for Af- centage of aid is effectively spent on technical
ghanistan (LOTFA) and Counter Narcotics assistance from donor countries, and is not
Trust Fund (CNFT) will be fully integrated into necessarily consistent with or aligned to the
national planning and resource accountability ANDS. Rebuilding Afghanistan, creating jobs,

and reducing poverty requires strong local enhance co-ordination between national and
economies and “untied” aid. One of the main sub-national priorities.
reasons for the slow revival of the economy is
the conditions attached to donor funding. In Improving donor coordination: The ANDS
order to help Afghanistan achieve its develop- sets the framework for improving donor coor-
ment goals, the local impact of aid must be in- dination in line with the Paris Declaration,
creased. The Government would like to en- which recommends greater alignment between
courage donors to use more locally produced ODA and the ANDS. Based on this, the Gov-
goods as well as local implementing agencies to ernment will strongly recommend to donors
promote greater private sector development that their programs and the development of
and employment. their Country Assistance Strategies and Joint
Donors Response (JDR) be harmonized with
Simplifying Aid Management Procedures ANDS priorities to reduce the risk of duplica-
and Introducing More Flexible Condi- tion and poor alignment and increase coordina-
tionality: Both the Government and donors tion and harmonization.
should aim to further simplify their processes
and procedures for implementation of pro- The donor implementing agencies (NGOs) will
grams and projects to avoid unnecessary de- need to increase their cooperation with line
lays. Simplification of processes and proce- ministries to ensure that future donor-funded
dures, albeit with safeguards in place to mini- programs and projects support implementation
mize corruption which would enable the Gov- of the ANDS. The JCMB, CGs and the WGs
ernment to manage the development process will remain the primary mechanisms for Gov-
more smoothly and allow donors to allocate ernment-donor dialogue and consultation.
more resources to the reconstruction of Af-
ghanistan. Excessive conditionality attached to Future Government /donor cooperation needs
foreign assistance should be avoided at all to be based on the principle of mutual account-
costs. At the same time, simplified processes ability. Furthermore, benchmarks will be de-
and procedures must ensure that there is no veloped to measure progress against commit-
corresponding increase in fiduciary risk. Safe- ments on both sides. For its part, the Govern-
guards for donor funds have often involved ment remains committed to: (i) improving ex-
special implementation arrangements that by- isting coordination mechanisms; (ii) increasing
pass mainstream Government systems. How- collection of domestic revenues, and (iii) in-
ever, the fiduciary security derived from sepa- creasing absorption capacity, allowing for
rate controls and “ring-fencing” of aid funds higher migration of the donor resources from
has limits. Earmarking of funds is not a guar- the External to the Core Budgets (especially in
antee against fungiblility; separate controls do dealing with large sums of external funds). In
not address (and may worsen) the underlying return, the Government expects that the donor
weaknesses of public finance management, external funding will be in line with the ANDS
while the costs of complying with such safe- priorities.
guards may reduce the value of aid received.
Increasing the Volume and Conces-
Improving Inter-Government Coopera-
sionality of Donor Assistance
tion: Inter-Government coordination is an im-
portant precondition for increasing the impact Significant investments are required to achieve
of international assistance. The ANDS will the MDGs and benchmarks, and the effective
provide the basis for improved inter-ministerial implementation of the ANDS. The amount of
cooperation. Based on the sector strategies. money pledged per head for Afghanistan’s re-
inter-ministerial committees will be established construction is still low in comparison to
to support implementation of the ANDS. Gov- pledges made previously to other post-conflict
ernment agencies will be responsible for im- countries, such as Bosnia and Herzegovina.
plementation of the ANDS and arbitrary prior- More appropriate levels of aid, accurately re-
ity setting by ministries outside of the agreed- flecting the needs of Afghanistan, are need.
upon ANDS service delivery framework will
be heavily discouraged., Central CGs will work Even though Afghanistan received debt relief
closely with provincial coordination offices to under the Paris Club initiative, the challenge

will be to ensure that Afghanistan’s external Improved Communication with the
debt will reach the completion point for Heav- General Public
ily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC). Despite
this, the majority of all future donor aid should The perception of aid effectiveness has been
be delivered in the form of grants, with a very hampered because of a failure to meet the pub-
limited amount of lending under favorable lic’s expectations and the high demand for re-
concessional terms. sources. The Government will improve com-
munication in order to better manage expecta-
In order to increase investment while keeping tions and provide transparent information
debt at sustainable levels, the Government about aid delivery.
needs to mobilize significant additional re-
sources. At the same time, it is also important
Ensuring Proper Coverage of Mainte-
to address the Government’s absorption limits
through well coordinated and executed nance Costs
TA/Capacity Building programs. If these lim- A number of development projects already suf-
its are not simultaneously addressed, it will be fer from lack of planning for maintenance costs.
futile to seek increases in the level of develop- This has damaged both project sustainability
ment assistance, even though the development and aid effectiveness. Both the Government
needs of Afghanistan remains large. In parallel and donors will improve planning to ensure
with this the Government will implement re- that maintenance cost funding is included in
forms that will lead to higher mobilization of project implementation.
domestic revenues in order to ensure fiscal sus-
tainability in the long run and decrease aid de-
pendence. IMPLEMENTATION AND
MONITORING
Improving the Management of Tech- The MoF is the leading government institution
nical Assistance (TA) for aid effectiveness issues. The Aid Coordina-
tion Unit (ACU), within the Budget Depart-
Afghanistan is a large recipient of technical
ment, is responsible for most issues surround-
assistance. Over the ANDS period, the Gov-
ing the delivery and monitoring of external
ernment will ensure that technical assistance
assistance. The Government’s aid policies lay
will be demand-driven and aimed at building
out preferred modalities for the delivery of de-
Government capacity. In addition, it will en-
velopment assistance; how it views the role of
sure that it is delivered in a coordinated man-
other stakeholders, such as NGOs and provin-
ner. All technical assistance channeled outside
cial reconstruction teams (PRTs) in the aid de-
the Core Budget should have capacity building
livery process; its external debt policy, and how
components and require Afghan counterparts.
it proposes to enhance its partnership with all
Technical Assistance must focus on developing
donors.
systems and procedures that local staff can util-
ize to perform their daily duties. Each TA
should have an exit strategy as well. All terms Preferred Aid Modalities
of reference for TA must recognize this as the
The Government prefers core budget support
ultimate objective of such assistance. The Gov-
(direct budget support). This modality gives
ernment will develop a policy for dealing with
the Government greater ownership and enables
the TA to ensure higher coordination and de-
it to more effectively allocate resources based
livery of assistance in line with Government
on needs and priorities. Direct budget support
priorities and improved effectiveness. The se-
also strengthens the Government’s financial
lection process needs to favor foreign advisers
management systems by providing hands-on
that have proven records in capacity building.
experience to those involved in managing and
Finally, international advisers should always
monitoring the core budget. More aid in the
encourage local ownership and despite the
form of budget support would also simplify
weak capacity, should avoid being involved in
administration and reduce overheads.
decision making processes.
The Government is aware that an External
Budget, as well as PRTs’ budget lines will con-

tinue to exist; however, it will seek to transfer with ANDS priorities and conduct their busi-
more funds to the Core Budget. In addition, ness according to the NGO Law and other rele-
the Government expects that future implemen- vant legislation covering CSOs.
tation of the programs and projects from the
donor-funded External Budget and the PRTs The NGOs and the CSOs will be required to
budget lines will be strictly in line with the improve their reporting systems and provide
ANDS priorities. accurate and timely information on their de-
velopment activities through the Harmonized
Channeling aid through already established Reporting Form. However, the Government
trust funds (ARTF, LOFTA, CNTF) would be remains committed to improving the reporting
the second preferred option as this would per- mechanism by introducing greater simplicity
mit the Government to access these funds on an and increasing compliance as well as removing
as-needed basis. The Government also prefers unnecessary barriers to their effective opera-
to see a progressive decline in non- tion.
discretionary budget support, which distorts
the allocation of Government spending across
sectors and weakens the Government’s role in
Improving Cooperation with Provin-
determining its financing priorities. Ffor this to cial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs)
happen, continuous progress will need to be The Government recognizes the important role
made in fighting corruption and implementing that the PRTs play in supporting the sub-
public administration reforms. Finally, the national governments. Given this, the Gov-
Government prefers that donor funds be ernment would encourage the PRTs to assist in
pooled rather than earmarked for individual the implementation of priority projects through
projects. Pooling of donor funds also signifi- the Provincial Development Plans (PDPs), in
cantly reduces the duplication of effort and line with national priorities (ANDS). In order
leads to better coordination, management, and to avoid duplication, all PRTs will need to re-
effectiveness of aid, especially with respect to port their activities to the Government through
technical assistance grants. the Harmonized Reporting Form.
The Government will not support provision of

assistance in the form of donor preferred and Securing Debt Relief under the HIPC
designed projects based on needs assessment Initiative
performed solely by donors with little or no
Since receiving debt relief under the Paris Club
consultation with the Government. The ap-
negotiations, Afghanistan has become eligible
proval of the ANDS provides the framework
for additional debt relief under the HIPC. The
for priority aid delivery for Government minis-
Government will continue with the implemen-
tries and agencies and donors.
tation of the PRGF. Moreover, the successful
implementation of the ANDS will be one of the
Improving Cooperation with Civil So- main drivers in achieving HIPC requirements
ciety Organizations (CSOs) and securing debt relief.
Both local and international CSOs active in Af-

ghanistan play crucial and diverse roles in de- Enhancing strategic partnership
livering development assistance to the Afghan The Government’s aid policy aims to
public. Generally, the CSOs mobilize public strengthen its partnership with donors by en-
support and voluntary contributions for aid; couraging information sharing and policy dia-
they often have strong links with community logue at both sectoral and program levels. In
groups and often work in areas where govern- addition, the Government’s policy will encour-
ment-to-government aid is not possible. Given age the launching of joint analytical projects
their important contribution to the improve- between the Government and donors. That is,
ment of the welfare of rural and remote com- the Government will develop agreements—in
munities, the Government will ensure that it the form of Memoranda of Understanding—
adopts a supportive approach vis-à-vis the with all donors in which rights, mutual obliga-
work of the CSOs. The Government however, tions and accountabilities are clearly identified.
will encourage CSOs to align their assistance

The following lessons learned will be imple- port will be required. Of course, building a
mented across all consultative structures and more prosperous Afghanistan is a task shared
platforms to ensure an effective dialogue: by the people, the Government and the interna-
tional community. This joint effort should be
All CG Working Groups will remain focused viewed in the context of the common benefits
on results, with time-bound action plans that will accrue to the Afghan people and the
and clearly defined targets and milestones. international community, beginning with a re-
duction in the threat posed by terrorism and
Government and donors will improve their
drugs. With proper support, Afghanistan will
representation to ensure that only repre-
emerge as a stable and growing economy in the
sentatives with adequate technical exper-
region, cooperating with its neighbors for mu-
tise will take part in consultations.
tual prosperity, and finally at peace with its
The efficiency of the Consultative Group meet- self, the region and the world.
ings will be maximized. The ministries and
agencies chairing the meetings will estab- The successful implementation of the ANDS
lish secretariats that include the participa- continues to depend on securing the required
tion of technical people from the leading levels of the donor assistance. It has been
donor agencies. widely acknowledged that achievement of the
Afghanistan MDGs cannot be accomplished
Helping the Government achieve development
with current levels of international support. At
objectives and implementing the ANDS
the same time, it is known that success depends
will be main priorities for donors replacing
on the Government and donors’ ability to in-
a donor-driven policy agenda.
crease aid effectiveness and efficiency. Gov-
Where necessary, joint Government/Donor ernment policies based on the ANDS provide a
sub-groups should be formed on specific good framework for achieving this goal. How-
issues to improve efficiency. ever, both the Government and donors will
have to do more to improve aid delivery
mechanisms and efficiency if we are to bring
CONCLUSION more tangible changes to the life of ordinary
The Government and the people of Afghani- Afghans. The Government is accountable to
stan are grateful to the international commu- the Afghan people and the National Assembly
nity for its timely and much needed assistance. on how aid is spent. The Government is com-
For Afghanistan to shift from recovery-related mitted to do its part to ensure the successful
growth to long-term sustainable development, implementation of the Paris Declaration and
additional, continued and efficient donor sup- their support of the Government’s policies and
strategies

PART IV
IMPLEMENTATION
AND MONITORING
CHAPTER 10
IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORK
The implementation framework for the ANDS that are at its core. In practical terms, any iden-
is based on an integrated approach that will be tified national priority (e.g. CNTF, food and
structured to address the three interdependent agriculture, governance) should be given pol-
pillars of (i) security: (ii) governance, rule of icy attention by the Oversight Committee prior
law and human rights; and (iii) economic and to obtaining overall approval and direction
social development, and five cross-cutting is- from the Cabinet. This process would then
sues. Stabilizing conditions in Afghanistan will lead to the development of a national program,
require continuing security operations in com- which would be introduced both to the Na-
bination with the implementation of the rule of tional Assembly and to donors as part of the
law and credible sub-national governance. It national budget process.
will require universal access to delivery of ba-
sic services, in particular education, road infra- An integrated approach makes it easier for the
structure and health, throughout the country. Government to meet challenges in a dynamic
political context with multiple stakeholders,
Figure 10.1 Implementation cycle internal and external risks, and evolving secu-
rity challenges. A major key to success is to
ensure effective coordination with the interna-
tional community. However, the functioning
of these institutions needs to be improved and
their capacity further developed. This chapter
outlines: (i) lessons learned; (ii) the principles
of an integrated approach; (iii) budget man-
agement; (iv) the necessary institutional
framework arrangements; (iv) the coordination
framework; and (v) integrating conflict man-
agement into sector strategies.
LESSONS LEARNED DURING

THE INTERIM ANDS
The country’s development efforts in recent
Implementation of the ANDS will be based on
years have highlighted the following con-
an integrated approach to these challenges,
straints on effective implementation:
uniting Government, the international commu-
nity, civil society and the private sector in sup-
Fiscal Sustainability: Government revenue is
port of common goals, shared policies and joint
not sustainable, with recurrent financing needs
programs. The integrated approach takes as its
met by contributions by donors.
point of departure the requirement that all ac-
tors not only accept a shared vision of devel- Lack of Capacity: The capacity of Government,
opment and stabilization, as expressed in the private sector and civil society remains weak.
Afghanistan Compact and the ANDS, but also
to jointly plan and deliver on this vision. This Low Aid Volume and Low Disbursement:
process must conform to the National Budget Despite generous pledges, Afghanistan has not
approval process and the national programs
Implementation Framework 167

received the same per capita commitment as (through the Ministry of Interior, MCN, IDLG
other post-conflict states. and Ministry of Economy). This new capacity
will itself require a program approach.
Weak Aid Coordination and Effectiveness:
Despite the Afghanistan Compact and JCMB, The sector strategies and the implementation
the external budget has remained dominant, framework are premised on the application of
limiting coordination. the following principles:
Enhancing Provincial Equity and Poverty Enhance the Medium Term Budget Frame-
Targeting: Unequal provincial development work, maintain fiscal sustainability, adopt
and a failure to target vulnerability using sector-wide approaches and build upon
NRVA data remain endemic. Provincial Development Planning.
Strengthen links between Kabul and the prov-
Private Sector Capacities: Inadequate attention
inces and support the resolution of con-
has been given by the Government and donors
flicts.
alike to the enabling environment for private
sector growth. Target basic and essential services and social
protection through national programs.
Donor Alignment: Despite sector strategies
Enhance budget prioritization, sequencing, aid
and national programs, donor efforts have re-
effectiveness and provincial equity.
mained fragmented, and there has been poor
coordination and reporting as well as pro- Enhance private sector engagement to improve
grammatic and provincial biases. competitiveness.
Focus on productive infrastructure develop-
Conflict Sensitivity: Development programs to
ment.
date have not ensured conflict sensitivity has
been mainstreamed into all development pro- Improve security through governance, rule of
grams. law and regional cooperation.
Meet PRGF and HIPC requirements.
Management of Complexity: Both the Gov-
ernment and donors are faced with complex Improve government and civil society capacity
policy and delivery challenges that require a through a human capital strategy.
concerted and coordinated effort.
Enhance poverty and economic growth
through diagnostic monitoring and impact
IMPLEMENTATION evaluation.
FRAMEWORK AND The proposed implementation and coordina-
INTEGRATED APPROACH tion framework outlined below balances the
need for coordination between the Government
The Government will integrate the national
and donors as well as for provincial based for-
budgetary process, legislative agenda and pro-
mulation and execution capacities to enhance
gram delivery simultaneously. This will re-
service delivery. This will require improved
quire development partners and donors to
coordination between the Government and
align their efforts with ANDS priorities and
various stakeholders.
activities through joint planning and evalua-
tion. The Government will concentrate on inte-
grating and delivering donor-supported pro- IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
grams that achieve the ANDS goals of: (i) sta-
bility; (ii) delivery of basic services and infra-
AND THE ANDS
structure; and (iii) enabling a vibrant national IMPLEMENTATION CYCLE
economy.
This integration will require a strengthening of Implementation Mechanism

Government machinery both at the centre The ANDS sector strategies will be imple-
(OAA, NSC, Ministry of Finance, IARCSC and mented through national programs that will
JCMB Secretariat) and at the sub-national level generate results at the local level, and be syn-

chronized with national and provincial budget- plementation of the ANDS, contributing to job
ing and legislative and evaluation cycles. The creation, infrastructure development and reve-
main instruments for the implementation will nue mobilization. The private sector contribu-
be the Budget and private sector. tion to the country’s development was one of
the criteria for the Government’s expenditure
The medium term budget expenditures of the prioritization framework (see Table 10.5). It is
Core Budget will support implementation of expected that the private sector will play a
the national programs that will be aligned with leading role in the implementation of ANDS
the ANDS priorities. This will be reflected in priorities in a number of sectors, such as: ICT,
the Medium Term Financial Framework mining and natural resources, agriculture, pri-
(MTFF). Based on the Paris Declaration, the vate sector development and others.
donors will be asked to implement programs
and projects from the External and the PRT Together these processes comprise the inte-
budgets in line with the ANDS. The existing grated ANDS implementation process. To sup-
JCMB coordination mechanism will be used to port this process, institutions will be strength-
ensure this. The ongoing activities of the MoF ened and capacities built within the central
to cost sector strategies and develop the pro- Government and at the sub-national level.
gram and provincial budgeting will enhance High priority will also be given to skill devel-
the process of implementation of the ANDS opment programs to meet the needs of the pri-
through the Government and donor funded vate sector and increase employment. This se-
budgets. quencing of priorities is illustrated in Figure
10.2.
Apart from the budget, the private sector is
expected to play an important role in the im-
Figure 10.2. Sequencing of priorities for an integrated approach
IMPLEMENTATION CYCLE Based on the costing and prioritization of sector

strategies, the Public Investment Program (PIP)
Following the approval of the Government, the will enable the full integration of the ANDS
ANDS will be submitted to the World Bank into the Medium-Term Fiscal Framework and
and International Monetary Fund and pre- the Budget and its presentation to the National
sented to the international community, outlin- Assembly. This will be accomplished by Jaddi
ing the ANDS funding requirements. 1387 (end-2008).
Because the Budget is the central tool for im- The first ANDS Progress Report will be pre-
plementing the ANDS, all line ministries and pared by end-1387 (March 2009). Following the
agencies will develop and align their national Government’s approval of the Progress Report,
programs and projects with the ANDS Sector it will be presented to the World Bank and IMF
Strategies, which will then be costed and priori- (within the context of reaching the HIPC com-
tized against the fiscal framework. pletion point). This review process will also be
used to continually strengthen and adjust pol-

icy and program delivery throughout the pe- policy correction and adjustments following
riod of implementation. the completion of the period envisaged for the
implementation of the Afghanistan Compact.
Based on progress and evaluation reports the
ANDS Review/Update will be completed by The implementation of the ANDS is summa-
mid-1389 (September 2010). This will allow for rized in Figure 10.3.
Figure 10.3. ANDS Implementation Cycle
the budget formulation and execution process,

ROLE OF THE NATIONAL as outlined in Figure 10.4 below.55
BUDGET AND THE MTFF
The Budget is the funding mechanism through
which ANDS policy will be implemented. High
levels of insecurity have meant that the costs of
many development and reconstruction activi-
ties have been dramatically increased. This has
led to fragmentation of the policy development
process, lower levels of aid effectiveness and a
failure to effectively utilize the national budg-
etary process as an effective tool for coordina-
tion and prioritization.
Strengthening the role of the Budget as the in-

55
strument of national policy is critical to the im- The Budget is currently divided into two major components;
the Core Budget, controlled by the Government; and, the External
plementation of the ANDS. An integrated ap- Budget, which includes Provincial Reconstruction Team Civil
proach will rely on the Budget as its principal and Military Cooperation funds, provided and controlled by each
vehicle for delivering stabilization and devel- donor individually. The Core Budget includes both Operational
and Development components, 60% of which is donor provided
opment results. All public expenditures aimed and the remaining 40% of which comes from National revenues.
at enhancing economic growth and reducing The Government is committed to getting to the stage where the
poverty are formulated and executed through total Budget is Core, and is funded from nationally generated
revenues, but acknowledges that it will take some time to accom-
plish this goal. The near-term objectives therefore are to gain
Core Operational Budget self sufficiency as soon as possible, and
in the mean time to move as much External Budget into the Core
Budget Management Framework as practicable.

By committing to funding national programs planning stage and utilized to develop context-
according to ANDS priorities, the international specific approaches. The integrated approach
community will ensure that its assistance is will also set the conditions for external budget
leveraged to bring stability to the Government funds to be more easily aligned with the
planning cycle. The integrated approach to ANDS; if the capacity to design and deliver
planning and implementation will ensure that national programs is successfully increased, the
priorities and potential synergies (across na- proportion of assistance delivered through the
tional programs as well as across the pub- external budget will begin to decline.
lic/private sector divide) are identified at the
Figure 10.4. Annual Budget Formulations and Execution Process
A forward-looking partnership between Af- The Government’s current approach is based

ghanistan and the international community is on programmatic budgeting. This will help
needed to ensure that external aid is managed ensure that the Budget is: realistic; based on
in line with the ANDS and recommendations sector strategies; has measured and unambigu-
of the Paris Declaration. The implementation of ous budget management guidelines that reflect
the ANDS will depend upon the donors to im- improved Government capacities; involves key
plement more programs and projects through stakeholders (including sub-national bodies
the Core Budget. As mentioned, effective im- based on provincial development plans); is
plementation will require that those programs transparent, with relevant, accurate and timely
and projects funded through the External information provided to decision makers, in-
Budgets and the PRTs be aligned with ANDS cluding the National Assembly and the public
priorities. This approach will also require: (i) at large; is accountable through internal and
enhanced Government ownership of the devel- external audits.
opment process; (ii) more effective public ex-
penditure management; (iii) an increased focus Control of on-Budget resources is being
on outcomes and service delivery; (iv) greater strengthened through fundamental reforms of
harmonization between Government and do- the Public Finance Management (PFM) system,
nor policies, and (v) more mutual accountabil- including procurement, accounting, reporting,
ity between the Government and the interna- auditing, and other systems of accountability.
tional community. The ANDS presents the strategic orientation

within which future resource utilization will be toral frameworks will depend on an appropri-
determined. Specific emphases will include: ate enabling legal frameworks, institutional
capacity, infrastructure, human resources,
Strengthening Aggregate Fiscal Discipline: technical assistance, finance, baseline data and
Government will aim to: (i) increase the reve- data management systems, risk management
nue to GDP ratio; (ii) reduce the ratio of operat- strategies, and standard audit and PFM proce-
ing expenditures to revenues, and (iii) make dures.
progress according to fiscal targets established
through the MTFF. Further Integrate Existing Trust Funds and
PRTs into the Budgetary Process: Efforts will
Enhancing Resource Allocation and Utiliza- continue to incorporate the Afghan Reconstruc-
tion Based on Strategic Priorities: Currently, tion Trust Fund (ARTF), Law and Order Trust
the Ministry of Finance uses program budget- Fund (LOTFA) and the Counter Narcotics
ing in key sectors and ministries. This activity Trust Fund (CNTF) into the budgetary process.
will expand to include all ministries, which will This will ensure that these trust funds contrib-
significantly support the integrated approach. ute to the effectiveness of sector wide ap-
Budgetary proposals will be examined on the proaches. To the maximum extent possible,
basis of their alignment to the ANDS policies. appropriations will be made through the treas-
Criteria specific to the following elements will ury system.
need to be met:
Integrate Budgetary Processes with Cabinet-
Rationale: Does this project require public sec- level Policy-making and Legislative Planning:
tor finance? Does the project directly ad- The linkages among policy-making, planning
dress poverty reduction, economic growth and budgeting will be strengthened to promote
or contribute to easing tensions in the more results-based performance management.
communities? Does the project address Medium-term expenditure priorities will re-
cross-cutting issues such as gender? ceive expedited treatment in the cabinet policy-
making and legislative processes. Program and
Cost-effectiveness: Have multi-year cost im-
provincial budgeting will provide multi-year
plications (sustainability) and the least-cost
budget proposals which integrate recurrent
alternative been identified, including
and capital expenditures. These processes will
through competitive bidding?
also integrate the Provincial Development
Benefit-cost: Have the benefits (including eco- Plans (PDPs) and address any provincial or
nomic, social and environmental) been regional imbalances.
quantified and do they exceed the costs? Is
the rate of return on expenses sufficient to Tracking of Poverty-related Spending: Evalu-
justify expenditure? ating the effects of public spending on poverty
reduction will be enhanced by tracking of pov-
Risk mitigation: Do project management ca-
erty related spending within the framework of
pacities exist to allow successful project
the future monitoring mechanism. The JCMB
implementation within the time frames?
Secretariat will take lead on this in cooperation
Have risks been identified and are they ac-
with the MoF, CSO and line ministries.
ceptable?
Supporting Greater Efficiency and Effective- ROLE OF THE MTFF

ness in the Delivery of Services: The Govern-
ment will expedite the procurement of services, The three year Medium Term Fiscal Frame-
labor and supplies. work (MTFF) will continue to provide the re-
source framework. The MTFF allows the Gov-
Implement Sector Wide Approaches and Na- ernment to put in place an affordable, realistic
tional Programs56: The success of these sec-
(SIP). SWAPs are considered by Government to be a tool for

56
In particular, a well-defined and operational PRS is a prerequi- donor co-ordination, to reduce the administrative burden of the
site for the development for the proposed Sector Wide Ap- individual project approach to donor funding and ensure that
proaches (SWAPs). SWAPs involve all stakeholders (including there is a unified strategy for the sector, with no overlapping or
Government, donors and NGOs) committing to using their re- contradictory activities by different actors.
sources in the sector only through the Sector Investment Program

and sustainable medium-term fiscal framework BUDGET MANAGEMENT
to ensure: (i) transparency in setting fiscal ob-
jectives; (ii) stability in fiscal policy-making FRAMEWORK, PRIORITI-
process, and (iii) efficiency in design and im- ZATION AND FUNDING
plementation of fiscal policies. REQUIREMENTS FOR THE
The MTFF will be an essential planning tool to IMPLEMENTATION OF THE
implement ANDS and evaluate the impacts of
its policies. Through the MTFF the ANDS pri-
ANDS
orities will be considered in yearly budgeting: The Medium Term Fiscal Framework and sec-
within the limits of the capacity, the MTFF will tor wide programming and costing will: (i)
ensure that the ANDS implementation will be strengthen realistic resource projections; (ii)
coordinated with the Budget preparations. NEED VERB sectoral prioritization; (iii) sup-
Based on this, the MoF plans to embark on the port fiscal sustainability, and (iv) develop
process of developing the Medium-Term Ex- budget ceilings for all budget entities. Table
penditure Framework (MTEF) to strengthen 10.5 (below) provides a high level sectoral
the Government’s capacity for expenditure overview of projected costs for the period 1386
planning. to 1391 (2007-2012).
As mentioned, the implementation of the

ROLE OF THE CONTROL AND ANDS will be aligned with the Government’s
AUDIT OFFICE (CAO) commitments to the PRGF and HIPC. The Gov-
ernment expenditure prioritization framework
The role of the Control and Audit Office (CAO)
will ensure that proper resource allocation will
will be strengthened to provide oversight of the
be made to support implementation of these
expenditure functions of core spending minis-
commitments and, if necessary, appropriate
tries. However, given the CAO’s current weak
adjustments will be made.
capacity, the MoF will assume these responsi-
bilities in the short term.
Table 10.5. Projected Operating and Development Spending (US$ m) 1387-1391 (2008-2012)57
1387 1388 1389 1390 1391 Total
Sector
US$m US$m US$m US$m US$m US$m
Security 3219 2585 2679 2790 2906 14179
Infrastructure and Natural Resources 1781 3093 3681 4180 4451 17185
Agriculture and Rural Development 829 921 916 909 912 4486
Education and Culture 742 893 980 1077 1181 4872
Good Governance, Rule of Law and Hu- 374 558 640 685 728 2985
man Rights
Health and Nutrition 325 465 530 563 595 2478
Economic Governance & PSD 237 215 230 244 260 1186
Social Protection 192 359 394 421 449 1815
Others 205 198 185 170 157 915
Total 7,903 9,286 10,236 11,038 11,637 50,100
57
Source: Ministry of Finance, Month 1387 (April 2008)

The total estimated cost of the ANDS over the port directly to the President and the Cabinet
next five years (1387-1391/2008-2012) is $50.1 on its progress.58
billion. Of this amount the Government will
contribute $6.8 billion; external assistance is MoF will ensure that the programs and projects
expected to be $43.2 billion. of the line Ministries will be costed and priori-
tized against the fiscal framework, and se-
quenced and integrated into the MTFF and the
NATIONAL Budget.
IMPLEMENTATION
STRUCTURES SUB-NATIONAL
At the national level, the following structures IMPLEMENTATION
link policy, planning, budgeting and monitor-
ing of the ANDS:
STRUCTURES
At the sub-national level, the following struc-
To facilitate coordination, 17 Inter-Ministerial tures are to be established to enhance the link
Committees (IMCs) will be established, each between policy making, planning, and imple-
responsible for overseeing the implementation mentation of the PDPs, budgeting and monitor-
of an ANDS sector strategy. The membership ing:
of these bodies will include the Ministers from
those Ministries with responsibility in the par- The Independent Department for Local Gov-
ticular sector. The IMCs will report regularly ernance (IDLG), under the President’s Office,
to the President and Cabinet and to the JCMB will be responsible for the overall coordination
through the Oversight Committee. The IMCs of local governance; all provincial governors
will be coordinated by the ANDS Oversight will report to it on the progress of the imple-
Committee and supported by the JCMB Secre- mentation of the ANDS.
tariat.
At the provincial level, the Provincial Councils,
The line ministries and other Government Provincial Development Committees and Pro-
agencies will be responsible for the implemen- vincial Governors will be directly involved in
tation of the ANDS (program and projects) the implementation of the ANDS. The provin-
with support from the Ministry of Finance, In- cial departments of the line ministries will be
dependent Administrative Reform and Civil responsible for implementation of the sub-
Service Commission (IARCSC) and interna- national projects. At district and community
tional partners. levels the District and Community Develop-
ment Councils (DDCs, CDCs) will continue to
The National Assembly will be responsible for play key role in implementation of the com-
legislating an enabling environment for secu- munity level projects under the overall leader-
rity, economic growth and poverty reduction. ship of the Wuluswal, the district administra-
Parliamentarians and committees are already tor.
actively engaged in the formulation of the
ANDS.
As the highest level decision-making body, The 58

This mechanism has been very effective for formulation of
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for Afghanistan, devel-
Council of Ministers, headed by the President,, opment of Afghanistan Compact and Interim Afghanistan Na-
will oversee progress and provide overall pol- tional Development Strategy (I-ANDS), prioritization of various
icy guidance and direction under existing legis- programs and projects, and approval of policies and decisions.
The effectiveness of this mechanism is supplemented by the fact
lation. that the Senior Economic Advisor to the President is also a co-
chair of the Joint Coordination and Monitoring Board (JCMB),
The ANDS Oversight Committee, a high-level which is mainly responsible for coordination between the gGov-
ernment and the international community. The members of the
body comprised of senior ministers, will over- Oversight Committee are also members of JCMB. This mecha-
see the implementation of the ANDS and re- nism will be a very important implementation mechanism for
ANDS because of its past experience, criticality and positioning.

COORDINATION trywide. This insecurity is preventing the im-
plementation of development projects in sev-
STRUCTURES eral areas of the country. The impact of conflict
The Government and the international com- and violence on development efforts will be
munity have established the Joint Coordination more comprehensively addressed in the im-
and Monitoring Board (JCMB), with responsi- plementation of the programs and projects. The
bility for overall strategic coordination and conflict evaluation mechanism will be estab-
monitoring of the implementation of the Af- lished within the existing monitoring struc-
ghanistan Compact. tures, ensuring conflict and risks are built into
aid and development programs. However, a
Consultative Groups (CGs) will continue to proper diagnosis will be part of program and
play an important role in coordinating the ef- project preparations.
forts of the Government and donors in imple-
menting development programs and projects. The Central Monitoring and Reporting System
The CGs will be an important forum for im- (CMRS)59 will conduct specific assessment and
proving aid coordination, policy and imple- analysis with the goal of integrating conflict
mentation dialogue, and ensuring alignment of awareness and sensitivity into all areas of de-
donor programs with the ANDS. Each CG is velopment assistance to ensure that develop-
co-chaired by the Minister of Finance and a ment programs will neither erode stability nor
relevant member of the Oversight Committee. increase conflict. Finally, conflict awareness
Line Ministry representatives and other repre- and peace-promoting initiatives will be incor-
sentatives selected by the co-chairs are respon- porated into reconstruction and development
sible for the substantive work of the CGs, as- assistance, and special attention will be paid to
sisted by the Secretariat. ensure that development programs do not dis-
turb cultural values or beliefs.
Working Groups (WGs) have been established
for each sector, and where necessary are sup-
ported by sub-working groups. They will re- CONCLUSION
main the key forum through which line Minis- Implementation of the ANDS under the Inte-
tries and international partners can develop grated Approach will require synchronization
programs, align efforts and monitor results. of budgetary, cabinet, legislative, program and
stabilization cycles. In particular, it will require
The Policy Action Group (PAG) will provide measures to further strengthen the capacity of
overall direction to key Afghan and interna- state bodies responsible for these processes (Of-
tional actors to ensure that the interdependence fice of Administrative Affairs, Ministry of Par-
of security, governance and development ob- liamentary Affairs, Ministry of Finance,
jectives guide operations and programs in or- IARCSC, IDLG, NSC) as well as Inter-
der to achieve basic delivery of services, de- Ministerial Committees, and those responsible
velopment programs and private sector-led for program delivery (line Ministries, provin-
growth, especially in conflict affected areas. cial and district administrations). It will re-
quire strengthened coordination and alignment
At the sub-national level, the Provincial Devel- by international partners under the overall au-
opment Committees (PDCs), chaired by the thority of the JCMB, delivered through CGs,
Governors, will ensure coordination within the WGs and the PAG.
provincial administration and with donors,
PRTs and civil society. The implementation framework conceived in
this strategy requires ongoing evaluation and
monitoring, and an enhanced risk management
INTEGRATING CONFLICT mechanism, as there are significant risks to sta-
MANAGEMENT INTO bility that may yet undermine the underlying
SECTOR STRATEGIES assumptions. The main threat to successful
implementation of the ANDS will continue to
There are deep concerns about the feasibility of
initiating development and reconstruction pro-
grams due to the ongoing conflict in some 59
See text in the Monitoring Framework for information on the
provinces, as well as increasing attacks coun- CMRS

be security. Domestic and donor resource mo- come together to support institutional struc-
bilization remains an extremely demanding tures in order to overcome complex challenges.
challenge, which will not yield reliable long- By focusing on agreed-upon programs and
term predictability for the budget process for building coherence and synergy among activi-
some time to come. Implementation of donor ties at the local level, stability can be achieved
commitments will be highly dependent on im- in all parts of Afghanistan and a genuine na-
plementation of the ANDS reforms. There is tional development process begun. In the
also a risk that domestic support for the ANDS framework of such a strategy, the Integrated
will weaken; should that occur, further consul- Approach in ANDS implementation aims to
tative processes will be undertaken to over- bring visible improvements to the lives of all
come it. In the long term, these risks can only Afghans.
be mitigated not completely eliminated.
The Integrated Approach reflects a recognition

that building on achievements to date will re-
quire an unprecedented number of actors to

CHAPTER 11
MONITORING FRAMEWORK
The ANDS, as the country’s spell out first tions. While the CMRS will take some time to
(PRSP), consists of three phases: formulation, establish, this chapter outlines the core ap-
implementation and monitoring and evalua- proach that has been adopted to measure de-
tion. The second two phases (see Figure 11.1 velopment outcomes and impacts in line with
below) run parallel to one another, allowing ANDS priorities, Compact benchmarks and the
actions and measures taken to be monitored, MDGs. As the ANDS has an increasingly pro-
thereby providing an indication of their effi- vincial focus, with public spending linked to
ciency and effectiveness in meeting poverty provincial development plans, an effective sys-
reduction and development targets. The Gov- tem for monitoring and evaluating develop-
ernment has already begun establishing a Cen- ment activities will need to be established in
tral Monitoring and Reporting System (CMRS) both the provinces and by the Government in
to fulfill both internal and PRSP reporting func- Kabul.
Figure 11.1. Formulation, Implementation and Monitoring and Evaluation Process
The Afghanistan Compact benchmarks and the ANDS MONITORING AND

MDGs have been integrated into the ANDS
Sector Strategies. The JCMB Secretariat, as the EVALUATION PRINCIPLES
body responsible for high-level co-ordination, In developing a responsive, manageable and
together with the line Ministries, will play a outcome oriented monitoring and evaluation
key role in high-level, strategic monitoring of system, the Government commits to:
the implementation of the Afghanistan Com-
pact and the MDGs. Establishing a centralized and eventually pro-
vincial based monitoring and reporting
It will be important to distinguish between two system.
levels of monitoring and oversight: (a) in-
put/output or program monitoring of the im- Adopting a comprehensive approach to pov-
plementation of the ANDS, and (b) out- erty measurement and economic diagnostic
come/impact monitoring for high level Gov- work through determination of baselines
ernment institutions (OSC, Cabinet) and the and benchmarks.
JCMB to ensure that the strategic priorities of Adopting evidence-based systems for monitor-
the ANDS are met. ing and evaluating policy and implementa-
tion.
Monitoring Framework 177

Increasing not only measuring inputs and international community. It will focus on re-
processes, but outcomes, performance and solving strategic problems arising from the im-
development and poverty impacts (positive plementation, coordination and monitoring not
and negative). only of the Afghanistan Compact but of the
entire ANDS. Co-chaired by the Government
Strengthening the management of knowledge
and the United Nations, it will provide: (i) high
and information access around the M&E
level oversight, ensuring an integrated ap-
system.
proach to delivery of the Compact and ANDS;
Increasingly, over the course of the ANDS, (ii) directions to address any obstacles or bot-
seeking to strengthen linkages between the tlenecks surrounding implementation, coordi-
M&E system and the provincial planning nation and monitoring of the ANDS; and (iii)
process. report on the implementation of the Afghani-
stan Compact and ANDS to the President, Na-
Maintaining transparency and accountability
tional Assembly, the UN Secretary General, the
and encouraging support from NGOs, the
international community and the public.
Central Statistics Office and citizens in the
provision of data and analysis of findings;
Building the core institutional capacities The Role of the JCMB Secretariat
needed to sustain M&E processes, both The JCMB Secretariat will provide policy and
within the CMRS, as well as the CSO, strategy analysis/assessment, monitoring and
NRVA and line ministry systems. evaluation reports to JCMB on the overall im-
Setting service delivery benchmarks that will plementation of ANDS and Afghanistan Com-
utilize accepted international, specific, pact Benchmarks, as well as support for the
measurable, and realistic outcome indica- standing committees. The Secretariat will
tors for poverty measurement. strengthen its capacity to provide independent
analysis in support of the JCMB’s oversight and
Integrating the M&E system across the entire problem solving role. The capacity of the
national budget cycle, to support the set- JCMB Secretariat must be significantly
ting of long term and annual performance strengthened to perform these tasks.
targets.
The Role of the Central Monitoring

INSTITUTIONAL STRUCTURE and Reporting System (CMRS)
The institutional structure for monitoring will The CMRS will be developed within the JCMB
include a number of Government, donor and Secretariat and Ministry of Economy as the
non-Government institutions, of which the Government’s central machinery for support of
JCMB, line ministries and the CSO will play the the monitoring and reporting process. Along-
most important roles. side the CSO, it will serve as the hub for all na-
tional monitoring, with a particular focus on
monitoring and evaluating the impact of the
The Role of the ANDS Oversight
Compact and the ANDS. It will not function in
Committee isolation but will bring together information
The OSC will remain the key high-level gov- from the CSO, sectoral ministries, consumer
ernment body coordinating and monitoring price indices, the NRVA, Afghanistan Financial
implementation of the ANDS. It will approve Monitoring Information System, Afghanistan
bi-annual and annual progress on ANDS im- Country Stability Picture (for ISAF), Afghani-
plementation reports as well as the reports stan Information Management Service, Donor
prepared for the Cabinet and the JCMB. The Assistance Database and GeoBase, and the Pro-
OSC makes up the Government part of the ject and Activity Tracking system of
JCMB. USAID/Afghanistan.
The CMRS will focus on data analysis and re-

The role of the JCMB porting of outputs, outcomes and impacts.
The JCMB is the strategic level coordination There will be no conflict between the roles of
mechanism between the Government and the the CMRS and the CSO, as they will operate at

opposite ends of the data systems. While the The Role of the Line Ministries
CSO will concentrate on data collection
through, including surveys, the CMRS will be Line departments will continue to collect sector
collating the filtered data produced by the CSO relevant information to monitor the output and
and will facilitate various monitoring processes sectoral outcome of national spending through
and disseminate information. They will in fact the ANDS. The CMRS and CSO will work
complement each other. Finally, the CMRS will closely with line ministries to standardize
be responsible for gathering information on the methodological approaches to monitoring Na-
extent to which programs include strategies for tional Programs. The Ministry of Economy will
reducing the impact of conflict, and to main- be responsible for the wider inter-ministerial
stream this into programs based on criteria to coordination.
be developed within the JCMB Secretariat in
cooperation with the Government and line The Role of Provincial Offices
ministries.
The line ministries will strengthen their pro-
vincial offices to collect disaggregated data on
The Role of the Central Statistics all indicators to monitor progress on individual
Office (CSO) projects at the provincial, district and village
levels. The provincial offices and institutions
The CSO will remain the main provider of pri-
of sub-national governance will utilize moni-
mary and secondary information in relation to
toring, support and reporting mechanisms to
national statistics. The CSO is currently com-
feed data to the line ministries to assist in pro-
piling statistics on national accounts, prices,
vincial budgeting, planning and monitoring of
external trade, population and demographics
the overall implementation of the ANDS. The
for monitoring economic, financial, and struc-
Governor will report to the Provincial Councils
tural policies. The capacity of the CSO will be
on the progress of implementation of the sub-
strengthened so that a meaningful statistical
national ANDS priorities and other parts of the
system can be put in place to provide useful
PDPs.
data on various macro-economic processes and
important sectors. To this end, it is necessary
to strengthen the collection of operational data The Role of the National Budget
in various sectors through respective agencies.
The Budget remains the central tool of Gov-
The CSO will coordinate data collection sys-
ernment policy. The close day-to-day working
tems in various ministries and organizations.
relationship between the MoF (AFMIS), the
various budget entities, the CMRS and CSO
The Role of NRVA and Other Surveys will provide vital information in setting and
costing sectoral priorities and targets to be
One of the most important data-capturing exer-
funded through the medium-term budget
cises has been the NRVA surveys, from which
framework. Annual targets will be reported
the current poverty line has been calculated.
against the agreed sectoral baselines and the
Three surveys have already been conducted
Budget hearing sessions will increasingly move
and provide critical information on poverty
towards reportage of Budget outcomes, not just
and other important sectors. The role of these
financial and input reporting.
surveys will be expanded s to meet the imme-
diate data needs of additional sectors. Multi-
purpose household surveys will be conducted The Role of Donors, IFIs and the UN
under the supervision and guidance of the
The Government will continue to request sup-
CSO. The NRVA and future household budget
port from international partners in: (i) develop-
surveys will serve as the key source for moni-
ing analyses of the main obstacles to more
toring critical poverty and social outcome indi-
rapid growth and poverty reduction; (ii) dis-
cators and for completion of reports on the
cussing the quality, coverage and timeliness of
poverty situation (see Appendix III).
key data, including possible final and interme-
diate indicators; (iii) assessing the main policy
issues confronting the Government in the mac-
roeconomic, structural, and social areas, given
the core objectives of promoting growth and

reducing poverty; (iv) assessing the current disseminated, will provide an opportunity for
“resource envelope” and, within this, the pos- all stakeholders to assess progress on imple-
sible scale of expenditures for poverty reduc- mentation and adjust policies to achieve higher
tion; and (v) discussing current levels and the efficiency.
nature of external assistance, and prospects for
increased aid over the medium-term. In order to evaluate the effects of the ANDS on
poverty reduction, the JCMB Secretariat will
produce reports on the poverty situation every
The role of NGOs and Civil Society three years, timed to coincide with the comple-
Independent monitoring and reporting by tion of the NRVA surveys, which will continue
NGOs, CSOs, the media and other civilian bod- to be the most important instruments for the
ies will be a vital part of the overall monitoring collection of poverty related data and the Secre-
and reporting system. Their participation will tariat will produce annual MDG progress re-
be encouraged and actively supported. They ports.
will play an important role in the external
monitoring of the ANDS implementation, Finally, public expenditure reviews will be
which will be carried out in continuing consul- conducted and integrated into the ANDS moni-
tations with NGOs and the civil society, sub- toring process. In line with the Budget cycle,
national representatives and the international ad hoc and periodic sectoral monitoring and
community. reporting will be conducted.
MONITORING AND INDICATORS FOR

EVALUATION REPORTING MONITORING
For the purposes of the Compact and the The measurement and analysis of poverty, ine-
ANDS, the JCMB Secretariat will provide ad quality, and vulnerability are crucial for vari-
hoc, periodic impact evaluation reports to the ous reasons: The Government has developed
Government, the public and international part- poverty and vulnerability surveys largely
ners. The JCMB Secretariat will produce and based on income and consumption data, disag-
the Government will approve annual progress gregated by province, household, agro-
reports on ANDS implementation, to serve as economic zone, gender and household size,
the basis for reporting. The Annual ANDS re- among other factors. Against these a new pov-
port will be presented to the Board of Directors erty line has been developed. The process of
of the WB and the IMF. This report will indi- data collection and analysis has led to a far
cate to what extent outside views are sought deeper understanding of the causes of poverty,
and incorporated into the report, particularly of and these constraints are being addressed
the IMF, World Bank and UN. within the various sector strategies. Figure 11.2
outlines the overall poverty monitoring and
Based on annual progress and evaluation re- strategy design process undertaken in formu-
ports every two years, a full update of the lating and implementing the ANDS. The
ANDS/PRSP, developed with broad participa- CMRS will play a pivotal role in providing in-
tion, will be submitted/presented as an impact formation to decision-makers as part of this
evaluation. This update, which will be publicly process.

Figure 11.2. ANDS Poverty Monitoring and Strategy Design Process
In establishing an effective monitoring and MIS systems data, CSO household listings,
evaluation systems for the ANDS, based on NRVA and other forms of data (i.e. AIMS,
relevant national statistics (CSO/NRVA), the AFMIS), sector specific survey data, IMF En-
Government has already determined the fol- terprise Survey results, consumer price infor-
lowing: (i) goals, indicators and targets; mation, budget and expenditure data, the
(ii) levels of data desegregation including by ACSP database and existing databases (e.g.,
province and gender; (iii) appropriate targets, AFMIS, DAD, DevInfo, GeoBase.). Indicators
for example, set in the MDGs, Compact and for the cross-cutting issues of regional coopera-
ANDS sector strategies; (iv) data requirements tion, counter-narcotics, corruption, capacity
to meet the minimum standards of a PRSP; and building, gender and the environment have
(v) the frequency of data collection and moni- been mainstreamed across the sectoral strate-
toring. gies.
In developing the ANDS, the sectoral strategies However, due to weak statistical data, base-
and the provincial development plans, the lines for a number of key development and
Government has established a core set of moni- poverty indicators are yet to be established.
toring and evaluation indicators for monitoring This is going to be an important priority for the
outcomes and impact for security, law and or- first two years of implementation of the ANDS.
der and human rights, governance, social and Strengthening of the CSO and the capacity of
economic development and poverty programs. the line ministries will be essential for estab-
In addition to standard sector strategies such as lishing clear baselines. These efforts will in-
education and health, social protection and clude mapping intermediate indicators with
welfare programs have also been developed, final outcomes. In cases where actual indica-
within which the needs of particularly vulner- tors are difficult to measure or cannot be pro-
able groups can be targeted. Appendix III out- vided with sufficient frequency, proxy indica-
lines the main indicators to be used in measur- tors will be used.
ing the progress of the ANDS on reducing pov-
erty and improving economic development. Since early development stages will not yield
Monitoring matrices have been developed measurable outcomes in the short run, a series
within all sector strategies, providing impor- of process indicators are used in order to
tant outcomes, indicators, targets and baselines measure immediate results. These indicators
(where available). The various sectoral strate- are part of the overall monitoring framework
gies outline targets for each reporting period on that identifies progress on key milestones for
an annual and three-yearly basis. both the Compact and the ANDS. The indica-
tors are measured in an index format com-
Data requirements to feed into the input, out- posed of multiple components to ensure strict
put, outcome and impact assessment process monitoring of the reform process. For example,
are gradually being established. Sources of they are built into the ANDS Action Plan to
data include Government administrative re- improve legislation, institutional building and
cords, donor project status reports, ministry policy making.

Finally, working together with the MoF and the CONCLUSION
line ministries, the JCMB Secretariat will ensure
that budgets will be aligned with the indicators The ANDS monitoring and evaluation system
and costing priorities. The Government is being developed will track the progress of im-
aware that this will require a significant capac- plementation of the ANDS towards the
ity upgrade. achievement of its objectives in poverty reduc-
tion and development. It also provides valu-
able inputs for further policy-streamlining,
MONITORING AND planning and implementation fine-tuning. The
EVALUATION FRAMEWORK monitoring and evaluation institutions, espe-
cially the JCMB and CMRS, and capacity cre-
Based on the development of the sector strate- ated in the country will produce a strengthened
gies, initial Sector Monitoring and Evaluation and sustainable development process. The
Frameworks have been prepared to identify availability of relevant information produced
needs with regard to existing and planned by this system will promote constructive public
policies, and to developing programs/projects debate on the challenges, solutions and pro-
and indicators. These Frameworks have estab- gress in poverty reduction and economic de-
lished: (i) the milestones in implementation of velopment. The central role that the CMRS will
the M&E plans; (ii) activities required to build eventually play within the implementation
on existing monitoring structures, and (iii) re- framework of the PRSP will enable the devel-
porting requirements for the multilateral agen- opment of a poverty monitoring and analysis
cies on the progress of the implementation of system, based on accepted international crite-
the ANDS. The monitoring and evaluation ria. Given the existing weak capacity in the
plan will also identify data requirements and Government, it is important to stress that the
additional surveys, where required, to establish strengthening of the monitoring framework
sectoral baselines. The M&E plans will fur- will require a staged approach that will even-
thermore be developed and monitored to cap- tually develop into a more sophisticated moni-
ture progress on the achievement of bench- toring and evaluation system.
marks. An exercise to adjust the Compact
benchmarks to the Government’s implementa-
tion capacity has already been addressed at
JCMB meetings.

Table 13.1. Monitoring and Evaluation Indicators
ANDS Monitoring and Evaluation Indicators

Collection Data Responsible
No. Indicators
Frequency Source Agency
Poverty and Hunger
1 Proportion of population below national poverty line (Na- 3-years NRVA CSO
tional/Prov/Urb/Rur/Kuchi)
2 Poverty gap ratio [incidence x depth of poverty] 3-years NRVA CSO
3 Share of poorest quintile in national consumption 3-years NRVA CSO
4 Proportion of population below minimum level of dietary 3-years NRVA CSO
energy consumption (National/Prov/Urb/Rur/Kuchi)
Economic Indicators
5 GDP (US$ billions) Annual National Accounts DAB
6 Gross domestic investment/GDP Annual National Accounts DAB
7 Exports of goods and services/GDP Quarterly National Accounts DAB
8 Gross domestic savings/GDP Quarterly National Accounts DAB
9 Gross national savings/GDP Quarterly National Accounts DAB
10 Current account balance/GDP. Quarterly National Accounts DAB
11 Interest payments/GDP Quarterly National Accounts DAB
12 Budget balance Quarterly National Accounts MoF
13 Revenue/GDP Quarterly National Accounts MoF
14 Public Expenditure/GDP Quarterly National Accounts MoF
15 Total debt/GDP Annual National Accounts DAB
16 Gross national reserves Annual National Accounts DAB
17 Total debt service/exports Quarterly National Accounts DAB
18 Present value of debt/GDP Annual National Accounts DAB
19 Present value of debt/exports Annual National Accounts DAB
Other Social Indicators
20 Population (millions) Annual National Survey CSO
21 Labor force (%) 3-years National Survey CSO
22 Urban/Rural/Kuchi population (% of total population) Annual National Survey CSO
23 Life expectancy at birth (years) Annual National Survey CSO
Governance
24 Index on progress of empowering the National Assembly. Six Months Admin Data OoP
25 Index on progress of Reforming Public Administration. Annual Admin Data IARCSC
26 Index on progress of building capacity of Public Sector Work- Annual Admin Data IARCSC
force.
27 Index on progress of Implementing systems, mechanisms and Six Months Admin Data IARCSC
procedures to implement merit based appointments and per-
formance-based reviews.
28 Index on progress of introducing systems, mechanisms and Six Months Admin Data IARCSC
procedures to reduce and monitor corruption at different
levels in the government and the judiciary.
29 Index on progress of putting plans, systems and mechanisms Annual Admin Data IARCSC
in place for improved participation of women in governance.
30 Index on progress of creating a strong and capable Independ- Six Months Admin Data OoP
ent Election Commission to hold regular Elections as man-
dated by the Constitution.
31 Index on progress of putting in place legal, policy, institutions Annual Admin Data IDLG
and other systems and procedures for strengthening the sub-
national governance.
32 Index on progress of putting in place legal, policy, institu- Six Months Admin Data MoJ, MoFA
tional and other systems in place to realize, protect, promote
and extend human rights in the country.
Justice
33 Index on progress of putting in place legal framework and Six Months Admin Data MoJ
systems so that Criminal and Civil justice is administered
effectively, and in accordance with law, the Constitution, and
international standards.

No. Indicators
34 Index on progress of making justice institutions transparent Six Months Admin Data MoJ
and accountable.
35 # of functioning and adequately resourced, judicial institu- Six Months Admin Data MoJ
tions in each province
Religious Affairs
36 Index on the progress of enhancing the impact of religious Six Months Admin Data MoHRA
affairs for socio-economic development
Energy
37 Index on progress of putting in place an enabling environ- Six Months Admin Data MoEW
ment for private sector investment in energy sector.
38 % of households electrified (National/Urban/Rural) 3-years NRVA CSO
39 Index on progress of expanding public power grid (Na- Six Months Admin Data MoEW
tional/Urban/Rural)
40 Index on progress of increasing access to rural energy Six Months Admin Data MoEW
41 Index on Progress of restructuring energy sector governance Six Months Admin Data MoEW
and commercialized operations
Transport
42 Index on progress of putting in place institutional mecha- Six Months Admin Data MoT
nisms for better governance of the Transport Sector.
43 Index on progress of enabling legislations and regulations for Six Months Admin Data MoT
efficient working of the transport sector and various players
therein.
44 % of target Km of ring road or roads to the neighboring coun- Annual Admin Data MoPW
tries fully upgraded and rehabilitated.
45 % of all villages connected by all-weather roads Annual Admin Data MRRD,
MoPW
46 Index on the progress of the process of completion of Interna- Six Months Admin Data MoT
tional Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) compliance for
Kabul and Herat Airports.
Urban Development
47 Index on the progress of providing improved to basic services Six Months Admin Data MoUDH
by urban household
48 Index on the progress of providing increased availability of Six Months Admin Data MoUDH
affordable shelter
49 % completion of city development plans for 34 provinces Six Months Admin Data MoUDH
Water Resources
50 Index on the progress of putting in place improved water Six Months Admin Data MoEW
sector legal and governance structures and institutions in
place
51 Index on the progress of developing and implementing sus- Six Months Admin Data MoEW
tainable water resources management strategies and plans
covering irrigation and drinking water
52 # of Hydrometric stations installed and equipped Annual Admin Data MoEW
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)
53 Index on the progress of creation of E-Afghanistan Six Months Admin Data MoCIT
54 % increase in annual revenue generated from the ICT Sector Annual Admin Data MoF
55 % of population access to mobile phones 3-years NRVA CSO
56 number of internet users 3-years NRVA CSO
Mining
57 Index on progress of creation of enabling and regulatory en- Six Months Admin Data MoM, MoCI
vironment for increased investment in mining sector
58 % of increase in revenue generated from mining sector Six Months National Accounts DAB
Education
59 Literacy rate of population (National/Urban/Rural) 5-years MoE Survey MoE
60 Net enrolment ratio in primary education (Na- Annual MoE Survey MoE
tional/Urban/Rural)
61 Attendance Rate (National/Urban/Rural) Annual MoE Survey MoE

No. Indicators
62 Proportion of pupils starting grade 1 who reach grade 5 (Na- Annual MoE Survey MoE
tional/Urban/Rural)
63 Literacy rate of 15-24 year-olds (National/Urban/Rural) 5-years MoE Survey MoE
64 Index of improving quality of education including higher and Six Months Admin Data MoE, MoHE
vocational education
Media and Culture
65 Index on progress of protecting and preserving Afghan cul- Six Months Admin Data MoC
ture and heritage
66 Index on progress of promoting independent and free media Six Months Admin Data MoC
Health
67 Under-five mortality rate (National/Urban/Rural) 3-years NRVA CSO
68 Infant mortality rate (National/Urban/Rural) 3-years NRVA CSO
69 Proportion of 1 year-old children immunized against measles 3-years NRVA CSO
(National/Urban/Rural)
70 Prevalence of underweight children under-five years of age 3-years MoPH Survey MoPH
71 Maternal mortality ratio (National/Urban/Rural) 3-years MoPH Survey MoPH
72 Proportion of births attended by skilled health personnel (Na- 3-years NRVA CSO
tional/Urban/Rural)
73 Condom use rate of the contraceptive prevalence rate (Na- 3-years NRVA CSO
tional/Urban/Rural)
74 % of population within two hours walking distance from 3-years NRVA CSO
PHC services (National/Urban/Rural)
75 % of population access to clean water (Na- 3-years NRVA CSO
tional/Urban/Rural)
76 % of children under 1 year receiving three doses of DPT vac- 3-years NRVA CSO
cine
77 % of children under 1 year received measles antigen. 3-years NRVA CSO
78 TB case detection rate 3-years MoPH Survey MoPH
79 Malaria incidence 3-years MoPH Survey MoPH
80 HIV prevalence 3-years MoPH Survey MoPH
Agriculture and Rural Development
81 Index on the progress of facilitating economic regeneration Six Admin Data MRRD,
Months MAIL
82 Index on progress of Strengthened Local Governance Six Admin Data MRRD,
Months IDLG
83 Index on progress of Reduced Poppy cultivation through Six Admin Data MRRD,
Alternative Livelihoods Months MAIL
84 Index on the progress of increasing agriculture production Six Admin Data MRRD,
and productivity. Months MAIL
85 Index on the progress of improving agriculture and rural Six Admin Data MRRD,
infrastructure Months MAIL
Social Protection
86 Index on progress of a social protection system for vulnerable Six Admin Data MoLSA
sections of society Months
87 Percentage of poor female headed households (Na- 3-years NRVA CSO
tional/Urban/Rural)
88 Number of employed poor women who are heads of their 3-years NRVA CSO
households (National/Urban/Rural)
89 Percentage of poor persons with disability (Na- 3-years NRVA CSO
tional/Urban/Rural)
Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons
90 Index on progress of strengthening government’s capacity to Six Admin Data MoRR
manage and assist refugees and displaced persons Months
Private Sector Development
91 Index on progress of development of enabling legal and regu- Six Admin Data MoCI
latory framework for private sector and trade Months

No. Indicators
92 Nominal value of the annual actual investment of the private Annual Admin Data DAB
sector
93 Number of registered company to AISA Annual Admin Data AISA
Gender
94 Ratios of girls to boys in primary, secondary and tertiary edu- Annual Ministry Data MoE, MoHE
cation
95 Ratio of literate women to men, 15-24 years old 3-years NRVA CSO
96 Share of women in wage employment in the non-agricultural 3-years NRVA CSO
sector
Environment Sustainability
97 Proportion of population with sustainable access to an im- 3-years NRVA CSO
proved water source (National/Urban/Rural)
98 Proportion of population with access to improved sanitation 3-years NRVA CSO
99 Proportion of households with access to secure tenure (Ur- 3-years NRVA CSO
ban)

CHAPTER 12
CONCLUSION
Significant gains have been made in reconstruc- grams and policies that will address the secu-
tion and development efforts over the course of rity, governance, rule of law, human rights,
the past six years. Nevertheless, at the begin- and social and economic development issues in
ning of the state building process in 1381 an integrated approach.
(2002), both Afghanistan and the international
community severely underestimated the extent The primary goal of the ANDS is to establish a
of the calamity this country has gone through, framework through which the Government
and the time and resources that would be re- and the international community can work to-
quired to redress it. While the challenges fac- gether to substantially reduce poverty on a
ing Afghanistan have evolved in nature, they foundation of sustained private sector-led eco-
have not necessarily changed in magnitude. nomic growth. This requires simultaneous pro-
Deteriorating security over the past two years gress on improving security, strengthening
has altered the path of development that the governance, increasing the effectiveness of so-
country has been pursuing since 1381 (2002), cial service delivery and taking the necessary
thus substantially changing the assumptions on action to ensure that the private sector can in-
which the Afghanistan Compact was based. In vest and operate competitively. Achieving
many respects, the progress that has been made substantial progress in all of these areas is a
during these years has been achieved in the complex task that will require commitment and
face of newly emerging problems and chal- coordination by all parts of the Government
lenges. Despite that, the majority of the people and the donor community. As such, the ANDS
of Afghanistan continue to believe that the will help to coordinate and guide the joint ac-
country is on the path from extreme poverty tivities of the Government and donors.
towards a better life for themselves and their
children. The development of the ANDS has been a
genuinely Afghan “owned” exercise, based on
Sustaining the nascent Afghan democracy will a broad consultative process that engaged the
require the emergence of a prosperous Af- donor community and stakeholders at national,
ghanistan. Success will require the emergence provincial and grassroots levels to help define
of a productive private sector that plays a ma- national and local priorities. This enabled men
jor role in most areas of the economy, with and women from all provinces to express their
public sector resources primarily focused on priorities and to participate in defining national
providing the needed physical, commercial and development objectives.. The voices of the
legal infrastructure and ensuring that the re- poor have informed the policy framework, the
sults of development benefit all citizens. poverty profile, and the orientation of the sec-
toral strategies that form the foundation of the
The ANDS represents an important milestone ANDS. Important insights have been gained in
in the rebuilding and development of Afghani- security and conflict management, regional
stan and serves as the country’s Poverty Reduc- cooperation, counter-narcotics, anti-corruption,
tion Strategy Paper (PRSP). Through the gender, the environment, and capacity devel-
ANDS, the Government is firmly committed to opment. Within the Government, the ANDS
continuing state building efforts. It includes a was developed based on strategies prepared by
realistic and comprehensive assessment of the all Ministries and on broader sector strategies
enormous constraints and challenges facing the that were discussed extensively in Ministries,
country. The ANDS sets out the projects, pro- in Inter-Ministerial Committees, and with do-
Conclusion 187
nors, NGOs, and the private sector. This inclu- irrigation, transportation infrastructure, agri-
sive participatory process will be maintained culture, agro-based industry, and rural devel-
throughout the life of the ANDS. opment will remain high priorities, an ac-
knowledgment of the high importance of these
The effectiveness of the ANDS will depend sectors for the development of the private sec-
crucially on building a strong economic foun- tor and for long term and sustainable employ-
dation that will support long term, broad-based ment growth. In the coming years the Gov-
economic growth, with the private sector being ernment will also devote progressively more
its driving engine. With the policies undertaken resources to education, governance, health, and
during the last five years, per capita income social protection.
nearly doubled. To achieve the poverty reduc-
tion goals of the ANDS comparable levels of In the near future, security will remain the
economic growth will be needed in the coming country’s highest priority. The Government is
years. This will require a supportive environ- fully committed to successfully: (i) implement-
ment for social and economic development, ing an integrated and comprehensive national
which in turn depends on the continued main- security policy and strategy; (ii) building a ro-
tenance of sound and stable macroeconomic bust security sector reform program; (iii)
policies to enable the private sector to establish strengthening civil and military operations; (iv)
itself as a vigorous engine of growth, operate expanding the role of security forces in
efficiently and create employment. counter-narcotics activities; and (v) strengthen-
ing the civilian components of security entities.
A key strategic objective of the ANDS is to es- While international assistance is vitally neces-
tablish a secure economic environment in sary at the present time, the Government is
which it will be possible to attract sufficient planning and looking forward to taking on an
levels of private sector investments to encour- increasing share of the responsibility for secu-
age the employment of human, financial and rity-related activities in Afghanistan. This re-
natural resources in the most productive ways quires sufficient resources to enhance the capa-
possible. A critical element in achieving this bilities of the country’s armed forces, including
objective will be to substantially increase in- the ANA, ANP and NSD, which is only possi-
vestment in human capacity development and ble through joint efforts and long-term com-
in the creation of a skilled workforce in order to mitments of the international community to
expand employment opportunities and in- Afghanistan.
crease incomes.
The Government is also committed to the re-
The ability to implement the projects and pro- forms necessary to ensure good governance
grams included in the ANDS depends upon the and adherence to the rule of law. While the
resources that will be available. Average eco- donor community can provide support and
nomic growth is projected at an 8.1 percent rate technical assistance, these reforms have to be
for 1387-1391 (2008-2012). A key assumption initiated and driven by an internal commitment
underlying this ambitious goal is an increased to improved governance. Without good gov-
private sector role in the economy. To reach ernance and widespread acceptance of the rule
these goals the Government will maintain of law, the development strategy based on pri-
strong macroeconomic management character- vate sector led growth will fail. The public sec-
ized by fiscal sustainability, prudent monetary tor will concentrate on the creation of a secure
policies, and the avoidance of short-term ad and strong enabling environment necessary for
hoc measures. the emergence of a robust private sector. This
means a much greater focus by Government on
A major contribution of the ANDS has been the governance issues than involvement in the
determination of Budget ceilings that reflect the production of goods and services that can be
Government’s sectoral priorities. These are provided by a significantly larger and more
being built into the MTFF and the Ministry of efficient private sector. Afghan “ownership” of
Finance’s program-based budgeting system the strategy requires that the Government seek
focused on realizing the country’s development donors’ close cooperation in capacity building
needs. Security will remain the Government’s and know-how transfer, so that a system can
highest priority, while public expenditure pro- evolve that allows the best parts of the func-
grams for investments in energy, water and tional traditional governance system to coexist

with a universal system that recognizes and opment, and ensuring that all Afghan busi-
supports principles of social diversity, respect nesses operate with reliable legal protections.
for human rights and the rule of law.
The central objective of the ANDS is poverty
The successful implementation of the ANDS reduction. As much as 42 percent of the popu-
strategies for social and economic development lation lives below the poverty line, while a sig-
is expected to contribute substantially to the nificant number of people live precariously
long term transformation of Afghanistan. At close to it so that even relatively small increases
the center of these strategies is the creation of in the cost of living can potentially tip many
conditions for accelerated private sector devel- more into absolute poverty. Today, like much
opment. The Afghan private sector is now of the rest of the world, the Afghan people face
quite weak after years of isolation and an al- substantial increases in the prices of food and
most total lack of investment. The limited for- fuel, which have a disproportionate impact on
eign investment that has taken place has been the poor. The Government puts heavy empha-
largely in the telecommunications industry. sis on increasing employment as the most effec-
The Government is taking steps to establish an tive means for reducing poverty. Unemploy-
enabling environment, based on sound market- ment and under-employment are high, with
oriented policies and an adherence to the rule the national unemployment or underemploy-
of law. There is great potential to attract pri- ment rate currently estimated to be near 40
vate investment in the critical areas of infra- percent. It is clear that much of the needed
structure and natural resource development, growth in employment must come through the
including power generation, commercial agri- growth of a robust private sector.
culture and agro-based industry, development
of water resources, and mining. To realize this The Government and the people of Afghani-
enormous potential, the Government is devel- stan remain grateful to the international com-
oping the legal and regulatory structures re- munity for their considerable and timely assis-
quired to enable private investment to operate tance in overcoming the enormous security and
profitably. development challenges. The ANDS addresses
the questions of the amount and distribution of
Given the devastated condition of much of the aid that will be required in the coming five
country’s “hard” and “soft” infrastructures, years and the most effective modes of delivery.
huge public investment, particularly in agricul- The Government expects that donors will align
ture, energy and water resources development, their support to reflect the priorities established
and transportation infrastructures, will be nec- in the ANDS. The successful implementation
essary to create conditions under which the of the ANDS under the Integrated Approach
private sector can be competitive and success- will require greater coordination and increased
ful. With donor assistance, considerable in- responsiveness on the part of the Government
vestment in essential infrastructure is currently and donors. Achieving alignment between the
being undertaken, particularly in roads, power, country’s priorities and aid programs, and ef-
commercial agriculture, healthcare, and educa- fectively adjusting priorities and programs as
tion and vocational skills. The Government in- conditions change require a continued strong
tends to undertake public investment in infra- partnership between Afghanistan and the in-
structure in ways that complement private international community, as embodied in the
vestment in these areas or, when feasible, JCMB.
through the use of public-private partnership
arrangements. Afghanistan faces extremely difficult chal-
lenges that will take many years to fully over-
It will take many years for a large competitive come. The successful transformation of Af-
private sector to emerge in Afghanistan. It is ghanistan to a secure and developing country
expected that in five years substantial progress is vital not only for the Afghan people, but for
will have been made toward: (i) providing reli- neighboring countries in a volatile region and
able access to electricity and water; (ii) guaran- for the entire world. The ANDS represents an
teeing the efficient transport of goods through- important step towards achieving the objec-
out the country and to markets in neighboring tives shared by the country and its interna-
countries; (iii) implementing major investments tional partners.
in commercial agriculture and minerals devel-
Conclusion 189
APPENDICES
Conclusion 191
192
APPENDIX I
National Action Plan (2009 – 2013)
PILLAR: SECURITY
SECTOR: SECURITY
Expected Outcomes Policy Actions and Activities Category Timeframe Responsible Agency
Effectively coordinated security Monitor and coordinate security issues between ministries and departments and Institution Develop- 2008 - 2013 NSC, MoD, MoI, NDS,
sector establish 13 coordination centers ment MCN, MoFA
ANA operationally capable of Recruit additional personnel to reach the newly agreed 80,000 army ceiling with Institution Building ongoing - end 2009 MoD
performing those missions and additional 6000 staff of mentors, trainers etc
tasks assigned
Revise Operations and tactical structures and new weaponry to be provided then Institution Building 2007 - 2013 MoD
accordingly
Equip the ANA with technical and administrative support Institution Building 2008 - 2013 MoD
Equip the ANA by Land and Air force Development 2008 - 2013 MoD
Establish new ANA training centers Development 2008 - 2013 MoD
Equip existing ANA training centers/Academies Development 2008 - 2013 MoD
Reform and capacity building of the ANA to a sustainable level Development 2008 - 2013 MoD
Strengthen logistical support to the Army in regional and provincial battalions Institution Building 2008 - 2013 MoD
Establish computerized system in MoD to strengthen human resource, financial and Institution Building 2008 - 2013 MoD
program management
Extensive training schemes to equip national units to fight terrorism and anti gov- Development 2008 - 2013 MoD
ernment elements
Focus on conflict prevention programs in areas where anti government activities are Development 2008 - 2013 MoD
ripe
Information campaigns about the benefits of peaceful processes Development 2008 - 2013 MoD
ANA expenditures are fiscally Develop a ‘Right-financing’ approach to the security sector Institution Building 2008 - 2013 MoD
sustainable
ANP operationally capable of Recruit Personnel to reach the Benchmark of 82,000 Institution Building ongoing - End 2010 MoI
performing those missions and
Equip the Police with technical and administrative support Institution Building 2008 - 2013 MoI
tasks assigned and crime rates
reduced Reform and capacity building of the ANP and ABP to a sustainable level Development 2008 - 2013 MoI
Strengthen logistical support to ANP and ABP in regional and provincial centers Institution Building 2008 - 2013 MoI
PILLAR: SECURITY
SECTOR: SECURITY
Construct new Stations and Substations for Police in Provinces Institution Building 2008 - 2013 MoI
Establish/Equip Fire Brigade Departments Institution Building 2008 - 2013 MoI
Restore Traffic signals structure in Urban areas and highways Development 2008 - 2013 MoI
Establish/Equip Health care centers/facilities for Police in center and provinces Development 2008 - 2013 MoI
Extensive training schemes to equip national units to fight terrorism and anti gov- Institution Building 2008 - 2013 MoI
ernment elements
Focus on conflict prevention programs in areas where anti government activities are Development 2008 - 2013 MoI
ripe
Information campaigns about the benefits of peaceful processes Development 2008 - 2013 MoI
Conduct training to increase the capacity of Afghan National Police forces to en- Institution Building 2008 - 2013 MoI
force the law against poppy cultivation and drug trafficking
MoI reform to support the transformation of police Institution Building 2008 - 2013 MoI
Establish computerized system in MoI to strengthen human resource, financial and Institution Building 2008 - 2013 MoI
program management
Operational border posts able to Reform, train and equip the Border Police Institution Building 2008 - 2013 MoI
protect national sovereignty, levy
Establish/Rehabilitate and equip Border Posts Institution Building 2008 - 2013 MoI
and collect custom duties and
process those collections to the
central government.
ANP and ABP expenditures are Develop a ‘Right-financing’ approach to the security sector Institution Building 2008 - 2013 MoI
fiscally sustainable
Improve revenues and finance security sector spending; this includes licenses to Institution Building 2008 - 2013 MoI
private security companies
Reduced level of deaths and casu- Clear 90% of all known mine/ERW contaminated areas by 1391 (2012). The goal Development 2008-2013 MoFA
alties caused by UXOs, reduce the furthermore is to clear all emplaced antipersonnel mines by 1391 (1 March 2013)
number of affected communities
All unsafe unserviceable and surplus ammunition will be destroyed Development 2008-2013 MoFA, MoI
and increased safety precautions
Enhanced public trust on govern- DIAG plans need to be instated and properly implemented Development ongoing - (by end of DDR/DIAG, MoD
ment ability to deliver justice and 2011)
security as IAGs are disbanded
and reintegrated
Apeendcies
Eventual eradication of Poppy Coordinate and target poppy eradication, in particluar where the beneficiaries are Institution Building 2008 - 2013 MCN, MoD, MoI
Production and crack down on supporting anti government activities
193
194
PILLAR: SECURITY
SECTOR: SECURITY
drug trafficking Conduct training to increase the capacity of Afghan Security forces to enforce the Institution Building 2008 - 2013 MCN, MoI
law against poppy cultivation and drug trafficking

Cooperate and coordinate with neighboring countries with intelligence sharing, Institution Building 2008 - 2013 MCN, MoI
particular with regard to drug smuggling across borders.
Conduct effective information campaigns against poppy production and drug trad- Development 2008 - 2013 MCN, MoI
ing.
PILLAR: GOOD GOVERNANCE

SECTOR: GOVERNANCE AND HUMAN RIGHTS
Objectives or Outcomes Policy Actions or Activities Category Timeframe Responsible Agency
Empowered National As- Technical and Administrative Support Training Institutional Development Jaddi 1392 (end-2013) Meshrano Jirga, Wolosi
sembly Jirga
Capacity Building Institutional Development Jaddi 1392 (end-2013) Meshrano Jirga, Wolosi
Jirga
Reformed Public Admini- Public Administration Reform Institutional Development Jaddi 1392 (end-2013) IARCSC
stration Oversee/Implement/Monitor Training and Capacity Building of Public Sector Institutional Development Jaddi 1392 (end-2013) IARCSC
Workforce
Appoint civil servants based on Merit Institutional Development Jaddi 1392 (end-2013) IARCSC
Oversee/Implement/Monitor Performance-based Reviews Institutional Development Jaddi 1389 (end-2010) IARCSC
Corruption Reduced Take effective measures to Reduce Corruption Institutional Development Jaddi 1392 (end-2013) GIAAC, President's Office,
other Ministries
Monitor Corruption at high places of Government Institutional Development Jaddi 1387 (end-2008) GIAAC, President's Office,
other Ministries
Launch E-Government Applications Institutional Development Jaddi 1387 (end-2008) President's Office, MoICT
Implement Public Complaints Mechanism Institutional Development Jaddi 1387 (end-2008) President's office, GIAAC,
MoJ etc
Mid-term plans formulated and implemented Development/ Gender Cross Jaddi 1387 (end-2008) Inter-ministerial Consulta-
Cutting Issues tive group
Credible institutional infrastructure established Institutional Development Jaddi 1387 (end-2008) All relevant ministries
Enhance Research & Data management Capacity Development/ AC Cross Jaddi 1387 (end-2008) IARCSC, all ministries
Cutting Issues
Public sector reforms instituted incorporating anti-corruption issues Institutional/ AC Cross Cut- Jaddi 1387 (end-2008) IARCSC, all Ministries and
ting Issues Agencies
Regulations and monitoring mechanism for the private sector development Institutional/ AC Cross Cut- Jaddi 1387 (end-2008) Consultative group
developed and implemented ting Issues
Implement Public awareness programs on anti-corruption issues Development/ AC Cross Jaddi 1387 (end-2008) All Ministries and Agencies
Cutting Issues along with their sub national
units
Enhanced Availability of Right to Information Available to People Legislation Jaddi 1389 (end-2010) IDLG, GIAAC, OoP, MoJ,
Information to Public and Cabinet, National Assembly
Enforcement Enforce Sanctions against those involved in the drugs trade Institutional Development Jaddi 1389 (end-2010) MoI (Police), MCN, AGO,
IARCSC
Productivity Commission advising the Cabinet Institutional Development Jaddi 1389 (end-2010) GIAAC, MoJ, Cabinet, Na-
tional Assembly
Improved Participation of Implement National Action Plan for Women Institutional Development Jaddi 1389 (end-2010) MoWA, All other ministries
Women in Governance & Agencies
Affirmative action available to women Legislation Jaddi 1389 (end-2010) MoJ, Cabinet, National As-
sembly, Office of President
Piloting of a Regional Leadership Institute for Women in 2 areas Institutional Development/ Jaddi 1387 (end-2010) IARCSC
Gender Cross Cutting Issues
Capacity Building Program for Women in Government at the level of Na- Development/ Gender Cross Jaddi 1389 (end-2010) IARCSC
tional Assembly, provincial council and women laid off by the PRR processes Cutting Issues
Capacity Building for Ministries and LGUs on Gender Sensitive Budgeting
Establishment of Women’s Councils at the District Level Institutional Development/ Jaddi 1389 (end-2010) IDLG
Gender Cross Cutting Issues
Gender awareness raising of senior officials of government Development/ Gender Cross Jaddi 1389 (end-2010) IARCSC
Cutting Issues
Nation Prepared for Disaster Establish an effective system of disaster preparedness and response Institutional Development Jaddi 1389 (end-2010) ANDMA, IDLG
Management
Strong and Capable Inde- Independent Election Commission Capable to fulfill its Role Institutional Development Jaddi 1388 (end-2009) Election Commision, IDLG,
pendent Election Commis- Police
sion holding regular national Election Commision, IDLG,
Permanent Voters Registry Available Institutional Development Jaddi 1388 (end-2009)
and sub national Elections as
Apeendcies
MoI
mandated by the Constitution
Sub National Elections Regularly held Institutional Development in the year 1389 (2010) Election Commision, IDLG,
195
196

and 1392 (2013) Police

Single National Identity Establish civil registry with a single national identity document Institutional Development Jaddi 1392 (end-2013) MoI, IDLG
Document
Census and Statistical Base- Census Completed and Results Published Institutional Development Jaddi 1387 (end-2008) CSO
line Data available for use of
Statistical Baselines Established and the Statistical Capacity Built Jaddi 1392 (end-2013) CSO, MoF
the nation
Villages and Gozars Mapped Village and Gozar Boundaries Reviewed Institutional Development Jaddi 1387 (end-2008) AGCHO, IDLG, MUD,
MRRD
Mapping of Villages and Gozars Institutional Development Jaddi 1388 (end-2009) AGCHO, IDLG, MUD,
MRRD
Modern Land Administration Establish Modern Land Administration System Institutional Development Jaddi 1387 (end-2008) SC, MUD, MAIL, MoJ,
System AGCHO
Established and A fair Sys- Establish A fair System for Settlement of Land Disputes Jaddi 1386 (end-2007) SC, MUD, MAIL, MoJ,
tem for Settlement of Land AGCHO, IDLG
Disputes Available
Government Connected to Develop Sub National Governance Policy Legislation end-1389 (20 March IDLG, MoJ, OoP, National
People and Increased reach 2011) Assembly
of the Government by end-1389 (20 March IDLG, Election Commis-
Ensure Peoples’ Participation in Sub National Governance Institutional Development
strengthening sub-national 2011) sion, Prov. Councils, MoJ
governance
Empower Provincial Councils Institutional Development end-1389 (20 March IDLG, MoJ, Offfice of
2011) President, National Assem-
bly
Law on District Councils, Municipal Councils, and Village Councils Legislation The President, IDLG
Regular Elections of District Councils, Municipal Councils, Mayors and Vil- Institutional Development Election Commision, Prov.
lage Councils Councils
Empowered District Councils, Municipal Councils, Elected Mayors and Vil- Institutional Development Office of President, IDLG
lage Councils
Capacity built, the structures reformed, the processes streamlined in the prov- Institutional Development end-1389 (20 March IDLG, IARCSC
inces, districts and municipalities 2011)
Reform Sub National Public Administration Institutional Development end-1389 (20 March IDLG, IARCSC, Office of
2011) President
Instutionalize Provincial Planning and Provincial Budgeting Institutional Development end-1389 (20 March IDLG, MoF, All ministries
2011)
Empower Municipalities Institutional Development Jaddi 1392 (end-2013) IDLG, KM, MoF, IARCSC
Government Offices physi- Facility and Amenities to the Government Offices Reviewed Development Jaddi 1387 (end-2008) All ministries and agencies
cally equipped to fulfill their end-1392 (20 March All ministries and agencies,
Basic Facility and Amenities Provided to all Government Offices Development
Role 2013) MoF
Free Flow of Information Free Flow of Information from all the District Centers Institutional Development end-1389 (20 March Ministries, MoICT, IDLG,
from all the District Centers 2011) Office of President
Communication with the Communication with the Government made Easy through the websites Institutional Development end-1389 (20 March All the Ministries and Agen-
Government made Easy 2011) cies, MoICT
Youth Involved in Govern- Provide Definite Mechanisms for youth involvement Institutional Development end-1389 (20 March IDLG, Dept of Youth
ance 2011)
Human Rights Realized, Human Rights Realized, Protected, Promoted and Extended Institutional Development Jaddi 1389 (end-2010) IDLG, National Assembly,
Protected, Promoted and MoI, MoJ, MoUD, MoCI,
Extended MoWA, MoD, MoLSAMD,
MoRR, MoE, AIHRC, and
all relevant
Action Plan on Peace, Justice and Reconciliation Implemented Institutional Development Jaddi 1387 (end-2008) AIHRC, Office of President,
NA, SC, MoJ, IARCSC,
others

SECTOR: JUSTICE AND THE RULE OF LAW
Expected Outcomes Policy Actions and Activities category Time frame Responsible Agencies
Public can rely on effec- Analyze and develop recommendations regarding justice Institution Building By year 2 SC,MoJ,AGO
tively organized and profes- institutions’ record-keeping practices in order to improve
sionally staffed justice insti- accuracy and irretrievability and to avoid redundant proc-
tutions esses
Analyze and make recommendations for improving existing Institution Building By year 1 SC,MoJ,AGO
remuneration and human resources systems in justice insti-
tutions.
Support development and introduction of institution- Institution Building By Year 2 Program Oversight Committee
specific remuneration and human resources schemes, such
Apeendcies
as pay and grading and performance evaluation measures

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198

Justice institutions to establish links with universities for Institution Building Year 3 and on MoJ, AOG, SC, MoHE
recruiting candidates (e.g., job fairs and short internships).
Survey, develop and implement recommendations to im- Institution Building Year 3 and on SC,MoJ,AGO, MoWA, MoHE
prove existing career development practices in each institu-
tion with particular attention to complying with gender
benchmarks.
Develop institutional capacity to train professionals Institution Building Year 2 and on SC,MoJ,AGO, ICCD
Analyze and, in consultation with stakeholders, develop Development By year 2 SC,MoJ,AGO
recommendations for improving the organizational, man-
agement and administrative structures of justice institutions
to enable them to fulfill their respective mandates and func-
tions at headquarters and at provincial and district level
offices
Implement recommendations Development Year 3 and on SC,MoJ,AGO
Implement security measure for Judges safety Development By end year 4 SC, MoJ, MoI
Public information system improved Development Year 2 on MoJ
Enhanced awareness of public in general and women in Development Year 2 on MoWA
particular of women's legal rights
Public demands Sexual Harassment and grievance handling Year 2 on
laws/policy to be enacted
Justice institutions construct, acquire or make functional on Development Year 3 and on
a priority basis infrastructure necessary to expand delivery
of justice services throughout provincial and district areas
outside of regional centers.
Assess and priorities equipment and supply needs of justice Development By end year 2 SC,MoJ,AGO
institutions and establish effective and accountable pro-
curement systems.
Provide equipment and supplies in accordance with needs Development Year 2 and on SC,MoJ,AGO
assessment.
Conduct comprehensive inventory of all transportation Development By end year 2 SC,MoJ,AGO
assets, indicating condition and expected lifespan.
Survey existing asset management capacity and make rec- Development By end year 1 SC,MoJ,AGO
ommendations for improvement
Justice institutions acquire and maintain transportation as- Development Year 3 and on SC,MoJ,AGO
sets sufficient to fulfill their tasks.
Increased and improved facilities to deal with female of- Institution Building Year 2 on MoJ
fenders
Legal education and voca- Create and launch agreed core subject curriculum for Development By end Year 2 SC,MoJ,AGO
tional training are adequate Sharia, law and political science faculties.
to provide justice profes- Create and launch agreed core subject curriculum for Development SC,MoJ,AGO
sionals with sufficient know- Sharia, law and political science faculties.
how to perform their task
Survey and make recommendations for enhancement of Development Year 3 to 4 SC,MoJ,AGO
legal research facilities, including a feasibility study of the
establishment of an advanced legal research institute.
Create stakeholder consultations to develop policy and Development Year3 to 4 SC,MoJ,AGO
planning mechanisms for enhancing legal research capacity.
Law and Sharia faculties establish links with foreign legal Development Year 2 and on MoHE, MoFA
educational institutions to enhance research capacity, in-
cluding foreign study programs for both students and staff.
Universities identify and enhance infrastructure so as to Development By year 2 MHE, MoJ
accommodate female students and staff
Universities develop and implement policies to raise per- Development By end year 2 MHE, MoJ
centage of female students and staff to at least 30 percent
Justice institutions, in coordination with the Independent Development By end year 2 INLTC
National Legal Training Center, develop appropriate voca-
tional training courses for justice professionals, paying
specific attention to the needs of female professionals.
Justice institutions, in coordination with the Independent Development Year 3 and on SC,MoJ,AGO, INLTC
National Legal Training Center, develop and implement
specialized programs for continuing legal education, paying
specific attention to the needs of female professionals.
Statutes are clearly drafted, Perform comprehensive needs assessment of Taqnin and Institution Building By end Year 1 MoJ, National Assembly
constitutional and the prod- make recommendations for technical assistance and capac-
uct of effective and consulta- ity building
tive drafting processes Provide technical assistance and capacity building for Institution Building Year 2 and on MoJ
Taqnin in line with recommendations.
Apeendcies
Establish a working body to promote greater cooperation Institution Building Year 2 and on MoJ, National Assembly
and enhance the efficiency of the legislative drafting proc-
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200

ess.
An indexed compilation of all laws in force is assembled Development By end Year 3 and on MoJ
and updated regularly.
Taqnin conducts a review of the constitutionality of all laws Development By end Year 3 and on SC,MoJ,AGO, MoI
in force, and recommends amendments to ensure constitu-
tionality.
Unconstitutional laws are amended to ensure constitutional- Development Year 3 and on National Assembly, MoJ, AOG
ity
Assess capacity of government institutions and entities to Development By end year 2 MoJ
draft laws and make recommendations for enhancing that
capacity
Implement recommendations for enhancing legislative Development commencing year 3 MoJ
drafting capacity in justice institutions.
Establish a Taqnin working group to make recommenda- Development Year 2 MoJ
tions for inclusion of civil society stakeholders in legislative
deliberations.
Implement recommendations Development Year 3 and on MoJ
Justice institutions effec- Develop and implement procedures to safeguard and further Legislation Year 1 and on AGO, MoJ
tively perform their func- the role and function of defense attorneys in criminal inves-
tions in a harmonized and tigations and trials
interlinked manner Update and implement court regulations in order to facili- Legislation By end Year 4 SC, AGO
tate filing and tracking of civil and criminal cases (includ-
ing AGO Information System).
Create and establish the Program Oversight Committee, Institution Building By commencement Year 1 SC, MoJ, AGO
together with requisite administrative and logistical support
Create and establish the Program Implementation Unit Institution Building By commencement Year 1 Oversight Committee
Design and administer a baseline survey of legal system Institution Building By end Year 1 MoJ
performance
Improve information sharing between justice institutions, Institution Building Year 3 and on SC, MoJ, AGO
and coordinate information management and interfacing.
Develop, establish, and implement measures and mecha- Institution Building Year 1 and on AGO, MoI, MoJ
nisms to improve police prosecutor coordination in criminal
matters; and addressing the cross-cutting issues
Introduce effective “one-stop” complaints system covering Institution Building Year 2 and on SC,MoJ,AGO
all justice institutions.
Enhance capacity of police and prosecutors to conduct pro- Institution Building Year 2 and on AGO, MoI
active criminal investigations.
Enhance capacity for managing corruption issues. Institution Building Year 2 on SC, MoJ, AGO, MoI
Train judges, lawyers and prosecutors in trial practices and Institution Building Year 2 and on SC,MoJ,AGO
trial management.
Assessment of information interfacing needs of AGO, MoI, Institution Building By end Year 1 SC,MoJ,AGO
MoJ, courts, and other specialized agencies.
Assessment and improvement of paper-based case file and Institution Building By end Year 1 SC,MoJ,AGO
case tracking systems.
Evaluate the viability of converting paper-based file sys- Institution Building Year 2 and 3 Program Oversight Committee
tems to combined paper and electronic file systems
Justice institutions develop plans and implement coordina- Institution Building Year 2 and on Program Oversight Committee
tion mechanisms for specialized units addressing cross-
cutting issues
Recruit qualified professionals with specialized knowledge Institution Building Year 2 and on Program Oversight Committee
of cross-cutting issues
Justice mitigation measures are developed Institution Building MoJ
Build capacity of judges, prosecutors, and investigators by Institution Building Year 2 and on Program Oversight Committee
training on cross-cutting issues.
Citizens are more aware of Assess the needs of the justice institutions and citizens for Development By end Year 1 MoJ
their rights and justice insti- legal materials.
tutions are better able to
enforce them. Compile and distribute legal materials in response to needs Development By end Year 3 MoJ
and establish system for routine updating of legal resources.
Develop and distribute judicial and procedural manuals for Development From Year 2 on MoJ
legal professionals, including judges, prosecutors and de-
fense advocates.
Survey and standardize routine legal documents (e.g., Development By Year 4 and on MoJ
bonds, title deeds, marriage certificates and certificates of
the courts) and the existing systems for registering, index-
ing and retrieving them.
Apeendcies
Distribute forms to relevant justice facilities nationwide and Development By Year 4 and on MoJ
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202

train staff to use them and make them available to the pub-
lic for standardized nominal fees.

Pilot an electronic storage and retrieval system for legal Development Year 2 to 3 SC,MoJ,AGO
registration documents
Design legal awareness programs paying particular atten- Development Years 1 - 3 MoJ
tion to:
• Successes and lessons learned from previous campaigns
• Human rights and Islamic values
• The rights of women and children
• The needs of illiterate persons
• Transitional justice
• The roles of each justice institution in promoting access to
justice for all.
Implement legal awareness programs, in coordination with Development Commence end Year 2 on MoJ, IDLG
activities expanding formal justice systems to provinces.
Conduct baseline survey legal aid service provision Development Commence end Year 2 on MoJ
Consider options and costs of various models for legal aid Development By Year 2 MoJ
delivery, and draw up recommendations for a legal aid sys-
tem.
Implement legal aid recommendations Development Year 2 and on MoJ
Conduct needs assessment and survey of obstacles to access Development By end Year 1 MoJ
to and use of formal legal system.
Draw up recommendations to increase access to and use of Development By end Year 1 MoJ
formal legal system
Survey of legal gateways to justice services. Development By end Year 1 MoJ
Consider options and costs of various models for improving Development By end Year 1 MoJ
access to formal system, and draw up recommendations
Implement recommendations to improve access Development Year 2 and on SC,MoJ,AGO
Generate public awareness about corruption and anti- Development Year 2 on SC,MoJ,AGO
corruption issues
strengthened institutional response to stop violence against Institution Building Year 2 on SC,MoJ,AGO
women
improved capacity of the provincial govt to address and Development Year 3 and on SC, SGO, MoJ
deal with VAW
Civil justice is administered Review existing civil justice processes and practices, in- Institution Building Year 2 MoJ, AOG,, SC
effectively, and in accor- cluding enforcement of judgments, and develop recommen-
dance with law, the Constitu- dations based on the findings.
tion, and international stan- Public demands Sexual Harassment and grievance handling Legislation Year 2 and on National Assembly, MoJ, AOG
dards laws/policy to be enacted
Criminal justice is adminis- Strengthen the legal framework so as to improve respon- Legislation From Year 2 on MoJ
tered effectively, and in ac- siveness to the needs of juvenile offenders and children in
cordance with law, the Con- conflict with the law
stitution, and international Strengthen the legal and institutional framework for chil- Legislation From Year 2 on MoJ
norms and standards dren accompanying their parents in prison.
Develop and implement policy recommendations for im- Legislation From Year 2 on MoJ
proving sentencing, detention, and conditions of prisoners.
Promote practices within the justice institutions that are Institution Building From Year 2 on SC,MoJ,AGO
supportive of the rights of victims, witnesses, the accused,
and those convicted of crimes
Family Response Units, staffed by all female police offi- Institution Building Starting Year 2 and on SC,MoJ,AGO
cers, are functional in all provinces, and are effectively
linked with Special Victims Units in the AGO.
Develop and implement training programs for corrections Institution Building By end year 4 MoJ
officials incorporating recommendations based on analysis.
Rationalize and update civil justice process and practices, Institution Building Starting Year 3 PAR (MoJ)
including enforcement of judgments, in accordance with the
developed recommendations
Review and analyze existing assistance, programs and ac- Development By Year 1 MoJ, MOLSA
tivities for juvenile offenders and children in conflict with
the law.
Develop information campaigns to enhance the public’s Development Starting Year 2 and on MoJ, MOLSA
knowledge of the rights of victims, witnesses, and the ac-
cused in the criminal justice system
Procedural code is amended to address specific needs of Development By Year 3 MoJ, MOLSA
witnesses, including women and other vulnerable groups
Establish a system to record past human rights abuses and Development Year 2 and on MoJ, MOLSA
to preserve the rights of victims
Apeendcies
Carry out a baseline survey of prosecution efficiency and Development By end year 1 SC
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number of criminal complaints proceeding to trial.
Develop a program for prioritizing prosecution resources Development By end year 2 AGO
according to seriousness of the offense.
Review and analyze existing assistance, programs and ac- Development By Year 2 MoJ
tivities relating to sentencing practices, detention practices,
and prisoner conditioners.
Regulatory reforms, procedures and protocols established Institution Building Year 2 and on MoJ
Counter Narcotic Laws implemented Legislation Year 2 and on MCN, AGO, SC, MoI
Justice institutions are trans- Develop, finalize and disseminate codes of ethics for pro- Institution Building By end Year 1 SC,MoJ,AGO
parent and accountable fessionals in justice institutions.
Performance evaluation with special focus on corruption Institution Building Year 2 and on SC,MoJ,AGO
incorporated as part of the system transparency and ac-
countability
Train justice professionals on ethics code. Institution Building Year 2 on SC,MoJ,AGO
Design and establish dedicated and effective institutional Institution Building Year 2 and on SC,MoJ,AGO
units and procedures to advice on and enforce codes of
ethics.
Improve the professional and ethic standards of attorneys at Institution Building Year 2 and on SC
law through an Independent Bar Association.
Develop and standardize informational materials on the Institution Building By end year 3 MoJ
mission, the function and the operating procedures of each
justice institution and make it available to the public.
Establish a dedicated office within each justice institution Institution Building By end Year 3 SC,MoJ,AGO
and organization capable of acting as a focal point for pub-
lic inquiries.
3 Justice institutions participate in a commissioned study of Institution Building Year 4 and on MoJ
the feasibility of introducing administrative law structures
and procedures to enhance accountability of government
institutions
Implement the activities related to operations of the justice Institution Year 2 and on SC,MoJ,AGO
sector contained in the National Anti Corruption Strategy.
Pillar: Good Governance
Sector: Religious Affairs
Strengthen educational The educational curriculum and academic activities of the Sharia faculties to be coor- Institution End of 1389 Ministry of Higher Education
religious institutions dinated Building
Scientific and cultural relations of the Sharia faculties to be established with similar Development End of 1389 Ministry of Higher Education
organizations and Islamic countries.
The Islamic science section of the science academy and research center of the Islamic Development End of 1392 Science Academy and Ministry of Haj and
science would be empowered in term of cadre and budget Endowment
Equipped building for Islamic studies section of science academy and Islamic studies Development End of 1392 Science Academy and Ministry of Haj and
research center will be constructed Endowment
All madrasas shall be registered by ministry of education and follow similar curricu- Institution End of 1389 Ministry of Education
lum till end of 1388 Building
The revision in Islamic subject of the schools curriculum will be made based on the Development End of 1389 Ministry of Education
Islamic realities, nation’s interests and sound education of the young generation
Compile and publish textbooks required by religious schools based on new curriculum Development End of 1392 Ministry of Education
Establish 34 religious schools and Darul Hifaz at national and sub national levels Development End of 1389 Ministry of Education
Establish 100 religious schools and Darul Hifaz in the districts of the country Development End of 1392 Ministry of Education
Construct and equip Bebi Bebi Aisha girls’ religious school in Kabul City Development End of 1389 Ministry of Education
4 girls’ madrasas will be established in Mazar-e-sharif, Herat, Kandahar, Jalalabad Development End of 1392 Ministry of Education
Establish university of Islamic studies at Masters and PhD levels Development End of 1392 Ministry of Higher Education
Establish a university specifically for girls Development End of 1392 Ministry of Higher Education
Enhance religious aware- Compile and publish works of research projects of science academy and center of Development End of 1392 science academy and Islamic studies ‫ا‬
ness research for Islamic studies. research center
Draft and implement campaigning program of clerics and preachers with regards to Development End of 1392 Ministry of Haj, Civil Service commission,
anti-corruption. GIAAC
Draft and implement campaigning program of clerics and preachers with regards to Development 5 years Ministry of Haj and Endowment, Ministry of
counter-narcotics. Counter Narcotics
Draft and implement campaign programs of clerics and preachers concerning the Is- Development End of 1390 Ministry of Haj, MoWA and concerned
lamic rights of women; religious value of literacy; elections; forced marriages and agencies
violence that are condemned by Islam and other social issues.
Draft and implement campaign program of clerics and preachers concerning the en- Development 2 years Ministry of Haj, NEPA and concerned agen-
couragement of people to environment protection including practical programs for cies
mosques, Husnias and Khanaqas
Launching programs and incentive competitions among scholars, the youth and Development End of 1392 Ministry of Haj, Ministry of Information and
women concerning Islamic issues such as on characteristics of prophet of Islam Culture, Science Academy
P.B.U.H., recitation of Holy Koran and other issues relating Islam at national, regional
Apeendcies
and global level

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206

Convention of seminars, workshops and conference on important Islamic issues for Development End of 1392 Ministry of Haj, Ministry of Information and
enhancing the awareness of people Culture, Science Academy

Establish a grand religious library in Kabul Development End of 1392 Ministry of Information and Culture and
Ministry of Haj
Compile, translate and publish religious guidance books in Dari and Pashto Development End of 1392 Ministry of Information and Culture and
Ministry of Haj
Translate and publish Islamic books (Tafseer, Hadith, Fiqa, and Theology) Development End of 1392 Ministry of Information and Culture and
Ministry of Haj
Quality and quantity improvement of magazines such as Payam-e-Haq and Irshad Development End of 1392 Ministry of Information and Culture and
Islam Ministry of Haj , Science Academy
Transformation of Irshad Islam magazine to a news paper Development End of 1392 Ministry of Information and Culture and
Ministry of Haj , Science Academy
Establish a quality newsletter concerning the closeness of Islamic sects Development End of 1389 Ministry of Information and Culture and
Ministry of Haj
Publish an Islamic encyclopedia containing the role of Afghanistan in Islamic culture Development End of 1392 Science Academy and other agencies
and studies
Enhance capacity of reli- Training program for Mullahs, preachers Institution End of 1392 Ministry of Haj and Endowment
gious scholars Building
Convene seminars and workshops for religious scholars. Institution End of 1389 Ministry of Haj and Endowment
Building
Seminars and workshops will be convened for religious scholars. Institution End of 1392 Ministry of Haj and Endowment
Building
Compile and publish pamphlets on rights of women and children; harms of narcotics, Development End of 1392 MCN, MoWA, other agencies with coopera-
bribery and corruption and other related social issues. tion from Ministry of Haj
Establish a center for training preachers Development End of 1390 Ministry of Haj and Endowment
Ensure the access of scholars to new technological studies (including computer and Institution End of 1392 Ministry of Telecommunications, Ministry of
internet) Building Haj
Establish library at congregational mosques of the capital and provinces Development End of 1392 Ministry of Haj, Ministry of Information and
Culture
Religious service delivery Statistics of all Islamic scholars, clerics; Sikhs and Hindus will be provided for better Development End of 1389 Ministry of Haj and Endowment
and infrastructures service delivery.
Prepare a typical design for mosques and Husnias of important cities and townships Development End of 1388 Ministry of Haj, Urban development and
containing library, ablution site, toilets and other required places and submitting these Municipality
designs for agencies and people that are interested in construction of mosques.
Establish departments of Hajj and Endowment at all provinces Development End of 1392 Ministry of Haj and Endowment
Construct mosques, Husnias, Khanaqas, and Jamat Khanas Development End of 1392 Ministry of Haj and Endowment
Rehabailitate mosques, Husnias, Khanaqas, Jamat Khanas Development End of 1392 Ministry of Haj and Endowment
Establish operational centers of Hajj, Umra pilgrimage in Kabul and other zones Development End of 1392 Ministry of Haj and Endowment
Construct female Fate ha khana Development End of 1392 Ministry of Haj, with cooperation of munici-
palities, MoWA
Construct congregational mosques for women to conduct congregational prayers Development End of 1392 Ministry of Haj and Ministry of Women’s
affairs
Construct a building for Ministry of Hajj and Endowment which is in accordance with Institution End of 1392 Ministry of Haj and Endowment
Islamic architecture, well-equipped and one that meets all needs of related offices. Building
Rehabilitate the endowed properties Development End of 1392 Ministry of Haj and Endowment
Recover and return endowed assets that are in the control of irresponsible people to Development End of 1392 Ministry of Haj and related agencies
Ministry of Hajj and Endowment
Establish an empowered, independent facility in Kabul that is authorized for deliver- Institution End of 1392 Supreme court, Ministry of Haj
ing Fatwas concerning Islamic issues Building
Anti-corruption and elimi- Implement administrative reform program in Ministry of Hajj and Endowment (na- Institution End of 1389 Civil Service Commission and Ministry of
nating immorality tional and sub national levels) Building Haj
Draft and implement campaigning program for religious scholars and preachers con- Development End of 1389 Ministry of Haj, Civil Service Commission,
cerning anti-corruption GIAAC
Establish administrative units and prepare specific programs for preventing unaccept- Institution End of 1392 Ministry of Haj, Ministry of Information and
able social acts that are against Islamic values through campaigns in all mass media Building Culture
and Minabers
Participation of scholars in Establishment of Cooperation committees of scholars for local dispute settlement and Institution End of 1392 Ministry of Interior Affairs and governors of
social affairs implementation of reconstruction programs in all districts. Building all provinces
Mosques , Husainias, and Takia Khanas will be used for the purpose of pre-school Development End of 1392 Ministries of Labor and Social affairs, Edu-
education for under age school children including girls and boys with the combination cation and Haj
of state kindergarten programs and traditional education at mosques
Poverty reduction and self Establishment of mechanism for salary grading and payroll of scholars, preachers and Institution End of 1392 Ministry of Haj and Endowment, ministry of
reliance of religious insti- other mosque and Takayas’ servants. Building finance and justice.
tutions Signing a contract with traders and private sector for building shops and business cen- Institution End of 1392 Ministry of Haj and Endowment and relevant
ters where mosques and other holy sights are located. Building Municipalities.
Program ticket selling will be launched for pilgrims of important shrines Development End of 1390 Ministry of Haj and endowment.
A Bank account will be Established for Ministry of Hajj and Endowment for collec- Institution 1 end of Ministry of Haj and Endowment and general
tion of financial assistance delivered by people Building 11392 banking department
Establishment of A state agency for collecting and distributing zakat and related ser- Institution End of 1392 The general directorate of Haj and endow-
vices. Building ment affairs managenment.
Apeendcies
Regional Cooperation Keeping contacts with Islamic countries through formal and legal means for securing Development End of 1392 Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of
their material and moral assistance; strengthen relations with Islamic countries organi- Haj and Endowment
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208

zation; establish relations of Ministry of Hajj and Endowment with similar entities in
other Islamic countries.

Conferences on important Islamic issues will be convened by Ministry of Information Institution End of 1392 Ministry of Information and Culture, MOFA,
and Culture; Hajj and Endowment at international or regional level. Building Ministry of Haj, Science Academy
Opportunities will be provided for religious scholar delegation to visit different sects Development End of 1392 Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Haj
including Sunnis and Shias in neighboring and Islamic countries and similar delega-
tion will be asked to visit Afghanistan
Establishment and strengthening of permanent branches at Saudi Arabia for arranging Institution End of 1392 MoFA, Ministry of Haj
Hajj and Umra pilgrimage Building
Coordination between An authorized body for coordinating governmental programs between governmental Institution End of 1392 ANDS, OAA, MOF
religious institutions and nongovernmental organizations will be established Building
An administrative unit will be established in the Ministry of Information and culture Institution 2 years Ministry of Information and Culture, Minis-
and other line agencies prepare specific programs for preventing unacceptable social Building try of Haj, with cooperation of Science Acad-
acts that are against Islamic values which puts national interest in danger. emy
PILLAR: ECONOMIC GOVERNANCE AND PRIVATE SECTOR DEVELOPMENT

SECTOR: PRIVATE SECTOR DEVELOPMENT AND TRADE
Objectives or Outcomes Policy Action or Activities Category Timeframe Responsible Agency
The legal framework for the Enact the required laws (Corporations, Partnerships, Commercial Arbitration, Legislation Mid-1389 Cabinet, DAB and National
business sector is improved Commercial Mediation, Contracts, Agency, Standards, Copyrights, Trade- Assembly
marks, and Patents) to complete and update the basic legal and regulatory
framework governing private sector activity in social and economic develop-
ment. Government, business and the international community to make a
stronger effort in lobbying National Assembly regarding the urgency of enact-
ing laws.
Invest in capacity building for National Assembly so that MPs are better in- Institution Building Mid-1388 National Assembly and donors
formed and supported in their role and understanding of the rationale, use and
content of proposed laws.
Establish the principle and formalize and standardize processes to consult with Legislation End-1386 Cabinet, DAB and National
the private sector (business and civil society) in a meaningful and timely man- Assembly
ner during the process of drafting policies and laws.
Establish the principle that no law can be implemented unless it has been ga- Legislation End-1386 Ministry of Justice, Ministry of
zetted, published in the newspapers, and made available electronically and in Finance, ANDS
hard copies at no cost. Explore the option of using the Afghanistan National
Development Strategy (ANDS) website as an interim solution for publishing
laws after their enactment. Publish the tariff structures on the Ministry of Fi-
nance website.
Amend the tariff legislation to facilitate ROZ (Reconstruction Opportunity legislation/ RC Cross MoCI, MoJ, MoFA, MoF
Zone) trade along the border with Pakistan Cutting Issues
Endorse the authority of mediation and arbitration tribunals to resolve private- Institution Building Mid-1389 MoJ
private and private-public disputes, including land issues.
Ensure the competency and transparency of tribunals by establishing standards Institution Building Mid-1389 MoJ
and building the capacity of arbitrators, mediators and lawyers.
Undertake financial audits of State Owned Enterprises Other Measures Mid-1388 MoCI, MoF
Privatize and corporative state owned assets Other Measures Mid-1389 MoCI, MoF
Implement an adequate insurance law. Legislation Mid-1389 MoF, DAB, FIs
Encourage the development of an appropriately regulated private insurance Other Measures Mid-1388 MoF, DAB, FIs
sector.
Work with donors to create risk management tools for domestic and foreign Other Measures End-1389 AISA/MIGA
investors, appropriate to the specific risks of investing in Afghanistan.
Private sector access to fi- Lay out a concrete strategy with time-bound actions to significantly expand Other Measures Mid-1388 DAB, Afghanistan Bankers'
nance is increased the outreach and range of financial products and services, especially targeting Association, Microfinance
small and medium enterprises. Investment
Enact an appropriate legal framework including passage of four financial laws: Legislation End-1388 DAB, Ministry of Justice
Secured Transactions, Mortgage, Leasing and Negotiable Instruments.
Build capacity in the financial sector by establishing an independent banking Institution Building Mid-1388 DAB together with Afghanistan
and business training institute as a joint commercial bank – DAB initiative. Bankers' Association
Establish a credit information bureau to facilitate commercial and consumer Institution Building End-1388 DAB, Afghanistan Bankers'
lending. Association
Establish a financial tribunal to provide swift legal decisions on financial dis- Institution Building End-1388 DAB, Ministry of Justice
putes.
Expand provision of donor and private sector micro and SME finance Other Measures End-1388 MoF, MoCI, DAB, Afg Bank-
ers' Association
Establish an office in DAB in conjunction with Ministry of Interior to provide Institution Building Mid-1389 DAB in cooperation with Min-
security for cash in transit between banks and bank branches in Kabul. istry of Interior
Apeendcies
Increase the offering of financial services in rural areas through the further Other Measures Mid-1389 Ministry of Agriculture, DAB,
development of effective and sustainable delivery mechanisms with special MISFA
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210

consideration to women.
Implement the agreed upon privatization strategies in Bank-e-Milli and Pash- Institution Building Mid-1387 Ministry of Finance and DAB
tany Bank, including the placement of professional management and board to
restructure the banks free of government interference.
The government uses Public- Ensure the evolving legal framework to permit and encourage power genera- Legislation Mid-1387 Ministry of Energy and Water
Private Partnerships to ex- tion and distribution by the private sector, including through the establishment
pand infrastructure of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs).
Accelerate the execution of priority power generation initiatives: (a) Other Measures End-1386 Ministry of Energy and Water
Sheberghan natural gas generation project; (b) the high voltage transmission
line from Tajikistan.
Improve distribution system, beginning with Kabul, including through out- Other Measures Mid-1387 Ministry of Energy and Water,
sourcing of billing and collections and by providing information to the private DABM
sector on opportunities to invest in electricity supply.
Corporatize DABM (national electricity company) with qualified management Institution Building Mid-1387 Ministry of Energy and Water,
team selected through transparent process. DABM
Launch pilot initiatives in non-grid small and medium-scale provision in Other Measures Mid-1387 Ministry of Energy and Water
smaller cities and in community-based rural power, including micro-hydro
power.
Negotiate competitive terms for reliable power supply from Central Asia. Other Measures Mid-1387 Ministry of Energy and Water
Establish a liaison mechanism for joint forums with Busi- Institution Building/ RC MoCI, AISA
ness/Trade/Employers’ association. Cross Cutting Issues
Trade Facilitation Zones (TFZ) in key areas of Afghanistan that will connect Other Measures/ RC MoCI, others
district and provisional level production to regional and international markets Cross Cutting Issues
by providing the basic infrastructure for processing, packaging and storage.
Surplus land is used by the Draft legislation based on the recommendations of the land policy that com- Legislation End-1387 Ministry of Justice, Ministry of
private sector to increase prises legal frameworks for land registration; land adjudication, including Agriculture
economic activity community-based systems; and the formalization of informal land holdings,
including legislation for adverse possession.
Implement improved simplified procedures for transfer of privately owned Other Measures End-1387 Ministry of Justice, Office of
land. the President
Clarify and simplify the procedures associated with the transfer of publicly- Institution Building Mid-1387 Ministry of Justice
owned and privately-owned land.
Permit foreign investors to obtain access to land through 90-year leases. Other Measures Mid-1387 Ministry of Justice
Extend the duration of leases for government land and ensure that they are Other Measures Mid-1387 Ministry of Justice
either wholly or partly transferable.
Develop a strategy for industrial parks, including the creation of an industrial Other Measures End-1387 Ministry of Commerce and
park development department as an independent authority. Industry, AISA
Regulations, taxes and li- Consolidate the registration of private sector entities and the issuance of tax Institution Building End-1387 Ministry of Commerce and
censes are streamlined and identification numbers into a single platform, extending the service to smaller Industry
better enforced businesses.
Remove licensing requirements except for reasons of health, safety, environ- Other Measures Mid-1387 Ministry of Commerce and
mental protection, land use and access to natural resources. Industry
Make necessary business licenses more effective by re-engineering and Institution Building 12 months Ministry of Commerce and
streamlining them Industry
Adopt the principles of regulatory best practice (RBP) to ensure that new regu- Legislation 18 months Ministry of Commerce and
lations are appropriate and minimize compliance cost Industry, Ministry of Justice
Minimize compliance costs for SMEs by introducing appropriate administra- Other Measures 12 months Ministry of Finance
tive and reporting exemptions for SMEs
Publish comprehensive information on licensing requirements and procedures Other Measures 12 months Ministry of Commerce and
Industry
Educate private sector stakeholders’ (investors, employers, employees and Other Measures 12 months Ministry of Commerce and
consumers) to increase awareness and understanding of their legal and regula- Industry
tory rights and responsibilities.
Establish and enforce “one-stop collection points” for tax payment and other Institution Building Mid-1387 Ministry of Finance
government revenue collection in every district centre.
Continue to eliminate nuisance taxes and reform the tax system to make it Institution Building 12 months Ministry of Finance
simpler, fairer, more competitive and easier to comply with
Reform and revitalize the High Commission on Investment (HCI). Ensure that Institution Building End-1386 High Commission on Invest-
AISA is an effective secretariat; ensure that it meets regularly (starting in the ment; AISA
next 14 days); focus it on policy issues; introduce increased private sector
representation; improve member selection process to focus on competence and
experience; extend access to SMEs throughout the country. Report results of
HCI reform to the private sector.
Apply customs regulations consistently across the country and commit to Institution Building End-1387 Ministry of Finance
achieving an average time for importing and exporting goods in line with best
Apeendcies
practice in the region (reduced by at least half of current levels).

Examine the merits of outsourcing custom services Other Measures Mid-1388 Ministry of Finance
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212

Civil society groups are able Revise, clarify and update the legal framework governing civil society organi- Legislation End-1387 Ministry of Economy, Ministry
to operate effectively to aid zations, including the NGO Law and Social Organizations Law, to cover civil of Justice with Civil Society
in the development process. society more comprehensively, easing the establishment / registration of CSOs stakeholders
and ensuring adequate (not burdensome) oversight.
Develop self-regulatory mechanisms with clearly defined quality standards or Legislation Mid-1387 Civil Society with the en-
a “code of conduct” to ensure that civil society organizations are well man- dorsement of the Ministry of
aged, accountable and their activities are well conceived, effective and attuned Economy
to the needs of Afghans, with governance models drawn from international
best practice.
Establish independent certification bodies for civil society organizations that Institution Building End 1387 Civil Society with the en-
are recognized by Government, the private sector, donor agencies and civil dorsement of the Ministry of
society while introducing the associated capacity building services required to Economy
achieve certification.
Economic activity increases Facilitate private sector involvement to offer short-cycle certificate-level edu- Other Measures End-1386 Civil Society with Business
in response to increased cation for school leavers to rapidly develop the skills of young people and
human capacity and skill sets adults that are crucial to economic development.
and business services Establish the modality for public-private partnerships in the provision of edu- Other Measures Mid-1387 Ministry of Education
cation from basic education through to tertiary levels, including provision of
professional and vocational education.
Computerize all HRM and project activities in MoCI to strengthen Human Institution Building/ AC MoCI
Resource and Program Management Cross Cutting Issues
Establish a coherent national policy framework to guide professional and vo- Other Measures End-1387 MoEC, MoE, MoHE, MoLSA,
cational education, linked to the overall higher education strategy that will Business Community, Civil
ensure coordination, assign clear accountability and set world-class standards Society
(including the process for licensing, certification and accreditation).
Border Management Initiative to focus on the establishment of effective and Other Measures/ RC Ongoing MoCI
efficient Border Crossing Points/Facilities at each Border Control Zone of Cross Cutting Issues
Afghanistan.
Consider quickly piloting specific market-based vocational and professional Institution Building Mid-1387 MoEC, MoE, MoHE, MoLSA,
training initiatives through coalition of Government, industry groups and train- MoWA, Business Community,
ing institutions with special consideration to women. Civil Society
Create incentives for private sector to invest in education specific to skills Other Measures End-1387 Ministry of Economy, Ministry
training, mentoring and on-the-job training. of Finance
Conceptualization of Private Sector Employment Strategy for Women that will Other Measures/ Gender MoCI, MoWA
yield to pro-women employment strategies in the private sector Cross Cutting Issues
Invest urgently in vocational and professional education to meet current needs, Other Measures Mid-1387 Ministry of Labor and Social
while simultaneously making parallel investments in reform of basic and Affairs, Ministry of Education,
higher education systems that will yield longer term results. Ministry of Economy
Strengthen chambers of commerce and business membership organizations Institution Building Immediate Ministry of Commerce and
Industry
Co-ordinate public and private sector approaches to increasing access to essen- Other Measures Mid-1388 Ministry of Commerce and
tial business services Industry
Increase access to information on current business development services Other Measures Mid 1387 Ministry of Commerce and
Industry
Support the establishment of accounting, auditing and other professional asso- Institution Building Mid-1388 Ministry of Commerce and
ciations and the adoption of related professional standards Industry
Increased and more effective Create the legal framework for and ensure the rapid development of the Af- Legislation Immediate ANSA
competition ghanistan National Standards Authority (ANSA)
Establish a consumer protection agency to define, communicate and protect Institution Building End-1389 ANSA
consumer rights
Public-Private Partnerships Identify and implement three pilot projects to test new approaches in areas Other Measures Mid-1387 MoEW, MRRD, MoT,
are used to aid social and such as power, water supply, transportation infrastructure and social develop- MOLSA
economic development ment.
Catalogue best practices drawn from across ministries (especially of Ministry Other Measures Mid-1387 MoPH, MoE, MoLSA
of Health) of genuine partnerships between public and private sectors. Atten-
tion on increased women participation
Develop programs of public-private partnership that would improve health, Other Measures/ CN End-1387 MoPH, MoE, MoLSA, MCN
education, drug demand reduction Cross Cutting Issues
Increased levels of formal- Develop a formalization strategy grounded in an understanding of the incen- Other Measures End-1387 MoCI, MoF
ization tives and disincentives facing business, which reduces entry costs to, and op-
erating costs within, the formal sector and increases the benefits of formaliza-
tion
Effectively communicate the nature and benefits of operating in the formal Other Measures Mid-1388 Ministry of Labor, Ministry of
economy Commerce and Industry
The new Afghanistan Pakistan Transit Agreement (APTA), the revised version Other Measures/ RC MoCI, MoFA, MoF
of Afghan Trade and Transit Agreement (ATTA) signed with Pakistan in 1965 Cross Cutting Issues
Increased provincial eco- Work with provincial public sector institutions to increase the consistency of Institution Building End-1389 Ministry of Commerce and
Apeendcies
nomic growth application of commercial laws and regulations Industry

213
214

Develop and implement economic growth strategies for provinces, based on Other Measures Mid 1388 Ministry of Commerce and
private sector development Industry
Civil society helps drive Create the necessary legal and fiscal incentives that actively encourage indi- Legislation Mid-1387 Ministry of Finance
economic and social devel- vidual and corporate support for social and economic development.
opment Improve the legal framework governing corporate social responsibility (CSR) Legislation End-1387 Ministry of Finance, Ministry
and philanthropy including creating a Foundation law; revising NGO law to of Justice, Ministry of Econ-
allow CSOs to generate (non-commercial) revenue to ensure self- omy
sustainability; creating tax deductions for giving; and developing new mecha-
nisms for private giving such as Zakat funds, a Diaspora fund and community
foundations.
Form a business donor's group to share best practices in corporate social re- Institution Building Mid-1387 Business community
sponsibility and philanthropy to create more flexibility, risk-taking and imagi-
native practices in approaches to corporate giving, including lending good
business practices to civil society.
Increase trust and credibility of the civil society sector by establishing a sys- Other Measures End-1387 Ministry of Economy; Civil
tem to vet CSOs through standards that the businesses would work with, pub- Society
licizing CSO successes, and educating businesses to increase understanding of
the concept of CSR.
The Private Sector and Trade Create a Council for the Private Sector, reporting on progress against this ma- Institution Building Immediate Office of the President
sector strategy is imple- trix to the President.
mented Develop a list of the private sector's most urgent priorities that would support Other Measures Immediate Business community
an enabling environment, developed through a process of sub-national consul-
tation and engagement with the private sector to be presented to the Govern-
ment within three to six months.
Establish a system of stocktaking at six-month intervals to monitor implemen- Institution Building Mid-1387 Proposed Council for the Pri-
tation of the Conference Road Map, with public dissemination of results. vate Sector, Conference Steer-
ing Committee
PILLAR: INFRASTRUCTURE
SECTOR: ENERGY
Outcomes Policy Actions or Activities Category Time frame Responsible Agency
An enabling environment for Issuance of tenders for exploration and exploitation in northern country nota- Development 2008 MoM MEW MoF
private sector investment in bly for power
SECTOR: ENERGY
energy sector created Develop private sector opportunities to take on long-term production, trans- Development 2009-2010 MoM, MEW
port, supply of CNG
Outsourcing operations at DABM (audit, billing) Development 2007-2009 MEW
Implement Private distribution projects Development 2008 MEW, MoM
Private sector promotion in renewable energy Development Immediately MRRD, MEW, AISA
Divestiture of the Liquid Fuels Enterprise Development Program not in place MoF
Assess and revitalize oil refinery Development MoCI, MoM
Development of Sheberghan Gas Fields and Power Plant Development 2008 MoM
Promotion of regional cooperation to facilitate various projects under the Institution Building / RC 2008-2010 MEW, MoFA
energy sector Cross Cutting Issues
To mainstream into all administrative reform programs measures required to Institution Building/ AC 2008-2009 MEW, MoM
address the systems and incentives promoting anti-corruption within the public Cross Cutting Issues
administration system and Development Activities.
To maintain the highest level of transparency, accountability and integrity in Institution Building/ AC 2008-2009 MEW
the relationship between the public and private sector. Cross Cutting Issues
Gender mainstreaming in the policies in the energy sector. Development / Gender Continue MEW, MoWA
Encouragement to Community Based Natural Resource Management for Institution Building / TBD MoM, MEW
meeting energy needs of the people. Env. Cross Cutting Is-
sues
Awareness generation of policy makers on the environmental issues so that Institution Building / Continue MEW, MoM
they are taken care of in all projects in the energy sector. Env. Cross Cutting Is-
sues
Leveraging available donor assistance, pilot CNG for public vehicles (i.e., Development No action at this time. MEW, MoCI, MoM
buses) and taxis; conversion of engines, fitting gas pump stations.
Expanded public power grid Procure spare parts and fuel for thermal generation Development 2008 MEW
Repair existing transmission and distribution systems including rehabilitating Development 2008-2010 MEW
and/or upgrading substations and distribution networks
Install meters for cross border transmission Development 2008-2010 MEW
Repair existing thermal plants Development 2008-2009 MEW
Apeendcies
Starting National Energy Conservation Program (NECP) Development 2009 MEW

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216
SECTOR: ENERGY
Implement ICE technical assistance (ADB) Development Commenced, ongoing MEW MoM MoCI MoF
through 2009 MRRD MoE
Take appropriate measures to reduce electricity loss Development 2008-2010 DABM MEW MoF
Promotion of energy efficiency Development 2008 MEW DABM
Kabul distribution procurement Development Commence work Febru- MEW MoF DABM/S
ary 2008
Completion of NEPS transmission Development Oct 08-Mar 09 MEW MoF
Complete Turkmen assessment Development . March 2008 DABM/S
Assessments of South, East and West Transmission needs Development 2008-2009
Procurement for meters Development Partially conducted now MEW MoF DABM
under distribution ten-
der; more needed.
Installation of Dispatch and Control System Development End 2009 MEW DABM
Motion detectors Development 2008 commence and DABM/S
ongoing
Line inspections (regular protocols) Development Jul-05 MEW
Health & Safety protocols Development 2008 MEW,MoM
Operation & Maintenance protocols Development
Priority to providing energy in areas having substantial narcotics cultivation to Development/ CN Cross Continue MEW
promote economic activity to generate alternate livelihoods Cutting Issues
Increased Access to Rural Link rural energy with micro and small finance programs Development Commencing 2008 MRRD
Energy Services
Develop a comprehensive and appropriate rural energy program Development TBD MEW
Public awareness on rural energy opportunities, benefits, funding Development 2009 MEW, MRRD
Assessment of priority areas based on income-generation opportunities Development 2008 MEW, MRRD
Special attention to gender issues in providing energy for rural areas. Development TBD MEW, MRRD, MoWA
Promotion of Private sector Private Sector promotion in close as formalization of existing operator rights; Legislation End 2008 MoM MEW MoF
tender for new rights (i.e., to support power generation)
Private power generation policy Legislation End 2008 DABM/S
In collaboration with National Regulation Utility Commission (NURC), de- Legislation 2008 MRRD, MEW
velop Rural-remote Energy Policy
SECTOR: ENERGY
Power Purchase Agreements for Power Imports Legislation 2008 MEW

Restructured Energy Sector Revise 2 laws and 2 regulations related to Hydrocarbons, minerals and Market Legislation End 2008 MoM
Governance and Commer- Cadastre & Inspectorate
cialized operations
Corporatization and ongoing commercialization of DABS Legislation March 2008 MEW, MoF
Power tariff reform Legislation Assess in 2008 MoJ, MEW
Establishment of viable ICE working groups Institution Building Feb 2008 MoE MEW
Improved GoA, Donor & NGO Coordination Institution Building 2008 Energy Sector Ministries and
Institutions
Build Afghan capacity to operate and maintain system Institution Building 2009 Energy Sector Ministries and
Institutions
Needs Assessment and Data Base Institution Building 2009 Energy Sector Ministries and
Institutions
Establish Project Management Unit Institution Building Jun-05 MEW
Establish Pricing regime for natural gas Institution Building End 2008 MoM, MoF
Define Government roles in clearly defining TORs for MRRD and MEW on Institution Building Apr 2008 MRRD MEW
rural energy aspects
Development of basic technical standards based on MRRD materials Institution Building Immediately MRRD
Annual audit of all operations Institution Building Power – March 2008; MoM,MEW
others TBD
Develop and implement the organizational structure and staffing plan for Ru- Institution Building 2008 MRRD, MEW
ral Livelihoods and Energy Department (RLED)
SECTOR: TRANSPORT
Expected Outcomes Policy Actions and Activities Category Time frame Responsible Agencies
ROAD TRANSPORT
Improved connectivity Massive road rehabilitation, improvement and maintenance programs. Development/ RC Cross March 2009 MPW
through out Afghanistan and (Ring Roads/Regional highways) Cutting Issues
to the foreign destinations
Apeendcies
Massive road rehabilitation, improvement and maintenance programs. (Prior- Development End of 2010 MRRD, MPW
within the region. ity: 5,335 km)
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218
SECTOR: TRANSPORT
(National Highways/Provincial Roads)
Massive road rehabilitation, improvement and maintenance programs (with its Development End of 2010 MRRD, MPW, MoUD, Mu-
entire infrastructure including drainage, walkways and street lighting system nicipalities
for urban roads).
(Rural Roads and Urban Roads) (Priority: 6,290km Rural roads)
The road and air infrastructure will be built and maintained to a higher quality, Development March 2009 MPW, MRRD
giving road users lower costs. Whereas, the Feasibility Study of the railway
links will be done.
Lower road user costs Rationalize road user fees (one fee) and use funds to establish a road fund that Institution Building End 2009 MPW, MoF
manages all road improvement programs.
Lower road user fees by 75% by end 2008. Development End 2008 MPW, MoTCA, MoF, MoFA,
MoCI
Subsidy to private bus operators to implement the policy on promoting equita- Development/ Gender End 2008 MoTCA
ble access to transportation Cross Cutting Issues
Less journey time lost due to Massive road rehabilitation, improvement and maintenance programs (with its Development End 2010 MUD, Provinical Municipali-
congestion entire infrastructure including drainage, walkways and street lighting system ties, MPW, MRRD
for urban roads).
(Urban Roads)
Improve Public Transport Provision in Urban and inter-provincial (34 prov- Development 2010 MoTCA. MPW, KM, MoUD,
inces) (with having bus and truck terminals in all the provincial centers) Provincial Municipalities
Improved air quality. Pass enabling legislation so that the environmental law has regulations that can Legislation By end-2008 Transport sector line ministries
be enforced and institutions
CIVIL AVIATION
Increased domestic and in- Massive reconstruction program Development By March 2011 MoTCA
ternational passengers and (Kabul Int'l Airport, Herat in compliance with ICAO and IATA requirements)
freight traffic. Massive reconstruction program Development By March 2011 MoTCA
(Mazar-i-Sharif, Jalalabad, Kandahar airports)
Massive reconstruction program Development By March 2011 MoTCA
(Seven Other Domestic airports)
All stakeholders are well More air transport service providers enter the Afghan market—requires an Legislation By March 2011 MoTCA
informed about the viability enabling environment for businesses
of air transport systems.
SECTOR: TRANSPORT
Improved governance of Institutional reform programs and a reduction in the requirement of ISAF to Institution Building By end 2009 MoTCA, MoF
civil aviation sector. use air facilities (Create a new Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), and restore
control of Afghan airspace to the Civil Aviation Authority.)
Massive capacity building programs End 2008 MoTCA
OVERALL TRANSPORT SECTOR
Improved governance struc- Capacity building specially in the areas of project monitoring and contract Institution Building/ AC End 2010 MoTCA
ture of the structure management Cross Cutting Issues
• Completing the regulatory framework- developing the regulatory framework
for the implementation of the Procurement law, developing roads standards
and codes, land acquisition;
• Establishing an effective external scrutiny system;
• Conducting VCA and developing mitigation plans in the sector;
• Targeted anti corruption training for the responsible anti-corruption agencies
to effectively investigate and report on corruption;
• Developing code of conducts and enforcement mechanisms
• Increasing wages of the civil service
Improved connectivity After a study of international standards, adopt a set of standards that are com- Institution Building End 2008 MPW, MRRD, KM, MoUD,
through out Afghanistan and patible with Afghanistan’s neighbors. IDLG
to the foreign destinations Establish a Transport Sector Inter-ministerial Working Group to determine the Institution Building End 2008 MPW, MoTCA, MRRD,
within the region. lines of authority between the transportation-related governance institutions MoUD, MoF, IDLG, MoI, KM
and the roles and responsibilities of each institution.
Create an inter-ministerial costing committee to work with the Ministry of Institution Building End 2008 MPW, MoTCA, MRRD, KM,
Finance to cost out annually programs that take five to fifteen years to imple- MoI, IDLG, MoF
ment
Institute a substantial capacity building program, including a road safety pro- Institution Building End 2008 MoI
gram. (Improve the MoI’s capacity to conduct drivers’ licensing tests, vehicle
safety inspections and enforce traffic flow regulations.)
Develop the Traffic Management Bureau form the MoI to the Provinces and Institution Building End 2009 MoI, IDLG
Municipalities through the new Independent Directorate of Local Governance
Institutional reforms put in place to simplify governance of the sector, includ- Institution Building End of 2010 Transport sector line ministries
ing devolution of authority to the Provinces and Municipalities. and institutions
Cost savings will be realized by the governing institutions and thus there will Institution Building 2009 Transport sector line ministries
be Government budget savings. and institutions
Apeendcies
Put in place systems to improve transparency in all functions of the govern- Institution Building 2010 Transport sector line ministries
ment in the transport sector and institutions
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220
SECTOR: TRANSPORT
Give more autonomy to local communities and the Provincial Governments to Institution Building End 2009 MRRD, IDLG
determine how and when rural roads are improved, as well as provincial roads
Improve coordination between transport sector governance institutions, the Institution Building Transport sector line ministries
MoI and ISAF so that the transport sector can better develop in conflict- and institutions
affected areas of the country as soon as possible
Increase public sector salaries in tandem with increases in capacity Institution Building End 2008 GoA and Transport sector line
ministries and institutions
Annual assessment of data collected and databases maintained and updated in Institution Building 2009 Transport sector line ministries
all planning departments, including municipalities, mapping progress against and institutions
the goal of “best practices” data collection and databases for transport sector
planning, with necessary funding mechanisms and capacity building programs
in place and operational
Strengthening the planning capacity of ministry staff for road transport, air- Institution Building 2010 Transport sector line ministries
ports, and rail functions so that the ministry staff can perform feasibility stud- and institutions
ies, Master planning, and multi-modal planning, as well as asset management
planning, to international standards
Business environment for Pass legislation and enabling regulations to allow transport sector governing Legislation 2013 Office of the President, the
private sector development institutions to competitively engage and manage private contractors, private National Assembly, MoTCA,
improved to create jobs and contract supervision engineers to maintain roads, airports and other transport MPW, MoI, MoF, MRRD,
reduce poverty. infrastructure, also regulations that protect the normal market rights of those IDLG and MoUD
contractors.
Pass required legislation and enabling regulations so that the Mortgage law is Legislation End 2008 Office of the President, the
passed and enforced. National Assembly, MoUD,
MoJ, and MoF
Pass any required legislation and enabling regulations so that private and pub- Legislation End 2008 Office of the President, the
lic sector rights are protected in contract law, enforcement, and penalties for National Assembly, MoCI,
violation. MoJ and MoF
Reform laws relating to determining "fair market value" of lands purchased for Legislation 2010 MPW, MoF, MRRD, MoUD,
transport sector improvements IDLG,Office of President,
National Assembly, MoJ
Develop and put in place an axle-load limit violation fees and an enforcement Legislation End 2008 MPW, MoF
system
Pass any required legislation and enabling regulations so that private sector Legislation End 2008 Office of the President, the
insurance, auditing, and bonding industries can develop, and foreign insurance National Assembly, MoCI,
firms can operate in Afghanistan, protecting rights of the companies and the MoJ and MoF
SECTOR: TRANSPORT
public, with penalties for violations.
Improved trade, transit documentation procedures Legislation/ RC Cross End 2009 National Assembly, MoTCA
Cutting Issues
Introduce and checks and balances for illicit transpiration of human and com- Legislation and Devel- Mid 2009 National Assembly, MoTCA.
modities like precursors, drugs, etc. opment/ CN Cross Cut- MCN, MoI, MoJ
ting Issues
SECTOR: URBAN DEVELOPMENT
Access to secure tenure and Review of relevant legislation to facilitate regularization, followed by program Legislation/ RC Cross End 2013 KM/IDLG/MUD
improved services and pub- of investments in basic infrastructure and public facilities with drawing from Cutting Issues
lic facilities for inhabitants best practices in the region
of informal settlements
Improved institutional coor- Institutional reform and enforcement of administrative processes; introduction Institution Building Mid 2009 KM/IDLG/MUD
dination and monitoring of of effective systems of monitoring and evaluation for the implementation
key urban indicators phase for transparent urban development processes
Increased and inclusive ac- Investments in piped water systems and drainage networks (improved sanita- Development March 2011 KM/IDLG/MUD
cess for urban households to tion),
basic services Urban Property registration and mapping in major municipalities Development End 2009 IDLG, MoUD
Feasibility studies for building new roads Development End 2008 IDLG, MoUD, MPW
Implementation of Traffic Management Strategies Development 2009 MoUD, IDLG, KM, MoI
Increase reconstruction of asphalt roads in major and secondary cities Development 2010 IDLG, MoUD, KM, MPW
Rehabilitation of existing damaged roads Development 2009 IDLG, MoUD, KM, MPW
Design and build (asphalted) new roads Development 2010 IDLG, MoUD, KM, MPW
Increased availability of Investments by public and private sector in land and housing development, Development End 2013 KM/IDLG/MUD
affordable shelter coupled with development of systems of housing finance
Apeendcies
Most needy households receive a housing subsidy Development 2009 KM/IDLG/MUD

City Development Plans for 40 major municipalities Development 2010 MoUD, KM, IDLG
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222
Regional Development Plans for all 8 zones of the country Development 2010 MoUD, IDLG,
Detailed development plans for major 10 cities Development 2010 MoUD, IDLG,
Provide land tenure to the inhabitants in informal settlements Development 2009 MoUD, KM, IDLG
Upgrade the basic infrastructure and urban services in the informal area Development 2010 MoUD, KM, IDLG
Establish Dehsabz New City and turn Kabul into a business hub of the sur- Development 2007 - 2025 DCDA
rounding regions
Strengthened institutional Review and update policies, regulations and implementation plans that will Legislation/ Cross Cut- End 2009 KM/IDLG/MUD
capacity to plan and manage consider crosscutting issues gender, environment, ant-corruption and counter ting Issues
urban development in a sys- narcotics.
tematic and transparent Comprehensive and gender sensitive reform of institutions, review and update Institution Building/ End 2009 KM/IDLG/MUD, MoWA
manner of relevant legislations, policies and administrative processes Gender Cross Cutting
Issues
Institutional Reform Action Plans in 34 municipalities/ministerial departments Institution Building End 2009 KM/IDLG/MUD
Computerize HRM/Finance and program activities to strengthen Human Re- Institution Building/AC MUD, KM
source, Financial and Program Management Cross Cutting Issues
Improved financial management in 30 major municipalities Institution Building End 2009 KM/IDLG/MUD
Property tax implementation Institution Building IDLG, KM
Preparation of economic data base for revenue administration Institution Building MoUD, IDLG, KM
Establish Uni- urban Data collection unit (encourage disaggregated data col- Institution Building/ MoUD, IDLG, KM
lection) Gender Cross Cutting
Issues
Training and capacity building of the key staff in the process of monitoring Institution Building End 2009 KM/IDLG/MUD
and evaluation and re-planning
Capacity building of technical and managerial staff of provincial municipali- Institution Building IDLG,
ties
Improved environment Management Plans and Implementation of management plans initiated for Development/ Environ- MUD, KM, NEPA
friendly programs and poli- protected areas and national parks, including game reserves, wetlands and bird ment Cross Cutting Is-
cies sanctuaries sues
Ensure environment sustainability of all urban development programs Development/ Environ- MUD, IDLG, KM, NEPA
ment Cross Cutting Is-
sues
Develop national settlement and regional strategic plans and through them Institution Building/ RC End 2009 MUD, IDLG,
provide a framework for balanced urbanization and greater regional coher- Cross Cutting Issues
ence, from which the border cities of Afghanistan and neighboring countries
shall benefit.
SECTOR: MINES AND NATURAL RESOURCES
Objectives or Outcomes Policy Actions or Activities Category Time frame Responsible Agency
Geophysical and geological Planning exploration activities, mapping, survey of minerals, oil and gas, col- Development Continued MoM
information available lection of geophysical and geological information
Conducting geological research studies Development Continued MoM
Increased access to water Master plan on underground water development Development End 2014 MoM, other line ministries
resources
Manual for underground water management Development End 2008 MoM
Rehabilitation of the Hydrological and Geo-engineering research sections Development End 2010 MoM
Issuance of permit to Private Sector who work on underground water Development TBD MoM
Rehabilitation and establishment of new Hydrological Stations for collection Development Continued MoM
of the necessary information and figures
Enhancement of working relationships with related line ministries for water Development Continued MoM
Increased Private Sector Design and implementation of Mineral policy Legislation 2008-2013 MoM
Investment in mining sector Preparation of Gas Law and Manual Legislation End 2009 MoM
Analysis study of loss and damages in mines extraction Development Continued MoM
Categorizing oil and gas fields to gas blocks for better management Development Continued MoM
Leasing of oil and gas blocks to privates sector for research and study Development Continued MoM
Establishment of new organizational structure for gas and oil management Institution Building End 2008 MoM
Public access to natural gas Design of plan for gas pipeline grid to provinces Development Continued MoM
Strong regulatory framework PRR Implementation Institution Building End 2009 MoM
in place
Capacity building of Survey and Geological staff Institution Building Continued MoM
Equipping labs of GSD Institution Building First Phase will be done MoM
Apeendcies
by 2008 and then Con-

tinued
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224
Standardizing working a capacity of Geology staff Institution Building Continued MoM

Coordination with different countries in raising capacity of the public sector Institution Building Continued MoM
Introduction of measures to ensure environmental concerns taken care of. Institution Building/ Env. Continued MoM
Conservation of Biodiversity in implementing mining projects Development/ Env. Cross Continued MoM
Cutting Issues
Promotion of regional cooperation to facilitate various projects under the Development/ RC Cross Continued MoM
mining sector Cutting Issues
To mainstream into all administrative reform programs measures required to Institution Building / AC Continued MoM
To maintain the highest level of transparency, accountability and integrity in Institution Building / AC Continued MoM
the relationship between the public and private sector. Cross Cutting Issues
Gender mainstreaming in the policies in the mining sector. Development/ Gender 2008-2013 MoM
Priority to areas having substantial narcotics cultivation to promote economic Development/ CN Cross 2008-2010 MoM
activity to generate alternate livelihoods Cutting Issues
SECTOR: WATER RESOURCES
Expected Outcomes Policy Action Category Time frame Responsible Agencies
Improved water sector legal Assess, identify, draft, review, debate, resolve, finalize water law and supple- Legislation 2008-2009 MEW, MAIL., MoM, MoUD,
and governance structures mentary regulations MRRD, NEPA, MoPH
and institutions in place Conduct appropriate studies, identify specific pilot programs, experimentation, MEW, MAIL,MRRD, MoM,
Institution Building by 2010
and customize river basin institutional structures. MoUD, NEPA
Establishment of institutions for hydrometric network in the country Institution Building by 2010 MEW
National urban and rural water supply institutions in place Institution Building by 2011 MoUD, MRRD
Training of staff from various sector ministries on integrated water resources Institution Building Continue MEW, MAIL., MoM, MoUD,
management MRRD, NEPA, MoPH
Establishment of organization and capacity building of River Basin Agencies Institution Building 2008-2009 MEW
and Sub-agencies (RBA/ SBA) and River Basin and Sub-basin Councils
(RBC/SBC)
Training of SCWAM Technical Secretariat staff Institution Building Continue MEW, MAIL., MoM, MoUD,
MRRD, NEPA, MoPH
Gathering of data socio-economics, geology/groundwater, environment, hydro- Institution Building by end 2010 MEW, MAIL., MoM, MoUD,
logical, meteorological and others for project development MRRD, NEPA, MoPH
Development of curriculum in water resources management at local universi- Institution Building by end 2009 MEW, MAIL, MoHE,
ties/technical colleges MRRD, MoM
Assessment studies for project Institution Building Continue MEW,MAIL, MRRD,
MoUD, NEPA, MoPH
Institute training in HEC RAS and other appropriate modeling techniques Institution Building 2010 MEW, MAIL., MoM, MoUD,
MRRD
Assignment of staff/personnel to consultancy contracts for training Institution Building end 2009 MEW, MAIL,
MRRD,MoUD, MoM
Gender discrepancies in various laws systematically uncovered Legislation/ Gender 2008-2009 National Assembly, MoUD,
Cross Cutting Issues MoJ
Regional water issues dialogues initiated Legislation/ RC Cross TBD MoFA, MEW, MAIL,
Cutting Issues SCWAM
Sustainable water resources Initiate appropriate inventory studies, water resources planning studies and Development end 2010 MEW, MAIL., MoM, MoUD,
management strategies and basin master plans MRRD, NEPA
plans covering irrigation and Complete master plan investigations Development 2010 MEW, MAIL,
drinking water supply devel- MRRD,MoUD, MoM,
oped and implemented. SCWAM,NEPA
Identify, study, design, procure and implement projects Development Continue MEW, MAIL,
MRRD,MoUD, MoM,NEPA
Identify, prioritize, and implement rehabilitation program Development Continue MEW, MAIL,
MRRD,MoUD, MoM,NEPA
Water resources for irriga- Enhance achievement tracking procedures and augment NSP resources Development by 2010 MRRD
tion and Drinking purposes WUA implementation programming Development Continue MEW, MAIL, MRRD,
improved. MoUD
Strengthen required resources and monitor programs Development Continue MEW, MAIL,MoUD,
MRRD, NEPA
Apeendcies
Improve existing drinking water supply systems and build new systems in Development by 2010 MoUD, MRRD, MoM, MEW
villages and cities, including Kabul
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226
Rehabilitation of National Hydro-meteorological network Development by 2010 MEW

Development of technical plans, management plans, and implementation Development by 2011 MEW
strategies for Amu Darya River Basin, Northern River Basin, Western River
Basin, Helmand River basin, and Kabul River Basins,
Rehabilitation of all small, medium, and large traditional irrigation schemes Development Continue MEW, MAIL, MRRD
and strengthen water users association
Provision of access to water and sanitation facilities to rural people Development Continue MRRD
Undertake riverbank protection and erosion control works and implement Development Continue MEW
long-term flood control program
Community based natural resource management established Development/ Env. Continue MEW, NEPA, MRRD, MAIL
Water resources for irrigation utilized for non-poppy farming Development/ CN Cross by 2010 MEW, MCN, MAIL, MRRD
Cutting Issues
SECTOR: INFORMATION & COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
Expected Outcomes Policy Actions or Activities Category Time frame Responsible Agencies
E-Afghanistan created Internet Exchange point Development 2008-2010 MoCIT

ICT Village Development 2008-2010 MoCIT
E-Government Development 2008-2013 MoCIT
National Internet Registry of Afghanistan (NIRA) Development 2008-2011 MoCIT
Afghanistan Cyber Emergency Response Team (AfCERT) Development 2008-2011 MoCIT
National Identity Management Initiative (NIMI) Development 2008-2013 MoCIT
Enabling Environment Development of policies, laws, regulations procedures and other normative Legislation 2008-2010 MoCIT
acts to accelerate the role of telecom services to citizens
Establish Telecom Development Fund (TDF) Legislation 2008-2013 MoCIT
Drafting the ICT Law Legislation 2008-2009 MoCIT
Develop CIO (Chief Information Officer) culture in government organizations Institution Building 2008-2009 MoCIT
Movement of the government institution to a modern level of services to the Institution Building 2008-2013 MoCIT
SECTOR: INFORMATION & COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
Expected Outcomes Policy Actions or Activities Category Time frame Responsible Agencies
citizens
Developing Curriculum and Regulatory Framework for ICT Training Centers Institution Building 2008-2011 MoCIT
in the Private Sector
Develop rules and regulations to require all government institutions to publish Institution Building end 2008 MoCIT
documents on their official websites (as a supplement to the Official Gazette)
Adopt a full set of Rules and Procedures that will govern the competitive pro- Institution Building end 2008 MoCIT
curement and utilization of ICT by all government institutions
Reduce corruption by reviewing all government services and making recom- Institution Building end 2009 MoCIT
mendations for the adoption of ICT to streamline and automate (for example,
customs processing, procurement and licensing
Pilot home based ICT related work for women Development/ Gender 3nd 2008 MoCIT
ICT Literacy improved Establishment of ICT centers in 34 Provincial capitals Development 2008-2011 MoCIT
Improved ICT coverage and Optical fiber backbone Development End 2008 MoCIT
Infrastructure
Government online (web presence) Development 2008-2013 MoCIT
E-government Resource Centre Development 2008-2013 MoCIT
Copper Cable Network Development 2008-2013 MoCIT
Expansion of District Communication Network (DCN) Development 2008-2013 MoCIT
Expansion of Microwave System Development 2008-2013 MoCIT
Village Communications Network (VCN) Development 2008-2013 MoCIT
Modernization of Postal Services Development 2008-2013 MoCIT
National Data Centre (The electronic data of the government will be securely Development 2008-2013 MoCIT
hosted and will be available to all entities upon request and level of access)
The National Data Centre will have information on crosscutting issues like Development/ Cross 2008-2013 MoCIT
anti-corruption, counter narcotics, and environment. Cutting Issues
PILLAR: HEALTH AND NUTRITION

SECTOR: HEALTH AND NUTRITION
Apeendcies
Expected Outcomes Policy Actions or Activities Category Time frame Responsible Agency
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228

Increased quality of health Develop an effective organization and management system to coordinate all Institution Building 2008 - 2013 MoPH
care services services of NHCS
Strengthen HRD unit to oversee the HR and R&D issues, Computerize all Institution Building/ AC 2009 - 2013 MoPH
HRM activities to strengthen Human resource management Cross Cutting Issues
Develop a suitable regulatory framework to encourage private sector invest- Legislation 2009 - 2013 MoPH
ment
Strengthen policy and planning support unit in the Ministry Legislation 2008 - 2013 MoPH
Effective monitoring and reporting of quality of services provided by different Institution Building 2008 - 2013 MoPH
agencies
Establishment of a quality support program Institution Building 2008 - 2013 MoPH

Making service delivery performance based through incentives and contract Institution Building 2009 - 2013 MoPH
monitoring and exploring options for implementing results based financing of
health service delivery in Afghanistan.
To mainstream into all administrative reform programs measures required to Institution Building/ 2008 - 2013 MoPH
Increased access to health Implement the Primary Health Care Program Development Ongoing MoPH
care services Develop a comprehensive referral system integrated with BPHS to improve the Development 2008 - 2013 MoPH
service delivery level
Harmonize the system of procurement and disbursement of essential medicines Institution Building 2008 - 2013 MoPH
Develop a comprehensive care system for communicable diseases like TB, Development Ongoing-2013 MoPH
HIV and malaria
Establish and maintain required number of Health Facilities providing diagnos- Development Ongoing-2013 MoPH
tic and treatment TB services
Establish number of Health Facilities providing diagnostic and treatment Ma- Development Ongoing-2013 MoPH
laria services
Establishing effective surveillance system and Volunteer Confidential Counsel- Development 2008 - 2013 MoPH
ing and Testing Center for HIV cases in each province
Awareness generation against ills of drug usage and environmental issues af- Development/ CN Env. Ongoing-2013 MoPH
fecting health Cross Cutting Issues
Establishing centers for treatment and rehabilitation of Drugs users. Development/ CN Cross Ongoing-2013 MoPH
Cutting Issues
Promotion of regional cooperation to make health facilities available to the Development/ RC Cross Ongoing-2013 MoPH
people of Afghanistan if such facilities are not available in the country. Cutting Issues
Effective Reproductive and Develop an integrated reproductive and child health care system with the sup- Development Ongoing-2013 MoPH, MoE, MoWA, MoHE
Child health system port of development partners
Develop effective immunization coverage system with adequate doses of DPT Development Ongoing-2013 MoPH
vaCross Cutting Issuesne & Hepatitis, measles and polio in all provinces
A Special Cell be created to take care and promote all gender issues especially Development/ Gender Ongoing-2013 MoPH
health of females and mothers Cross Cutting Issues
PILLAR: EDUCATION AND CULTURE

SECTOR: EDUCATION
PRIMARY AND SECONDRY EDUCATION

Improved quality of educa- Approval of laws for setting up of Independent Boards for secondary educa- Legislation 1386 MoE
tion tion, vocational education and for national standards of accreditation and regu-
latory framework for quality assurance of education services
Develop policies to encourage the non-government sector to offer services Legislation 1386 MoE
Establish School Advisory and Support Councils (SASC) in all schools Institution Building 1385-1389 MoE
Establish Independent Boards for secondary education, NESA and National Institution Building 1387-1389 MoE
Institute of Management and Administration
Establish a National Institute of Curriculum Development incorporating na- Institution Building 1387-1389 MoE
tional standards benchmarks
Strengthen institutional and staff capacities in curriculum development with Institution Building/ 1387-1389 MoE
special focus on gender, counter-narcotics, environment and anti-corruption. Cross Cutting Issues
Create a sustainable, transparent and accountable financial management system Institution Building 1386-89 MoE
at central, provincial and district level
Create a computerized HRM system to strengthen human resource manage- Institution Building/ AC 1387-1388 MoE
ment Cross Cutting Issues
Monitor the activities of sector administrative units to confirm adherence to Institution Building/ AC 1387 MoE
Apeendcies
ethical standards, professional service and staff integrity, based upon relevant Cross Cutting Issues
laws, codes of conduct and standardized procedures and protocols
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230

SECTOR: EDUCATION
Implement PRR and Pay and Grading of all approved positions within the min- Institution Building PRR1385-1386 Ap- MoE
istry including teaching staff proved position 1387-
1389
Build a national partnership program of literacy and non-formal education Institution Building 1387 MoE
Increase the number of female primary and secondary teachers including re- Development / Gender 1389 MoE, MoWA
training all female teachers who were separated from service during the PRR Cross Cutting Issues
process and re-employing them.
Establish/strengthen teacher training colleges in all provinces Development / Gender 1386-1389 MoE, MoWA
Train 17,000 teachers and 3,500 mullahs in the delivery of literacy courses Development 1386-89 MoE
with at least 30% of them being female teachers.
Improve the quality of primary and secondary teaching (training teachers, Development 1387-1389 MoE
school principals)
Improve teaching material and new curricula for secondary schools Development 1386-1389 MoE
Student Competency tests prepared and implement testing Development 1387-1389 MoE
Adopt an enabling policy to implement the Constitutional provision of compul- Legislation / Gender 1387 MoE
sory education up to intermediate level Cross Cutting Issues
Reduce dropout level by … Development 1389 MoE
Adopt a system to follow up female drop outs and provide incentives to return Institution Building / 1387-1389 MoE; MoWA
them to school Gender Cross Cutting
Issues
Literacy rate increased Increase enrolment rates at primary and secondary school Development 1386-1389 MoE
Implement parent-oriented campaign to promote support to girls' enrolment Development/ Gender 1386-89 MoE; MoWA
Conduct review class for girls who graduate from secondary schools to prepare Development/ Gender 1386-89 MoE
for college entrance examinations Cross Cutting Issues
Have a program of remedial education to address literacy rates Development 1387-1389 MoE
Equal opportunity for all Construction and School Rehabilitation Development 1389 MoE
Construct dormitories and pro-women facilities, especially in the secondary Development/ Gender 1386-89 MoE
level schools Cross Cutting Issues
Produce new textbooks and teacher guides Development 1386-89
SECTOR: EDUCATION
Establish National Institute of Management and Administration at MoE /TVET Development 1387 MoE
Department. Operation of the Institute to be contracted out
Disaggregate by sex all human related statistics Institution Building/ 1386-89 MoE
Gender Cross Cutting
Issues
HIGHER EDUCATION
Improved quality of aca- Policies that require new university professors and lecturers to be hired on the Legislation 1386-1389 MoHE; MoWA
demic teaching and research basis of academic merit and gender balance.
Upgraded qualifications of faculty through university partnership programs Institution Building Already commenced. MoHE
This is a continuing
program (1386-1389)
Recruit foreign residing Afghan and regional Professors through regional Institution Building/ RC TBD MoHE, MoFA
agreements Cross Cutting Issues
Institutional strengthening at MoHE Institution Building Commence 1389- con- MoHE
tinuing
Create a computerized HRM system to strengthen human resource manage- Institution Building/ AC TBD MoHE
ment Cross Cutting Issues
Monitor the activities of sector administrative units to confirm adherence to Institution Building/ AC TBD MoHE
ethical standards, professional service and staff integrity, based upon relevant Cross Cutting Issues
laws, codes of conduct and standardized procedures and protocols
Investigate possible funding models that would provide greater autonomy Institution Building 1386-1389 MoHE
A reorganized and streamlined recruitment and hiring process (PRR) at the Institution Building 1385-88 MoHE
MoHE within its departments and at the 19 institutions of higher learning
Adopt strategy to hire more women professionals; re-train female teachers who Institution Building/ 1385-89 MoHE; MoWA
were dismissed during the PRR process and re-employ them Gender Cross Cutting
Issues
Establish a separate body responsible for standards and accreditation all degree Institution Building 1387-TBD it is a conti- MoHE
granting institutions and professional programs, public and private, in Afghani- noued Programe
stan.
Monitor standards and ensure consistency between institutions Institution Building 1387 MoHE
Revised and approved curricula and related teaching materials; training for Institution Building 1388 MoHE
Apeendcies
professors and lecturers in use of these

Identify and evaluate existing research capacity in higher education institutions Institution Building/ AC TBD MoHE
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SECTOR: EDUCATION
and non-governmental organizations in Afghanistan. Cross Cutting Issues

Improved access to Higher Rehabilitate existing universities and build new library and laboratory facilities Development 1381-1389 MoHE
Education at existing universities.
Construction of 24 new dormitories 12 for men and 12 for women Development 1385-1389 MoHE
Recruit 3000 new professors, including qualified Afghan professors from the Development 1387-1389 MoHE
region (India, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Iran).
Increased number of research centers at higher education institutions. Development 1389 MoHE
New MA programs at departments of languages and literature at Kabul Univer- Development Already Commenced MoHE
sity, and new programs for the faculties of social science, law, economics,
geology, engineering, agriculture, and Islamic law.
Strengthen security in the campus Institution Building / 1386-89 MoHE
Issues
Conduct review class for girls to prepare them for college entrance examina- Institution Building / 1386-89 MoHE
tions Gender Cross Cutting
Issues
Disaggregate by sex all human related statistics Institution Building / 1386-89 MoHE
Issues
VOCATIONAL EDUCATION
Improved quality of voca- Proposal to formalize existing apprenticeship arrangements and expand the Legislation 1387 NSDP
tional education system. Ensure that a recognized qualification is provided to people undertak-
ing apprenticeships who have achieved specified basic competencies.
Expand the capacity and improve the quality of Vocational Education and Skill Institution Building 1389 NSDP
Development
Improve the capacity of the national VET system to manage and deliver mar- Institution Building 1389 MoL/NSDP
ket-driven skills training and linkages to micro-credit and business develop-
ment support services is planned to have increased.
Within the next 12 months, establish an independent National Vocational Edu- Institution Building 1387-TBD it is a contin- NSDP
cation and Training Authority with the responsibility for managing and co- ued Program
coordinating national VET policy will be established. Teaching and operation
of individual VET institutions to be contracted out.
Target the most vulnerable women and youth in the selection of training and Institution Building/ 1386-89 NSDP
SECTOR: EDUCATION
provision of employment opportunities Issues
Improved access to voca- Develop an accessible, regional network of TVET schools and training centers, Development 1387-1388 MoE/TVET Dept
tional education including 17 new schools and a school for those with special needs
Establishment of job-placement centers in all 34 provinces Development 1387-1389 (2010)
The NSDP will procure the services of a variety of training providers (pri- Development 1385-1389 (2010) MoL/NSDP
vate/public) for the provision of training to 150,000 unemployed Afghan
women and men through competitive bidding procedures
Disaggregate by sex all human related statistics Institution Building/ 1386-89 MoL/NSDP
Issues
SPORTS
Improved sports facilities Delegate the overall authority to coordinating sports services in the country to Legislation 1389 MoE/NOC
the Olympic Committee
Build capacity of professional staff of the National Olympic Committee for Institution Building 1389 MoE/NOC
quality programming of administration and service delivery
Approach countries and foreign sporting agencies with facilities for advanced Development 1387 MoE/NOC
athletes to allow Afghan sports people to train and compete in foreign countries
Adopt and implement a strategy to realize the benchmark of increasing Institution Building/ 1386-89 MoE/NOC; MoWA
women's access, leadership and participation in sports Gender Cross Cutting
Issues
Improve Infrastructure (build sports complexes and strengthen sports through Development 1389 MoE/NOC
provincial sports departments, sports improvement programs in capital and
provinces)
Sex-disaggregate all human related statistics Institution Building/ 1386-89 MoE/NOC;MoWA
Issues
SCIENCE ACADEMY
Enhanced contribution of the Establish advisory committees consisting of academy members and MoE and Institution Building 1388 Science Academy
Academy in Science MoHE officials. To advise on training and curriculum issues.
Complete Encyclopedia Project Institution Building 1386-1389 Science Academy
Consider publication of an academic journal edited by the academy Institution Building 1389 Science Academy
Apeendcies
Construct a 7-story building for use by the academy (note: this building could Institution Building 1385-1389 Science Academy
also be used for higher education teaching and seminars)
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SECTOR: EDUCATION
Rehabilitate the Centre for Literature and Language at the academy Institution Building 1385-1389 Science Academy
Provide laboratory facilities for the academy Institution Building 1387-1389 Science Academy

SECTOR: MEDIA AND CULTURE
Afghanistan’s cultural Heri- Rehabilitation of Kabul theater, Ministry complex, 20 historical monuments, Development 2010 MoIC
tage Protected and Preserved building for MoIC provinces Dept. libraries in provinces, music institute in
Kabul construction of museum in Nangarhar, Bamyan etc…
Comprehensive inventory of Afghan cultural treasures Development 2007 MoIC
Measures to be taken to revive the Afghan cultural heritage, to stop the illegal Legislation 2010 MoIC
removal of cultural material and to restore damaged monuments and artifacts
Registration, conservation and restoration of sites and monuments Development 2010 MoIC
The MoIC will continue registration and conservation of monuments, repair Development Continue MoIC
and preservation of museum, archeology items and historical monuments
Free and independent media Pass Media Law Legislation 2008 MoIC
Inventory of intangible cultural heritage (music) Development 2008 MoIC
Take appropriate measures to promote Live Culture (Music, Cinema and Arts) Development 2013 MoIC
Development of a truly editorially independent public service broadcasting of a Development 2010 MoIC
high standard educational radio-TV production centre
Renovation of the existing Radio Studios (National) equipments Development 1385 MoIC
Sensitizing media about the issues related to gender, anti-corruption, counter- Development/ Cross 2010 MoIC (Youth Affairs Deputy
narcotics, environment and regional cooperation Cutting Issues Ministry)
Empowerment of Youth Promoting non-formal education, increasing awareness and developing skills Development 2010 MoIC (Youth Affairs Deputy
(literacy, leadership, strategic planning, conflict resolution, peace-building, Ministry)
etc.) in young people so to provide better quality of life and livelihood oppor-
tunities.
Engaging youth in governance, development and social-political processes at Development 2010 MoIC (Youth Affairs Deputy
local, district, municipal, provincial and national level, ensuring the participa- Ministry)
tion of young women and men in democracy and advocacy.
SECTOR: MEDIA AND CULTURE
Promoting voluntary efforts for peace and development and establishing a Development 2010 MoIC (Youth Affairs Deputy
youth volunteer corps for Afghanistan and also in the fields of gender, anti- Ministry)
corruption, counter-narcotics, environment and regional cooperation.
Sensitizing youth about the issues related to gender, anti-corruption, counter- Development/ Cross 2010 MoIC (Youth Affairs Deputy
narcotics, environment and regional cooperation. Cutting Issues Ministry)
PILLAR: AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT

SECTOR: AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Expected Outcomes Policy Actions or Activities Category Timeframe Responsible Agency
Improved service delivery Review of the legal framework governing ARD sector, including governmental Legislation/ Policy/Plan 1387 - 1389 MAIL, MRRD, MCN and
within the Agriculture & institutional reforms IDLG
Rural Development sector Develop 5 years action plan which quantifies all 8 functions of ARD zones Legislation/ Policy/Plan 1387 - 1388 CARD Inter-ministerial
including budget requirements, roles and responsibilities and appropriate M&E Committee
systems
To mainstream into all administrative reform programs measures required to Legislation/ Policy/Plan 1387 - 1389 MAIL, MRRD
address the systems and incentives promoting anti-corruption within the public / AC Cross Cutting Is-
administration system and Development Activities. sues
To maintain the highest level of transparency, accountability and integrity in Legislation/ Policy/Plan 1387 - 1391 MAIL, MRRD
the relationship between the public and private sector. / AC Cross Cutting Is-
sues
Poverty Reduced in line with Align ARD Programs to promote sustainable growth and distribute wealth Legislation/ Policy/Plan 1387 - 1391 MAIL, MRRD and MCN
MDG targets through CRD
Develop and implement poverty baseline and survey database in addition to Legislation/ Policy/Plan 1387 - 1391 MAIL, MRRD and MCN
NRVA
Improved Local Governance Review and update legislation concerning sub-national governance formal and Legislation/ Policy/Plan 1387-1389 MRRD, IDLG, MAIL
informal structures, roles and responsibilities
Formulate and implement policy imperatives requiring all development actors Legislation/ Policy/Plan 1387-1389 MRRD, IDLG, MAIL
to carry out their activities through the established sub-national structures
Increased Agriculture Pro- Review, revise and formulate land use and government owned land for lease Legislation/ Policy/Plan 1387-1389 MAIL
duction and Productivity Review, revise and formulate Natural Resources laws (wetlands, forests, range Legislation/ Policy/Plan 1387-1391 MAIL
Apeendcies
lands, arid lands ,watershed)

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236

Review, revise and formulate Food laws and regulations (Quality and Safety, Legislation/ Policy/Plan 1387-1390 MAIL
CODEX standards, quarantine)
Review, revise and formulate laws and regulations on Livestock and Horticul- Legislation/ Policy/Plan 1387-1390 MAIL
ture
Review, revise and formulate laws and regulation on Pesticides Use, plant and Legislation/ Policy/Plan 1387-1390 MAIL
animal protection
Review, revise and formulate laws and regulations on agricultural imports and Legislation/ Policy/Plan 1387-1391 MAIL
exports
Formulation of laws on concerning forests, food safety and control, strategic Legislation/ Policy/Plan 1387-1390 MAIL
food reserves, agricultural imports, horticulture and improved seeds.
Restoration and Sustainable Use of Rangelands and forests, conservation of Other Measures / Env. 1387 - 1391 MAIL
bio-diversity, and encouragement to Community Based Natural Resource Man- Cross Cutting Issues
agement
Special focus on gender in polices and plans and their implementation Legislation / Policy/Plan 1387 - 1391 MAIL, MRRD
/ Gen der Cross Cutting
Issues
Improved agriculture and Develop and implement policy on infrastructure investment and maintenance Legislation/ Policy/Plan 1387-1389 MRRD, MAIL
rural infrastructure Develop and implement sub-sector policies on rural roads, water, irrigation and Legislation/ Policy/Plan 1387-1389 MRRD, MAIL
rural energy
Devise and implement appropriate labor-intensive approach and technologies Legislation/ Policy/Plan 1387-1389 MRRD, MAIL
for investment and maintenance of infrastructure
Review, revise and formulate laws and regulations on Water Management and Legislation/ Policy/Plan 1387-1389 MAIL, MRRD, MoE&W
utilization
Establish standards including social and environmental safeguards Legislation/ Policy/Plan 1387-1389 MRRD, MAIL
Enhance public and private sectors capacities to effectively and efficiently Institution Building 1387-1391 MRRD, MAIL
manage and deliver infrastructure programs
Facilitated Economic Re- Review current and formulate new policies, legal and regulatory for establish- Legislation/ Policy/Plan 1387-1389 MRRD, MAIL
generation ing, stimulating and sustaining rural enterprises and credit
Establish rural enterprise support services network Institution Building 1387-1389 MRRD, MAIL
Establish Agriculture and Rural Development Zones Institution Building 1387-1389 CARD Inter-ministerial
Committee
Develop national and international markets for agriculture and non-agriculture Other Measures 1387-1391 MRRD, MAIL, MoCom
produce and products
Promote regional cooperation to help generate economic growth through tech- Other Measures / RC 1387 - 1391 MAIL, MRRD, MoFA
nologies, exchange of knowledge etc. Cross Cutting Issues
Improved service delivery Strengthen line ministries capacities at national and sub-national levels Institution Building 1387-1389 MRRD, MAIL, MCN, IDLG
within the sector Establish an Executive Management Unit with presidential authority and clear CARD Inter-ministerial
Institution Building 1387
mandate to implement CARD Committee
Improved Local Governance Develop mechanism to ensure integration and linkage of local level planning Institution Building 1387-1388 MRRD, IDLG, MoEc
with the national ARD investment planning
Continue capacity development of the sub-national governance structures to Institution Building 1387-1391 MRRD, IDLG
enable them to play a greater role in the development process
Strengthen the sub-national governance structures through sustainable financial Other Measures 1387-1389 MRRD, MAIL, IDLG
mechanisms
Continue the establishment of the local governance informal and formal struc- Other Measures 1387-1389 MRRD, MAIL
tures and village and district levels
Sensitization of functionaries of local governance on gender, environmental, Legislation / Policy/Plan 1387 - 1389 MRRD
counter-narcotics and anti-corruption issues / Cross Cutting Issues
Improved disaster and emer- Support the establishment of disaster early warning system Institution Building 1387-1389 MAIL, MRRD, IDLG
gency preparedness Establish and operationalise a system for mitigation, preparedness and response Institution Building 1387-1389 MAIL, MRRD
to natural disasters and plant/animal diseases and epidemics
Institution Building 1387-1389 MAIL, MRRD
Special focus to gender issues in polices and plans and their implementation Legislation / Policy/Plan 1387 - 1388 MAIL, MRRD
/ Gender Cross Cutting
Issues
Reduced poppy cultivation Design and implement programs to strengthen and diversify licit livelihood Institution Building 1387-1391 MRRD, MAIL, MCN
through Alternative Liveli- Mainstream CN strategy in ARD programs and projects Other Measures / CN 1387-1391 MRRD, MAIL, MCN
hood Cross Cutting Issues
Interventions for promoting legal agriculture livelihood options through inputs Other Measures/ CN 1387 - 1391 MAIL, MCN
like seeds, irrigation, fertilizers, credit and crop insurance Cross Cutting Issues
Training for self employment and micro enterprise and development of micro Institution Building/ CN 1387 - 1391 MAIL, MCN
credit facilities Cross Cutting Issues
Development of private sector especially promotion of small and medium en- Other Measures/ CN 1387 - 1391 MAIL, MCN
Apeendcies
terprise Cross Cutting Issues

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PILLAR: SOCIAL PROTECTION & REFUGEES

SECTOR: SOCIAL PROTECTION
Expected Outcomes Policy Action Category Time frame Responsible Agency
A) SOCIAL PROTECTION
Poverty and vulnerability Initiate and complete the public debate about establishment of the Afghanistan Other Measures by mid-2008 MoLSAMD, MoF, MoHaj
reduction Welfare Fund and introduction of the Zakat-based tax
Introduce the Zakat-based tax in line with the recommendations from the pub- Legislation by mid-2009 MoF, MoHaj, GoA
lic debate and consultations that will take place in 2008
Approve the new National Law on Rights and Privileges of the Persons with Legislation by mid-2008 National Assembly
Disability
Ratifying the UN Convention for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Legislation by mid-2009 MoLSAMD, MoFA, MoJ,
National Assembly
Develop and circulate the National Disability Terms Book Legislation by mid-2008 MoLSAMD
Develop and circulate National Disability Referral Guide other Measures by end-2008 MoLSAMD
Improve labor market regulations to eliminate employer’s abuses and to de- Legislation by mid-2009 MoLSAMD, GoA, National
crease informal economy Assembly
Develop the policy and criteria for providing comprehensive support to the Other Measures/ Gender TBD MoLSAMD
female headed chronically poor households with small children Cross Cutting Issues
In cooperation with the NGOs develop the programs for reunifying the orphans Other Measures TBD MoLSAMD
with their living parent/parents.
Develop and approve policy and standards for establishing day care center Other Measures by end - 2009 MoLSAMD
within orphanages and by the NGOs
In cooperation with the NGOs develop the network of day care centers Institution Building by end-2009 MoLSAMD
throughout the country
Provide support to the Afghan Red Crescent Society for building the new shel- Institution Building continuously MoLSAMD, ARCS
ters/marastoons
Develop the project and criteria for free distribution of the livestock, orchards Other Measures by end-2008 MoLSAMD, MAIL
and tools for farming
In cooperation with the NGOs develop the programs for reunifying the orphans Other Measures by mid-2008 MoLSAMD
with their living parent/parents.
Develop and approve policy and standards for establishing day care center Other Measures by mid-2009 MoLSAMD, MoJ
within orphanages and by the NGOs
In cooperation with the NGOs develop the policy and standards for dealing Other Measures by-mid 2009 MoLSAMD
with the children in conflict with law and with children who live with mothers
in detention
In cooperation with the NGOs implement the pilot project for supporting the Other Measures by end-2009 MoLSAMD, MoJ
children that are living with mothers in detention and for children in conflict
with law
Ensure that the most vulnerable groups will be priority for participation in the Other Measures continuously respective line ministries
public work programs
Implement awareness campaigns to increase the financial market literacy of the Other Measures/ AC continuously MoF
poor and issues, laws and regulations against corruption Cross Cutting Issues
Change the NSDP terms of references to introduce the most vulnerable catego- Other Measures Ongoing MoLSAMD
ries as priority group for receiving the skill development trainings
Cost, reprioritize and integrate The ANDS Social Protection Strategy into the Other Measures by end-2008 MoLSAMD, MoF
Core Budget
Reach the agreement with the ISAF/NATO on long term direct support to civil- Other Measures by mid-2008 Government, ISAF/NATO
ian victims of conflict
Develop the project and criteria for free distribution of the parcels with food Other Measures by end-2008 ANDMA, ARCS
and non-food items in winter period (winterization)
Approve poverty-targeted criteria for channeling social protection Other Measures Ongoing MoLSAMD
Conclude international agreements with the neighboring and other countries to Other Measures by end-2009 MoFA, MoLSAMD
regulate the rights of the Afghanistan’s migrant workers
Develop the policy and criteria for supporting the civilian victims of conflict Other Measures by mid-2008 MoLSAMD, ISAF/NATO
Increased employment Establish the institutional framework for accrediting service providers for skills Institution Building by end-2008 MoLSAMD. MoE, GoA
development training and for issuing the certificates
Poverty reduction and im- Develop the project for establishing community based insurance scheme Institution Building by end-2008 MoLSAMD, MoF
proved natural disaster pre- Develop the new public work program (Greening of Afghanistan) to support Other Measures by end-2008 MAIL
paredness/response re-foresting
Develop the Policy and criteria for supporting the victims of natural disasters Other Measures by mid-2008 Presidents’ Office, ANDMA
Establish, on a pilot basis, the Crop Insurance Scheme at least in two provinces Institution Building by mid 2009 MoF, MoLSAMD
Poverty and vulnerability Establish the Afghanistan Welfare Fund in line with recommendations from the Institution Building by mid-2009 MoLSAMD
reduction and capacity consultations that will take place in 2008
strengthening
Poverty and vulnerability Redesign the NSP and the NRAP to ensure their presence in remote and poor- Other Measures by end-2008 MRRD, MOPW, MoLSAMD
Apeendcies
reduction, improved em- est provinces

ployment Improve the communication campaigns to better inform the poor about oppor- Other Measures continuously respective line ministries
239
240

tunities to participate in the public work program

Complete the Labor Market Study to ensure that NSDP will meet the needs for Other Measures by mid-2009 MoLSAMD, NSDP
skills of the labor market
Vocational trainings for widows, chronically poor and disabled women Other Measures/ Gender Ongoing MoWA, MoLSAMD
Capacity building Conduct the functional review of the MoLSAMD Other Measures by end- 2008 MoLSAMD
Prepare the Plan for capacity building and restructuring of the MoLSAMD Other Measures by end-2008 MoLSAMD
Develop a Proxy Means Test (PMT) based on non-income variables Other Measures by end-2008 MoLSAMD
Establish the data base and computerize all HRM and project information for Other Measures/ AC by end-2009 MoLSAMD
the beneficiaries of the social protection Cross Cutting Issues
Conduct the comprehensive survey to collect data on number of martyr’s fami- Other Measures by end-2009 MoLSAMD
lies and individuals with war related disability, and on their socio-economic
situation
Conduct the survey to collect data about the female headed chronically poor Other Measures/ Gender by end-2008 MoWA, MoLSAMD
households with small children Cross Cutting Issues
Improved social inclusion Develop the program for evening classes and skill development training for Other Measures by mid-2009 MoLSAMD, MoE
street working children
Adjust the National Action Plan on Disability with the ANDS Social Protection Other Measures by mid-2009 MoLSAMD
Sector Strategy
Conduct the survey to collect data on poor persons with disability Other Measures by mid-2009 MoLSAMD
Develop the criteria and mechanisms for distributing direct cash entitlements to Other Measures by end-2008 MoLSAMD
the poor disabled individuals with the non-war related disability
Develop and approve the policy and standards for establishing the community Other Measures by mid-2009 MoLSAMD, MCN
based rehabilitation centers by the NGOs to support integration of disabled,
drug users and other vulnerable groups
Include rehabilitation of disabled in the BHP in all provinces Other Measures by end-2009 MoPH
Develop the policy and criteria for supporting the victims of violence to in- Other Measures by mid-2008 MoLSAMD
clude the program for reintegration into families, schools and society, as well
as developing the criteria for establishing the NGOs-run shelters for women “at
risk” and vulnerable children
Develop and approve the guidance for providing the free legal advice and me- Other Measures by mid-2009 MoLSAMD, MoJ
diation services (for reintegration into families) to all vulnerable groups
Develop and approve the policy, program and criteria for community based Other Measures by mid-2009 MoLSAMD in cooperation
rehabilitation of drug-addicts and their reintegration into society with MoPH, MCN, MoI, and
NGOs
In cooperation with NGOs implement the pilot project to support extremely Other Measures by end-2009 MoLSAMD
vulnerable groups (homeless, mentally imperiled, elders without family sup-
port) to include options for reintegration into families
Women's capacity building, and establishment of economic centers for better Other Measures/ Gender TBD MoWA, MoLSAMD
economic opportunities Cross Cutting Issues
Develop the project to support the poor Kuchi Other Measures/ Gender by mid-2009 MoLSAMD, MoE, MoPH
Regulate rights of the Kuchi and other population to use traditional summer Other Measures by-mid 2008 GoA
pastures
Improved social protection Eliminate all existing misuses and irregularities in distributing the direct cash Other Measures continuously MoLSAMD
system transfers
Implement the new schedule for payments of the direct cash transfers (twice a Other Measures by mid-2009 MoLSAMD
year) in order to decrease cost of collecting the payments for vulnerable mar-
tyr’s families and individuals with war related disability who are living in re-
mote areas
Develop the strategy for privatization of kindergartens Other Measures by mid-2008 MoLSAMD, MoF
Gradually privatize kindergartens Other Measures by end-2012 MoLSAMD, MoCI
Conduct the survey and collect data on civilian victims of conflict Other Measures by-mid-2009 MoLSAMD, MoI, MoD
Map the NGOs activities in social protection sector Other Measures by mid-2009 MOSAMD
Develop the standards for the NGOs involvement in implementation of the Other Measures by end-2008 MoLSAMD
social protection projects and set up recognized and publish referral system
Ensure that social protection programs of line ministries will be in line with the Other Measures continuously MoLSAMD
SAARC Social Chapter
Establish the qualitative baseline indicators for monitoring of the Social Protec- Other Measures by end-2008 CSO, line ministries
tion Sector Strategy
Prepare and disseminate regular progress and evaluation report on implementa- Other Measures continuously ANDS,.MoLSAMD,
tion of the Social Protection Sector Strategy ANDMA
Decreased domestic drug Implement Drug Prevention Awareness Campaign through media, schools and Other Measures continuously MoE, MCN, MoRA
Apeendcies
demand religious leaders

241
242

Improved aid coordination Develop the database of all Government and donor-funded projects in the area Other Measures by mid-2009 MoLSAMD
system of social protection.
Reduction in harmful child Implement the awareness campaign against harmful child labor Other Measures continuously MoLSAMD
labor
B) PENSION REFORM
Improved old age protection Promulgate the pension reform by the Government decree Legislation by mid-2008 MoLSAMD
Modernize accounting as well as internal operational procedures of the Pension Institution Building by end-2012 MoLSAMD
Department
Develop the new IT system and processes of the Pension Department Other Measures 2008-2012 MoLSAMD
Improve collection of the pension contributions (payroll taxes) Other Measures continuously MoF
Establish a central database to store and process the details on pensioners and Other Measures by end-2012 MoLSAMD
their bank accounts
Introduce payments of pensions through banks Other Measures by end-2012 MoLSAMD
Capacity building Improve the capacity of the Pension Department of MoLSAMD Institution Building continuously MoLSAMD
Improve record keeping and processes of the Pension Department and mini- Other Measures/ AC by end-2012 MoLSAMD
mize any corrupt practices Cross Cutting Issues
Conduct the capacity building and training for the staff and managers of the Other Measures by end-2010 MoLSAMD
Pension Department
C) DISASTER PREPAREDNESS
Improved disaster prepared- Adjust the legislation to clearly reflect the leading role of the ANDMA in co- Legislation by end-2008 GoA, ANDMA
ness /response ordinating the national efforts for disaster preparedness and response but also
for implementing of key programs and projects.
Establish a coordination network of NGO's which are working in the field of by end-2008 ANDMA
disaster risk reduction by creating department of NGO in ANDMA structure
Establish academic consultation network with academy of science, faculty of by end-2008 ANDMA
Engineering and Polytechnic University for designing, prevention & mitigation
projects
Establish Emergency Operation Centers (EOCs) at the provincial level Institution Building by end-2009 ANDMA, Governors
Establish response centers and teams at the regional level Institution Building by end-2009 ANDMA
Establish community emergency response system Institution Building by end-2010 ANDMA
Establish effective early warning system Institution Building by end-2009 ANDMA
Develop back-up communication system based on Codan Institution Building by end-2008 ANDMA
Establish ANDMA’s offices along with the operational centers Institution Building by end-2009 ANDMA
Construct 12 regional storages for aid assistance and equipment Institution Building by end-2009 ANDMA
Approve regular annual plans for disaster preparedness and response Other Measures continuously GoA
Complete collecting information related to risks and vulnerabilities at the na- Other Measures by end-2009 ANDMA
tional and sub-national level and finalizes disaster risk analysis
Develop a guideline for disaster preparedness and response planning Other Measures by end-2008 ANDMA
Develop Standardized Operational Procedures(SPO) for quick assessment and Other Measures by end-2008 ANDMA, line ministries
response, reporting, and for rapid mobilization of international assistance
Develop and operationalize the provincial disaster management plans Other Measures by end-2009 ANDMA, Governors
Improve public awareness activities and raise national awareness about disaster Other Measures continuously ANDMA
risks and vulnerabilities
Integrate disaster risk reduction in national and sub-national policies and plans’ Other Measures by end-2010 ANDMA & All Ministries
– responsible all line ministries

SECTOR: REFUGEES AND INTERNALLY DISPLACES PERSONS
Objectives or Outcomes Policy Actions or Activities Category Time frame Responsible Agencies
Refugees and Internally Dis- Identify bottlenecks (political, security, economic, social and legal) facing re- Legislation/ Gender 2008 – 2013 MoRR, MoFA
placed Persons (IDPs) return turnees (refugees and IDPs) and promote sustainable solutions for them with Cross Cutting Issues
voluntarily according to special focus on chronically poor women, disabled and widows. (dispute settle-
agreed principles and proce- ment mechanisms land tenure, pasture management, rehabilitated livestock,
dures productive infrastructure, vocational skills, shelters and etc
Civil registry law with regards to the Kuchis implemented in close cooperation Legislation 2008 – 2013 MoRR, MoFA
with Ministry of Interior, Border and Tribal Affairs
Tri-partite agreements are concluded between countries of asylum, Afghanistan, Legislation 2008 – 2013 MoRR, MoFA
and UNHCR, fully reflecting the principles of voluntary, dignified and gradual
return, continue to guide the conduct of the voluntary repatriation operation.
Tripartite Commissions are convened as the key policy arena within which deci- Other Measures 2008 – 2013 MoRR, MoFA
Apeendcies
sions on the conduct of voluntary repatriation operations are taken

Annual return planning figures, taking into account Afghanistan’s absorption Other Measures 2008 – 2013 MoRR, MoFA
243
244

capacities are discussed and agreed upon in Tri-Partite Commissions, especially

with the Governments of Pakistan and Iran.
Monitor border movements, interview returnees and document violations of Other Measures/ CN 2008 – 2013 MoRR, MoFA, MCN, MoI
articles of agreements, due attention to be given to counter narcotics issues Cross Cutting Issues
Ensure continued donor support for initial reintegration assistance in critical Other Measures 2008 – 2013 MoRR, MoFA, MRRD
areas like housing, water/sanitation, and financial support
Continued emphasis on social protection (e.g. establishment of referral systems, Other Measures 2008 – 2013 MoRR, MoFA, MoLSAMD,
centers, networks for vulnerable groups and individuals with focus on women) MRRD, MD, UNHCR, ILO,
IOM and partners
Implement programs for improved employment opportunities, skill develop- Other measures 2008-2013 MoRR, MRRD, MoUD, MoE,
ment, basic literacy and numeracy, access to health care MoPH, MolSA
Government’s capacity to Policies adjusted to make provisions for returning refugees and IDPs in national Legislation 2008-2009 MoRR, MoFA, MRRD,
manage and support return programs UNHCR
and reintegration prgrammes Enhance capacity to prepare and reach out information to Afghans either in or Institution Building 2008 – 2013 MoRR, MoFA
is strengthened outside of the country.
Computerize all HRM and project activities to strengthen Human Resource and Institution Building/ AC 2008-10 MoRR
Project Management Cross Cutting Issues
Strengthened public management capacity to develop policy and negotiate Institution Building/ AC 2008-10
agreements and strengthen ant-corruption measures Cross Cutting Issues
Management and implementation of Land Allocation Scheme is improved and Institution Building/ AC 2008 – 2013 MoRR, MoFA
supported to increase number of sites (5-10) in key returnee provinces. Land Cross Cutting Issues
allocation and registration monitored for anti-corrupt practices
Reforms to the structure, organization and work processes of the Ministry and Insitution building 2008-210 MoRR, Civil Service Commis-
provincial Departments of Refugees and Repatriation are completed. sion
Capacity building and technical assistance Institution Building 2008-2013 MoRR, Civil Service Commis-
sion
Enhance communications and interactions between Kabul and provinces Institution Building 2008-2010 MoRR, Civil Service commis-
sion
Data collection, analysis (disaggregated by gender) and knowledge generation Institution Building/ 2008-2010 MoRR
Issues
Policy advice to provincial authorities, Institution Building 2008-2013 MoRR, MoFA, UNHCR
Coordination of interventions and material assistance support. Institution Building TBD
Improved internal coordination mechanisms by establishing joint committee Other Measures TBD MoRR, MRRD, MHUD,
(ministries and related agencies) for policy and operational planning and devel- MoLSA
opment on land Allocation program
Data on Afghans in neighboring countries (Iran and Pakistan) is analyzed and Other Measures/ Gender 2008-2009 MoRR, UNHCR
Afghanistan’s absorption capacity is assessed Analysis to be gender and children Cross Cutting Issues
sensitive
Budget allocations to sectors and provinces takes account of population expan- Other Measures 2007-2010 MoRR, MoF
sion as a result of returns
National initiatives addressing returnee needs (both Male and Female) and local Other Measures By end-first half of MoRR, MoUD, MoFA, MRRD,
host communities developed and enhanced in housing, area-based and commu- 2009 MoE, MoPH
nity development programs with particular emphasis on employment, liveli-
hoods, and skill development.
Monitoring and evaluation mechanisms for tracking the reintegration process Other Measures By end of 2009 MoRR, ANDMA, MRRD, pro-
are established vincial authorities
Improved terms of stay and Research and analysis to support policy advocacy Other Measures By end of 2013 MoRR, MoFA
conditions for Afghans in Negotiations with neighboring countries led by Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Other Measures 2009-2013 MoFA, MoRR, MoLSA
neighboring countries Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation for more predictable and clearer legal
status and renewable documentation
Identification of program interventions to support policy objectives Other Measures
Bilateral agreements on tem- Research and analysis to support policy and public advocacy (Labor migration Other Measures TBD MoRR, MolSAMD, MoFA, MoI
porary labor migration pro- flows identified and quantified, cross border commuting assessed)
gress Negotiations with neighboring countries led by Ministry of foreign Affairs and Other Measures End of 2013 MoRR, MoFA, MoLSA
Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (Agreements with neighboring and coun-
tries in the region that accept laborers)
Strengthened public management capacity to develop policy and negotiate Other Measures End of 2013 MoRR, MoFA, MoLSAMD,
agreements MRRD, MD, UNHCR, ILO,
IOM and partners
International conference on "Return and reintegration in Afghanistan" Other Measures 2008 MoRR, MoFA, MoLSAMD,
MRRD, MD, UNHCR, ILO,
IOM and partners
Tripartite commissions with Pakistan and Iran meet four times a year Other Measures 2008-20013 MoRR, MoFA UNHCR
Tripartite agreement renewed with Iran on Annual basis and signed with Paki- Other Measures 2008 MoRR, UNHCR
Apeendcies
stan for three years

245
APPENDIX II
Monitoring Matrix
PILLAR: SECURITY
SECTOR: SECURITY
Expected Outcomes Indicators Baselines Targets
Under Assessment, 13 Ehanced coordination amongst
Index on progress of establishing joint coordination centers
Effectively coordinated security sector Coordination centers security setor ministry/
for the ANA and ANP
proposed departments (2013)
# of recruited ANA personnel 64, 996 (Apr 2008) 80,000 (end 2009)
% completion of PAR process in MoD 80% (Apr 2008) 100% (end 2009)
Index on progress of equipping the ANA with technical
Under Assessment TBD
ANA operationally capable of performing those missions and administrative support
and tasks assigned Index on progress of equipping the ANA by Land and Air
Under Assessment TBD
Force
Index on equipping the ANA training centers Under Assessment TBD
% of ANA personnel trained 77% (2008) 100% (2013)
21% (2008) (core
ANA expenditures are fiscally sustainable % of ANA expenditure funded from Government Revenue TBD
budget)
# of recruited ANP personnel 80,426 (Apr 2008) 82,000 (end 2008)
ANP operationally capable of performing those missions % completion of PAR process in MoI 60% (Apr 2008) 100% (end 2009)
and tasks assigned and crime rates reduced % of ANP received logistical support 85% (Apr 2008) 100% (2010)
% of ANP personnel trained 55% (Apr 2008) 100% (2010)
Operational border posts able to protect national sover-
Index on equipping the border posts Under Assessment 100% (2013)
eignty
% of ANP and ABP expenditure funded from Government 8.9% (2008) (core
ANP and ABP expenditures are fiscally sustainable TBD
Revenue budget)
Reduced level of deaths and casualties caused by UXOs,
128,478,929 square Clearance of 540 million square
reduce the number of affected communities and increased # square meters cleared of UXOs
meters of land meters before end 2010
safety precaustions
Enhanced public trust on government ability to deliver 21 Districts complied
# of districts cleared from IAGs 51 Districts targeted
justice and security as IAGs are disbanded and reintegrated so far
By 2013, the area under poppy cul-
Eventual eradication of Poppy Production and crack down
# ha of poppy cultivated land area 193,000 ha tivation will be reduced by half
on drug trafficking
compared to 2007 levels
PILLAR: GOVERNANCE, RULE OF LAW AND HUMAN RIGHTS

SECTOR: GOVERNANCE
Expected Outcomes Indicators Baseline Targets
Empowered National As- Index on the progress of empowering the National As- Under Empowered National Assembly to fulfill effectively its constitutionally man-
sembly sembly. Assessment dated roles (2013)
Reformed Public Administra- Index on the progress of reforming Public Administra- Under
Reformed Public Administration (2013)
tion tion. Assessment
By Jaddi 1392 (end-2013), a training policy for the entire public sector work-
force shall be developed and implemented. Institutional arrangements shall
Trained and Capable Public Index on the progress of building capacity of Public Sec- Under
be put in place to ensure that each member of the workforce gets trained at
Sector Workforce tor Workforce. Assessment
least once in two years in organization specific and job specific training along
with the generic training.
By March 2011, in furtherance of the work of the Civil Service Commission,
Merit Based Appointments Index on the progress of implementing systems, mecha-
Under merit-based appointments, vetting procedures and performance-based re-
and Performance-based Re- nisms and procedures to implement merit based ap-
Assessment views will be undertaken for civil service positions at all levels of govern-
views pointments and performance-based reviews.
ment
Index on the progress of introducing systems, mecha- By Jaddi 1392 (end-2013), the corruption in the judiciary and the government
Under
Corruption Reduced nisms and procedures to reduce and monitor corruption at all levels especially in security, customs, civil administration and munici-
Assessment
at different levels in the government and the judiciary. palities will be significantly reduced.
By Jaddi 1389 (end-2010), the legal framework required for exercise of this
Enhanced Availability of
Index on the progress on enhanced availability of Infor- Under right provided under the constitution will be put in place, distributed to all
Information to Public and
mation to Public and Enforcement. Assessment judicial and legislative institutions, and made available to the public and,
Enforcement
implemented.
By Jaddi 1389 (end-2010) In line with Afghanistan’s MDGs, female participa-
Index on the progress of putting plans, systems and
Improved Participation of Under tion in all Afghan governance institutions, including elected and appointed
mechanisms in place for improved participation of
Women in Governance Assessment bodies and the civil service, will be strengthened by providing a specific per-
women in governance.
cent reservation of seats by enacting a law of affirmative action.
Index on the progress of putting plans, systems and
Nation Prepared for Disaster Under By Jaddi 1389 (end-2010), an effective system of disaster preparedness and
mechanisms in place at all levels for Disaster Manage-
Apeendcies
Management Assessment response will be in place.

ment.
247
SECTOR: GOVERNANCE
Strong and Capable Inde-

The Afghanistan Independent Electoral Commission will have the high integ-
pendent Election Commis- Index on the progress of creating a strong and capable
rity, capacity and resources to undertake elections in an increasingly fiscally
sion holding regular national Independent Election Commission holding regular na- Under
sustainable manner by Jaddi 1388 (end-2009), with the Government of Af-
and sub national Elections as tional and sub national Elections as mandated by the Assessment
ghanistan contributing to the extent possible to the cost of future elections
mandated by the Constitu- Constitution.
from its own resources.
tion
Single National Identity Index on the progress of providing single national iden- Under By Jaddi 1392 (end-2013), civil registry with a single national identity docu-
Document tity to all citizens in the country. Assessment ment will be established
Census Completed and Re- Index on the progress of Census operations and publish- Under Census enumeration fully completed during summer of 2008 in all districts.
sults Published ing of results. Assessment Publishing the full results of census in 2010
Statistical Baselines Estab- By Jaddi 1392 (end-2013), Reliable statistical baselines will be established for
Index on the progress of building statistical capacity in Under
lished and the Statistical Ca- all quantitative benchmarks and statistical capacity built to track progress
the country and establishing statistical baselines. Assessment
pacity Built against them.
By Jaddi 1388 (end-2009), Government will carry out political and adminis-
Mapping of Villages and Go- trative mapping of the country with villages and gozars as basic units and,
Index on the progress of mapping and reviewing the Under
zars and reviewing their the political and administrative maps will be made available at all levels for
boundaries of Villages and Gozars. Assessment
boundaries the purpose of elections, socio- economic planning and implementation of
sub-national governance policy.
A community based process for registration of land in all administrative
Index on the progress of establishing a modern land ad- units and the registration of titles will be started for all urban areas and rural
Modern Land Administration Under
ministration system including settlement of land dis- areas by Jaddi 1387 (end-2008).
System Established Assessment
putes. A fair system for settlement of land disputes will be in place by Jaddi 1386
(end-2007).
By end-1389 (20 March 2011), the Government will ensure formulation and
Index on the progress of putting in place legal, policy,
Sub National Governance Under implementation of sub-national governance policy and, its legal and regula-
institutions and other systems and procedures for
Policy Developed Assessment tory framework. This will be done through a national dialogue on sub-
strengthening the sub-national governance.
national governance and, with technical support of international community.
By end-1392 (20 March 2013), all the councils and offices including munici-
Government Offices physi- palities will have basic facilities and amenities including adequate built up
Index on the progress of providing basic facilities and Under
cally equipped to fulfill their space, computers, communication facility and furniture. The key officials at
amenities to all government offices. Assessment
Role national and sub national level will have adequate means of mobility to make
connection with the communities they are serving
SECTOR: GOVERNANCE
Index on the progress of development of a comprehen- By end-1389 (20 March 2011), all the district centers of the country will have
Free Flow of Information Under
sive MIS for free flow of information from all the District internet facility to facilitate the flow of information between the districts,
from all the District Centers Assessment
Centers municipalities, provinces and, the centre i.e. Kabul.
Human Rights Realized, Pro- Index on the progress of putting in place legal, policy,
Under By Jaddi 1389 (end-2010), the Government's capacity to comply with and
tected, Promoted and Ex- institutional and other systems in place to realize, pro-
Assessment report on its human rights treaty obligations will be strengthened
tended tect, promote and extend human rights in the country.

by end 2010 (1391), reforms will strengthen the professionalism, credibility and in-
Index on the progress of putting in place systems so that Under tegrity of key institutions of the justice system (the Ministry of Justice, the Judiciary,
Public can rely on effectively organ- public can rely on effectively organized and profession-
Assessment the Attorney-General’s Office, the Ministry of the Interior and the National Director-
ized and professionally staffed jus- ally staffed justice institutions.
ate of Security)
tice institutions
# of oversight and disciplinary mechanism developed Under
TBD
and implemented by AGO, MoJ and Supreme Court Assessment
Index on the progress of providing Justice institutions
Under By the end of 2010 (1391), justice institutions will be fully functional and operational
access to infrastructure, transportation, equipment, and
in each province of Afghanistan, and the average time to resolve contract disputes
supplies adequate to support effective delivery of justice Assessment will be reduced as much as possible
services
Justice institutions have access to # of functioning and adequately resourced, judicial Under
infrastructure, transportation, equip- TBD
institutions in each province Assessment
ment, and supplies adequate to sup-
port effective delivery of justice 33 Provincial
services # of functional prisons (Detention Centers, DC) DC TBD
184 District DC
2 (Kabul, Herat)
# of Adequate detention and correction facilities for
18 Provinces TBD
women
with no facilities
Legal education and vocational train-
Index on the progress of improving legal education and Under By end-2013 the Justice Institutions will Have recruited and promoted justice profes-
ing are adequate to provide justice
Apeendcies
vocational training to provide justice professionals with sionals on merit, based on established policies and procedures, including meeting the
professionals with sufficient know- Assessment
sufficient know-how to perform their task target of 30% of the professional staff being female
how to perform their task
249
Statutes are clearly drafted, constitu- Index on the progress of making Statues clearly drafted, Under
tional and the product of effective constitutional and the product of effective and consulta- TBD
and consultative drafting processes tive drafting processes. Assessment
Under By 2009 (1388), the new criminal procedure code will be enacted and published, and
Index on Progress of enacting and implementing new
for its implementation training with written commentary will be provided to all legal
criminal procedure Assessment
Justice institutions effectively per- professionals, as well as community legal education for citizens
form their functions in a harmonized By end-2013 the Justice Institutions will have mapped in detail the processes linking
and interlinked manner Index on the progress of putting in place systems so that Under all justice institutions, and have streamlined them to improve information systems and
Justice institutions effectively perform their functions in
Assessment business processes, with the aim of reducing delays in processing of cases, adminis-
a harmonized and interlinked manner.
trative costs and vulnerability to corruption
By end-2013, the Justice Institutions will encourage press coverage of justice pro-
Citizens are more aware of their Index on the progress of making citizens more aware of Under ceedings, public attendance at those proceedings, and general public understanding of
rights and justice institutions are their rights and justice institutions being better able to the process at each stage of such proceedings. The justice institutions should encour-
better able to enforce them. enforce them. Assessment age and participate in the development of outreach programs within civil society in-
cluding curriculum for public education at all levels
Criminal and Civil justice is admin- Index on the progress of putting in place systems so that
Under By end-2013, the Justice Institutions will have established an easily accessible and
istered effectively, and in accordance Criminal and Civil justice is administered effectively,
functioning public complaints system in at least eight major provincial capitals with
with law, the Constitution, and inter- and in accordance with law, the Constitution, and inter- Assessment clear processes for handling complaints
national standards national standards.
Justice institutions are transparent Index on the progress of making justice institutions Under By end-2013, the Justice Institutions will have determined their vulnerabilities to
and accountable transparent and accountable. Assessment corruption and established policies and procedures to eliminate such vulnerabilities

SECTOR: RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS
Strengthen educational religious institutions Index on progress of Scientific and cultural relations of the Sharia faculties
# of equipped islamic studies departments
% progress on Madrasa registration by Ministry of Hajj & Religious Affairs
Index on progress of curriculum revision based on Islamic values
Enhance religious awareness # of campaign programs
Index on progress of Grand Religious Library
# of Religious books, guidelines published
Index on porgess of publishing an Islamic Encyclopedia
Enhance capacity of religious scholars # of training programs for religious scholars
# of trained regligious scholars
Religious service delivery and infrastructures Statistics on Regligious Scholars in the country
# of properly equipped Hajj and Endowment departments in each province
# of Mosques
# of congregational facilities for women
Anti-corruption and eliminating immorality Index on progress of eliminating corruption morality programs
Participation of scholars in social affairs Index on progress of coordination of scholars in social affairs
Poverty reduction and self reliance of religious in- % of increase in collection of Zakat and public donations
stitutions
Regional Cooperation Index on progress of regional cooperation in religious affairs
Coordination between religious institutions Index on progress of coordination amongst religious institutions
SECTOR: ENERGY
Expected Outcomes Indicator Baseline Targets
An enabling environment for private sector in- Index on the progress of creating an enabling environment for private sector invest-
TBD Enabling Environment for Private Sector by 2009
vestment in energy sector created ment in energy sector.
% of households electrified in urban areas 30% 65% (2011)
% of households electrified in rural areas. 10% 25% (2011)
Expanded public power grid
% of non-residential consumers provided electricity. 35% 90% (2011)
Index on the progress of expanding public power grid. TBD TBD
A strategy for the development and use of renew-
Increased Access to Rural Energy Services Index on the progress of increasing access to rural energy 6%
able energies will be developed by March 2008
Promotion of Private sector Index on the progress of promotion of private sector in energy sector TBD TBD
Index on the progress of restructuring energy sector governance and commercialized Energy sector governance restructuring and
60%
Restructured Energy Sector Governance and operations commercialized operations by 2010
Commercialized operations 75% of the costs will be recovered from users by
Apeendcies
% of recovery of cost of supply 60%

March 2011
251
SECTOR: TRANSPORT
ROAD TRANSPORT
% of target 3263 Km of regional highways or roads to the Fully upgraded and maintained ring road and roads to
2236 km has been rehabilitated
neighboring countries fully upgraded and rehabilitated. neighboring countries by March 2009.
Target has achieved 65% (Out of 38,000
40 % of all villages to be connected by all-weather
% of all villages connected by all-weather roads villages 9,954 villages have access to rural
roads to the national road system by the end of 2010.
roads)
Outdated policies and regulations which
Having updated transport policies/regulation and improved
need to be improved / Although that some
transport management system to enforce and implement the Improved and updated transport management by 2011
management improvement have been in
states law and regulations related to the transport sector.
place
Improved connectivity through out
% of all roads in municipalities (i.e. cities) improved to a
Afghanistan and to the foreign desti- 15-20 % roads are in good condition with 70% of all roads in municipalities (i.e., cities) are im-
good standard (with having bus and truck terminals in all
nations within the region. some improved services proved to a good standard by the end of 2011.
the provincial centers).
out of 2236 km of rehabilitated regional
% of roads in maintainable condition that receive regular Fiscally sustainable system for roads maintenance by
highways, 860 km receives regular mainte-
maintenance June 2008
nance
Index on the progress of putting a fiscally sustainable road
A fiscally sustainable road maintenance system by
maintenance system in place by March 2008 and its cover- 40%
June 2008.
age
Improved sidewalks and shoulders (km) (along with im- 15-20 % roads are in good condition with
Improved sidewalks and shoulders by 2010
proved and connected drainage system) some improved services
Lower road user costs Index on the rationalization of road user costs. 0% Lower road user fees by 75% by end 2008.
Less journey time lost due to conges- Index on the improvement of Public Transport Provision
TBD Less journey time by end 2012
tion and roads in urban areas and inter-provinces.
Index on the progress of the process of enforcing the envi- Environmental protection from air pollution by End of
Improved air quality. TBD
ronmental law in transport sector. 2009
CIVIL AVIATION
Kabul International Airport and Herat Airport are in
Index on the progress of the process of completion of In- compliance with the International Civil Aviation Or-
Increased domestic and international 40% Kabul
ternational Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) compli- ganization’s (ICAO) and the International Air Trans-
passengers and freight traffic by air. 0% Heart
ance for Kabul and Herat Airports. port Association’s (IATA’s) requirements by March
2011.
Index on the progress of the process of up gradation of 50% (KDH) Mazar-i-Sharif, Jalalabad and Kandahar will be up-
Kandhar, Jalalabad and Mazar-e-Sharif Airports with run- 10% (JBD) graded with runway repairs, air navigation, fire and
SECTOR: TRANSPORT
way repairs, air navigation, fire and rescue and communi- 0% (MZR) rescue, and communications equipment by March
cation equipment. 2011.
50% Qalainaw
30% Maimana
0% Faizabad
Index on the progress of the process of up gradation of 7 Seven other domestic airports will be upgraded to fa-
0% Chaghcharan
airports to facilitate domestic air transportation. cilitate domestic air transportation by March 2011.
0% Zaranj
0% Lashkar Gah
0% Tarin Kowt
# of International airports constructed /rehabilitated 0 2 (End 2010)
The feasibility studies for the 10 domestic
# of domestic airports constructed/rehabilitated 10 (2013)
airports have been done.
For have Airport services cost comparable
with international standards ,ICAO person-
Air transport services and costs will be increasingly
Air travel price index comparable to international stan- nel is developing a tariff plan for various
competitive with international market standards and
dards. component of airport services on the basis
rates by March 2011.
of the Airport master Planning study report
of 2004.
Index on the progress of Institutional reform programs and
a reduction in the requirement of ISAF to use air facilities Improved governance in civil aviation sector by end
5%
(Create a new Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), and restore 2011
control of Afghan airspace to the Civil Aviation Authority.)
To enhance capacity of the Ministry, a train-
ing program has been finalized to the tune of
640000. ADB is funding the project.40 stu-
dents will be trained under the program.
Improved governance of civil avia- All the programs will be conducted in 2008.
tion sector. 30 Fire Fighter have been trained in Oman
and another 17 other personnel will be
Index on the progress of massive capacity building pro- By end-2013, transport sector capacity will be en-
trained in 2008. Under the Transition Plan
grams in the civil aviation sector. hanced
also for key functions such as ATC, CNS
and Fire Fighting on the job trainings will be
provided by ICAO experts. The identifica-
tion & the number of the beneficiaries will
be finalized by March 2008. Further 200
Apeendcies
students was sent to FAA academy in U.S.A

and 20 others will be sent by end of 2008.
253
SECTOR: TRANSPORT
OVERALL TRANSPORT SECTOR

Improved Governance in the Trans- Index on the progress of putting institutional mechanisms Inter-Ministerial Working Group estab- Governance of Road Transport sector progressively
port Sector in place for better governance of the Transport Sector. lished. TOR under review improved by by 2013
Index on the progress of passing enabling legislations and
Improved business environment for private sector by
Business environment for private enabling regulations for efficient working of the transport TBD
2012
sector development improved to sector and various players therein.
create jobs and reduce poverty. % increase in amount of taxes and duties collected through
TBD TBD
cross border trade
Index on the progress of providing access to secured tenure The registration of titles will be started for all major
Access to secure tenure and im- and improved services and public facilities for inhabitants 0% urban areas and a fair system for settlement of land
proved services and public facilities of informal settlements disputes will be in place.
for inhabitants of informal settle-
% of informal settlements having access to basic services 10-15 % 50 % by 2013
ments
% of informal settlements have access to secure tenure 0% 90% by 2013
Improved institutional coordination Index on the progress of improving institutional arrange- In principals all the key institutions have
and monitoring of key urban indica- ments for coordination and monitoring of key urban indica- agreed upon on but details and actions have Improved institutional coordination by end 2008
tors tors. been to prepared
By March 2011, Municipal Governments will have
Due to capacity limitation within munici-
Index on the progress of providing improved to basic ser- strengthened capacity to manage urban development
palities; the urban services delivering are
vices by urban households. and to ensure that municipal services are delivered
very low and aren't sufficient and efficient
effectively, efficiently and transparently;
10-15 % urban roads are improved with
% of investment in urban road networks 70% by 2013
some improved services.
in line with MDG investment in water supply and sani-
% of households having access to safe water supply in
Increased access for urban house- 18-21 % h/h has access to safe piped water tation will ensure that 50% of households (h/h) in Ka-
Kabul.
holds to basic services bul will have access to piped water by March 2011
% of households having access to piped water supply in 30% of households (h/h) in other major urban areas
15-18% h/h has access to safe piped water
other major urban areas except Kabul. will have access to piped water”; by March 2011
% of households having access to sanitation facilities in
5-8% h/h have access to improved sanitation 50 % by March 2011
Kabul.
% of households having access to sanitation facilities in 10-12% h/h have access to improved sanita-
30% by March 2011
other major urban areas except Kabul. tion
Proportion of open green spaces per developed urban area less than 5% 30% By 2013
Increased availability of affordable
Index on the progress of providing increased availability of less than 5% 60% by 2013
SECTOR: TRANSPORT
affordable shelter.
% of urban residents having access to affordable finance 0% TBD
shelter The process is underway to implement mort-
% of urban residents having access to housing subsidy 50% by 2013
gage system
% completion of city development plans for 34 provinces 20% 90% by 2013
by 2013 Sustainable water resource management
strategies and plans covering drinking water supply
Strengthened institutional capacity
Index on the progress of building strengthened institutional The process is under way has been recently will be developed along with improved sanitation.
to plan and manage urban develop-
capacity to plan and manage urban development. initiated Municipalities will be operating under updated laws
ment
and polices and effectively and transparently delivering
urban services, with better customer service system
Improved water sector legal and govern- Index on the progress of putting in place improved water sector legal
Partially good (improving) Improved water sector governance by 2013
ance structures and institutions in place and governance structures and institutions in place.
Sustainable water resource management strategies
and plans covering irrigation and drinking water
Sustainable water resources management Index on the progress of developing and implementing sustainable Strategies 70% completed
supply will be developed by end-2008, and irriga-
strategies and plans covering irrigation and water resources management strategies and plans covering irrigation Feasibilities studies for
tion investments will result in at least 30% of wa-
drinking water supply developed and im- and drinking water. large projects are continue
ter coming from large waterworks by March,
plemented. 2011.
% of water coming from large waterworks. 10% TBD
Water resources for irrigation and Drinking Index on the improvement of water resources for irrigation and drink- Improved water resources for drinking and irriga-
25-30%
purposes improved ing water purposes. tion purpose by 2013
# of Hydrometric stations installed and equipped 3 out of 177 TBD
% of lands irrigated through rehabilitated and new water works 1.8 Million Ha Additional 450,000 ha (2013)
% of sites where 90% of tail-enders receive enough water on time TBD TBD
Based on recent surveys 20
By 2013 sites reserved as suitable drinking water
# of sites reserved as suitable drinking water resource % of the sites have been
Apeendcies
resource
reserved
255
% of beneficiaries, by gender, whose technical knowledge and skills
TBD TBD
for managing irrigation assets have increased considerably
% of households in other urban areas except Kabul have access to
15-18% 30% by end of 2011
piped water
% of households in Kabul have access to piped water 18-21% 50% (2010)
# of water points available for rural households TBD TBD
SECTOR: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
E-Government policies, strategies and pilot
Index on the progress of creation of E-Afghanistan E-Afghanistan created by 2013
projects are already launched.
# of government offices having official web presence 15 All Government Offices (2013)
E-Afghanistan created
# of provincial government offices having official web presence 3 All Prov. Government Offices (2013)
# of government offices having Chief Information Officer (CIO) 0 All Government Offices (2013)
# of government offices connected through the fiber optic 20 All Government Offices (2013)
At present telecom law, An independent regula-
Index on the progress of putting legal enabling environment for
tor ATRA and open telecom market is the guar- Enabling Environment by 2013
the ICT Sector in place.
Enabling Environment antor of the enabling environment.
Ministry of Communications and IT and Na-
Index on the progress of building institutions for the ICT Sector. ICT Sector institutions will be built (2013)
tional ICT Council are the existing.
Index on the progress of establishment of ICT centers in 34 Pro-
ICT Literacy improved 15 Improved ICT Literacy, 34 provinces 2013
vincial capitals
By end-2010, a national telecommunications network
Improved ICT coverage Index on the progress of putting in place improved infrastructure GCN, DCN, VCN, CCN, OFC and NDC pro-
to be put in place so that more than 80% of Afghans
and Infrastructure for the ICT Sector. jects are brought, implemented at present.
will have access to affordable telecommunications.
% of Afghans having access to affordable telecommunications 70% 80% (2010)
More than US$ 100 million dollars per year are gener-
% increase in annual revenue generated from the ICT Sector US$ 75 million
ated in public revenues by end 2010
% of population access to mobile phones 20% Increased Access to mobile phones
number of internet users 500,000 Increased Access to internet
# of Post Offices connected to a well-functioning communication
44 Increased number of post offices connected
network and equipped
Approval of Gas Law Creating enabling environment including legal

Strong regulatory framework in
Approval of Mineral Regulations Minerals and Hydrocarbons law has been passed one for increased investment in mining sector
place
Approval of Hydrocarbons Regulations (2013)
Increased Private Sector In- Increase in net revenue of ministry of Increase net revenue of ministry of mines after
In current year (1386)net revenue of ministry of mines is US$ 32 million
vestment in mining sector Mines seven years to US$ 1 billion
Geophysical and geological Surveys conducted in this regard cover only 10% and 4% of country's Survey of 5% area of country's natural resources
Survey of Minerals and Hydrocarbons
information available total hydrocarbons and minerals respectively (minerals and hydrocarbons)
Renovation of Shaberghan gas network
Increased access to Gas re- Increasing gas consumers to 5% of total popula-
and extension of Mazar-e-sharif gas Currently consumers of Afghan gas is less than 1% of total population
sources tion
pipeline and its network
Partial study of water in Kabul river basin has been done, but the water
Increased access to water re- studied do not fulfill the need of Kabul population. Recently assessment Availability of under ground water with quality
Increased access to safe drinking water
sources study in Kabul river basin has been started through research and Geo and quantity
engineering enterprises with support of JICA and USGS
PILLAR: EDUCATION
SECTOR: EDUCATION AND MEDIA, CULTURE AND YOUTH
PRIMARY AND SECONDRY EDUCATION
Index on the progress of putting systems, institutions, procedures EMIS is completed, NIMA, NCB are on going, Education
Started in 1386 and will con-
Improved quality of education and legal framework in place for improving the quality of educa- Law's draft is completed, Law for private Schools are
tinued till 1389 (% TBD)
tion. completed.
Apeendcies
Index on the process of designing and conducting competency test 70% of teachers pass competency test (minimum of 40%
Started in 1387 (% TBD)
for teachers including principals. women)
257
PILLAR: EDUCATION
54,093 male (2002) At least 140,000 competent teachers
No. of competent teachers (male and female).
20,508 female (2002) EMIS Increase Female teachers by 50%
No. of competent principals (male and female) Under Assessment 26,000 school principals
Primary Student/Teacher ratio 43 (2002) TBD
Government Expenditure per student $12.1 (2002) TBD
Index on the progress of designing and conducting competency test
Started in 1387 Competency Test for students prepared and implemented.
for students.
Index on the progress of preparation and implementation of new 1-6 Class Book developed and New curriculum for primary and secondary schools pre-
curriculum for primary and secondary schools. 7-12 Class under developing pared and implemented.
Index on the progress of establishment of separate body responsi-
On progress and WB is sup- Established separate body responsible for standards and
ble for standards and accreditation of all primary and secondary
porting this part accreditation of all primary and secondary schools.
schools.
Adult Literacy rate 28% (2000) TBD
5.9 million enrolled at schools
Total enrolment level (millions) 7.7 m children enrolled (1389)
(1386)
Literacy rates improved % of boys and girls enrolled. 35% and 35% respectively Enrolment Rates (Boys 75%, Girls 60%) (1389)
No. of illiterates in the country (male and female) 11.2 million illiterate (1386) Separate program for non-formal education in place
Primary Completion Rate (Percentage of all children that com-
32.3% (2005) TBD
pleted primary schooling)
75% of school-age children to be within reach of a school
Percentage of children having access to schools 55%
with significantly reduced gender and provincial disparity
Total number of learning spaces (formal/informal) 7,027 (2002) TBD
70% boys (2002)
ratio of boys and girls enrolled 50% each
30% girls (2002)
Equal opportunity for all No. of new school buildings constructed with basic amenities for At least 90% schools and buildings have male and female
692 1386
both male and female facilities by 1389
establishment of (1,200 new
schools and 1,200 CBS)and
Index on the progress of providing equal opportunity for all for Established and constructed new schools, recruitment of
construction of 692 new
education teachers, especially female teachers.
schools, recruitment of 149,000
teachers (40,000 Female)
HIGHER EDUCATION
PILLAR: EDUCATION
Index on the progress of putting in place policies, institutions and Improved quality of academic teaching and research by
To be determined
systems for improving quality of academic teaching and research. 2013
Capacity building of faculty members through partnership
Improved quality of academic No. of faculty members benefited from such programs To be determined
programs
teaching and research
No. of degree or PG courses where curriculum has been revised To be determined New Curriculum for all courses in place by 1388
3000 new faculty members to be recruited from the region
No. of faculty members appointed (male and female) To be determined
by 1389
52200 enrolled male and fe-
No. of students enrolled in the universities (male and female). 100,000 students enrolled in universities by 1389
male (1386)
Construct 41 new facilities at universities across the coun-
Improved access to higher educa- No. of new facilities constructed at universities across the country. 7 facilities constructed
try.
tion
No. of new dormitories constructed for males. 2 Female dormitories con- Construction of 24 new dormitories (12 for women and
No. of new dormitories constructed for females. structed 12 for men)
Index on the progress of improving the quality of higher education.
VOCATIONAL EDUCATION
Improved quality of vocational Index on the progress of improving the quality of vocational edu- Quality of vocational Education will considerably be
To be determined
education cation. improved (2013)
Improved access to vocational education will be available
Index on the progress of improving access to vocational education. To be determined
(2013)
Improved access to vocational
education The NSDP will provide training to 150,000 unemployed
No. of persons trained through NSDP (male and female)) To be determined Afghan women and men through competitive bidding
procedures
SPORTS
Sport facilities will be improved in all provinces of Af-
Improved sports facilities Index on the progress to provide improved sports facilities. To be determined
ghanistan (2013)
SCIENCE ACADEMY
Enhanced contribution of the Index on the progress to provide enhanced contribution of the By 1388 make the Academy competent enough to pro-
To be determined
Academy in Science Academy in Science. mote the cause of science
Apeendcies
259
PILLAR: EDUCATION
SECTOR: MEDIA, CULTURE AND YOUTH
% completion of cultural heritage inventory/registration (1385) 41000 artifacts registered Inventory of Afghan cultural artifacts prepared by 2010
(up to 1386) 1271 archeological
# of rehabilitated historical monuments All historical monuments rehabilitated and protected by 2010
sites
Afghanistan’s cultural Heritage
Protected and Preserved # of rehabilitated/constructed museums 4 Reconstructed TBD
Measures will be taken to revive the Afghan cultural heri-
Index on progress of taking measures to revive the Afghan
TBD tage, to stop the illegal removal of cultural material and to
cultural heritage, to stop the illegal removal
restore damaged monuments and artifacts by end-2010
Index on progress of creating an environment for free and Media law is drafted, needs
Free and independent media Media Law to be passed and implemented by 2008
independent media amendments
# of youths registered as volunteer corps for welfare activi-
TBD TBD
ties like rural health care campaigns etc.
60 LYC (Local Youth Councils)
Empowerment of Youth # of youth clubs registered established in 60 Villages of 6 TBD
Provinces
Index on the progress of providing legal, policy, institu- 34925 both Male and female re- Legal and Institutional framework for youth empowerment
tional and systemic framework for empowerment of youth. ceived training will be in place (2013)
PILLAR: HEALTH
SECTOR: HEALTH & NUTRITION
Functional regulatory framework for quality health

Number of functional public and private hospitals set up Under Assessment
services in place by 2013
Functional organization structure for quality health
Increased quality of health care No. of provinces where organized structure is in place Under Assessment
services in place by 2013
services
Index on the progress of putting in place quality health care Increased quality of health care services will be avail-
Under Assessment
services able throughout Afghanistan by 2013
Overall score on the Balanced Scorecard TBD TBD
Increased access to health care ser- % of population within two hours walking distance from ii) 66% - of population with nearby
90% of population with access to PHC services (2010)
vices PHC services access to PHCs (2006)
No. of health facilities, district, provincial and regional
Comprehensive referral system integrated with BPHS
hospitals equipped with standard package of defined clini- Under Assessment
& EPHS in place by 2013
cal and diagnostic services
% of TB cases detected and treated 68% (2006) Increase of 12% from the baseline
% of Malaria cases detected and using preventive treatment To be assessed Reduction by 60% from baseline
% of children under 1 year having received measles anti- Achieve and sustain above 90% national coverage
77%(2006)
gen, DPT & hepatitis dosage and polio drops (2013).
% of children under 1 year received measles antigen. 35% (2000) Achieve above 90% coverage by 2010.
Effective Reproductive and Child
Maternal mortality ratio 1600 deaths /100,000 live births (2000) Reduce by 50% between 2002 and 2013
health system
Under 5 mortality rate in the country (%) 257 deaths/1000 live births (2000) Reduce by 50% between 2003 and 2013
Reduce infant mortality rate by 30% by 2013 from the
Infant mortality rate (IMR) in the country (%) 165 deaths per 1000 live births(2000)
baseline of 2000
PILLAR: AGRICULTURE & RURAL DEVELOPMENT

SECTOR: AGRICULTURE & RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Improved service delivery

Service Delivery will be improved within the Agriculture and
within the Agriculture & Ru- Index on the progress of improving service delivery within the sector. To be Assessed
Rural Development sector (2013)
ral Development sector
Index on the progress of aligning ARD Programs to promote sustainable ARD programs will be aligned to promote sustainable growth
TBD
growth and distribute wealth through CRD (2013)
10 provinces, 20 dis-
# of provinces, districts, villages covered by NFSP tricts, 200 villages 34 Provinces (2013)
Poverty Reduced in line with (2008)
MDG targets 20,000 households
# household beneficiaries covered by NFSP To be Assessed
(2008)
57% reduction of
% reduction in malnourished population population malnour- TBD
ished. (2008)
Index on the progress of strengthening local governance. TBD Local Governance will be strengthened (2013)
# CDCs established 16,502 (2007) TBD
Improved Local Governance # CDPs completed 16,263 (2007) TBD
# DDAs Established 256 (2007) TBD
# DDPs incorporated into provincial plans # (2007) TBD
Increased Agriculture Produc- Index on the progress of increasing agriculture production and productiv-
Apeendcies
TBD Increased Agriculture Productivity (2013)

tion and Productivity Im- ity.
261
proved agriculture and rural 4500 hectares irri-
infrastructure # of increased irrigated areas TBD
gated (2008)
1,000 hectares are
# hectares with new water efficiency techniques (2008) TBD
water efficient (2008)
# hectares with new mgt techniques 1400 hectares (2008) TBD
Index on the progress of improving agriculture and rural infrastructure. TBD Improved Agriculture and Rural Infrastructure (2013)
4500 hectares irri-
# of increased irrigated areas TBD
gated (2008)
% of villages having access to drinking water 100% (2013)
1,000 hectares are
# hectares with new water efficiency techniques TBD
water efficient (2008)
# hectares with new management techniques 1400 hectares (2008) TBD
% of rural population have access improved sanitation facilities 3% (2007) 70% (2013)
Km of rural roads constructed and rehabilitated 13,500 km (2007) To be assessed
# Villages connected by road to the district centers or major service cen-
4743 (2007) 56% of all villages (2013)
ters.
% of rural population receiving income through participation in short-
15% (2007) TBD
term employment generation activities (non-agrarian)
# of labor days generated 24.5m (2007) 110m (2013)
# of villages benefiting from different sources of electricity 7665 (2007) TBD
% of villages that will benefit from new/ rehabilitated small scale irriga-
36% (2007) 68% (2013)
tion schemes
# (hectares) of New irrigated areas increase 1.5 ha (2007) TBD
Improved water efficiency in existing irrigation 25% (2006) TBD
By end-2010, a policy and regulatory framework will be devel-
oped to support the establishment of small and medium rural en-
Facilitated Economic Regen-
Index on the progress of facilitating economic regeneration. TBD terprises, and institutional support will be established in all 34
eration
provinces to facilitate new entrepreneurial initiatives by rural
communities and organisations
# of rural households receiving services from formal financial institu-
219,000 (2007) 950,000 (2013)
tions
# of agri and non-agri-businesses established TBD TBD

# of poor and vulnerable rural households supported through economic
TBD TBD
regeneration activities
Reduced poppy cultivation By end-2010, decrease in the absolute and relative size of the drug
Index on the progress of reducing poppy cultivation through alternative
through Alternative Liveli- TBD economy in line with the Government's Millennium Development
livelihoods.
hood Goal target
PILLAR: SOCIAL PROTECTION

By end-2011 and in line with the MDGs the proportion of people

Poverty and Vulnerability Reduction Percentage of people living on less than US$1 a day TBD living on less than US$1 a day will decrease by 3 percent per
year.
By end-2012/13 the proportion of the people living below the
Percentage of people living below the poverty line (based
42% (2007) poverty line will decline by 2 percent on annual basis (based on
on Spring data)
Spring poverty data)
By end-2010 proportion of people who suffer from hunger will
Percentage of people who suffer from hunger TBD
decrease by 5 percent
By end-2012/13 the proportion of the population below the mini-
Percentage of population below the minimum level of
45% mum level of dietary energy consumption will decrease by 2 per-
dietary energy consumption
cent on annual basis
By end-2010 number of female headed households that are
Percentage of poor female headed households TBD chronically poor will be reduced by 20 percent and their employ-
ment rate will increase by 20 percent
Percentage of employed females that on the head of the
TBD TBD
poor households
Number of persons with disabilities received micro credit TBD By end-2010 increased assistance will be provided to meet the
special needs of all disabled people, including their integration
Number of persons with disabilities received pension TBD
into society through opportunities for education, skill develop-
Number of people received training TBD ment and gainful employment
Number Persons with Disabilities received Inclusive and
Apeendcies
TBD
Exclusive Education Services
263
Number of Persons with Disabilities received Physical

TBD
Rehabilitation Services
Number of Persons with Disability received other services TBD
Percentage of underweight children in urban and rural; By end-2012/13 prevalence of underweight children in rural and
Reduction in infant mortality TBD
areas urban areas will decrease by 2 percent on annual basis
Number of disabled that have gone trough skill develop- By end-2010 provide training for 150 000 people of which
TBD
ment program women should be 35 percent and disabled 10 percent
Number of women that have gone through skill develop-
TBD TBD
ment program
Improved Social Inclusion By end-2012/13 the Government will employ at least 3 percent of
Percentage of disabled in the public administration TBD
disabled and 30 percent of women within its administration
Percentage of women in the public administration TBD TBD
By end-2010 number of treated drug users will increase by 20
Number of treated drug users TBD
percent
Percentage of collected pension contribution of total pen- By 2012/13 implement the pension reform and increase collec-
Improved old age protection 2%
sion payments tion of the pension contributions
By end-2010 an effective system of disaster preparedness and
Number of the people affected by the natural disaster TBD
Improved disaster preparedness and response will be in place
response Monetary value of the destroyed assets as result of natural
TBD TBD
disaster

SECTOR: REFUGEES & IDPS
Refugees and Internally Dis- # of returnees (male, female) 3 million refugees (Pakistan 2.1 mil- Scenario One
placed Persons (IDPs) return lion, Iran 900,000), 140,000 IDPs Present trend lines improve permitting 800,000 – 1 mill returns
voluntarily according to agreed (estimated) Scenario Two
principles and procedures Current trends continue permitting 600,000-800,000 returns
Scenario Three
Current trends deteriorate permitting 400,000-600,000 returns
Government’s capacity to manage The index on the progress of the process of No measurable indicators currently By 2010, the first phase of reform within the Ministry of Refugees and Re-
SECTOR: REFUGEES & IDPS

and support return and reintegra- strengthening government’s capacity to available, existing capabilities are patriation should have been completed and inter-ministerial mechanisms for
tion programs is strengthened manage and assist them varied but generally extremely limited reintegration assistance should have been established and operating
countrywide
Improved terms of stay and con- # of tri-partite agreements signed TPA signed with Iran Feb 2007 for Agreement with Iran to be renewed annually during the period 2008-2013
ditions for Afghans in neighbor- one year
ing countries TPA signed with Pakistan in Aug Agreement with Pakistan to be extended from 2009-2103
2007 for three years
Bilateral agreements on tempo- # of Bilateral Agreements Currently there are no bilateral Agreement reached with Iran on temporary labor migration by 2013,
rary labor migration progress agreements covering temporary labor Agreement reached with Pakistan on management of cross border move-
migration ments by 2013
PILLAR: ECONOMIC GOVERNANCE & PRIVATE SECTOR DEVELOPMENT

The legal framework for the busi- Index on the progress of putting in place the legal, regulatory and facilitat- 10 draft commercial laws 4 laws passed by mid-1387
ness sector is developed ing framework for the business sector. Additional 6 laws passed by end-1388
Private sector access to finance is Index on the progress of providing increased access of finance to private TBD Number of providers increases by 25% by
increased sector. end-1389
% increase in private sector investment TBD TBD
% of GDP increase as investment levels increases TBD TBD
Public-Private Partnerships Index on the progress of putting in place an enabling environment for PPPs underway at the end of 1386 Number of PPPs increases by 100% by end-
Public-Private Partnerships. number of projects undertaken with PPP 1390
Surplus land is used by the private Index on the progress of creating enabling environment for use of surplus Area of unused government land at Area of additional government land used by
sector to increase economic activity land by the private sector to increase economic activity. the end of 1386 the private sector increases by minimum
100ha per year
Index on the progress of putting in place legal, regulatory and facilitating
TBD TBD
framework for registration and regulation of private sector.
Regulations are streamlined and
80% of economic activity is in the 60% of economic activity is in the informal
better enforced % increase in firms formalizing their operations
informal sector sector by the end of 1390
Apeendcies
% increase in tax revenue from the increased number of formalized firms % of tax revenue from businesses TBD
Civil society groups are able to op-
Index on the progress of putting necessary legal, regulatory and facilitat- TBD TBD
265
PILLAR: ECONOMIC GOVERNANCE & PRIVATE SECTOR DEVELOPMENT
ing frameworks in place so that civil society groups are able to operate
erate effectively to aid in the devel- effectively to aid in the development process.
opment process.
Number of NGOs and Civil Society organizations registered TBD TBD
Increase in formal sector employment of
Economic activity increases in re-
Data for formal sector employment 10% per annum in absolute numbers
sponse to increased human capacity Number of people employed in the private sector
at the end of 1386 Increase in number of courses by 50% by the
and skill sets
end of 1389
Increased provincial economic Index on the progress of promoting increased provincial economic
TBD TBD
growth growth.
Increased and more effective com- Index on the progress of putting in place a legal framework to facilitate
TBD TBD
petition increased and more effective competition
Afghanistan improves its overall Doing
Business ranking by a minimum of five
The Private Sector Development and Index on the progress of implementation of the Private Sector Develop- 2008 World Bank data in Doing
places each year
Trade sector strategy is implemented ment and Trade Sector Strategies. Business data Indicators
60% of economic activity is in the informal
sector by the end of 1390
Apeendcies
267
Islamic Republic of Afghanistan

Afghanistan National Development
Strategy Secretariat
Gul Khana Palace, (Sedarat)
Kabul, Afghanistan
www.ands.gov.af

Afghanistan National Development Strategy

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What are the goals of the Afghanistan National Development Strategy?

What are the goals of the Afghanistan National Development Strategy?

What are the pillars of the Afghanistan National Development Strategy?

What are the pillars of the Afghanistan National Development Strategy?

Islamic Republic of Afghanistan

A Strategy for Security, Governance, Economic Growth & Poverty

VISION FOR AFGHANISTAN

By the solar year 1400 (2020), Afghanistan will be:

The Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS) serves as Afghanistan’s Poverty

1. Security: Achieve nationwide stabilization, strengthen law enforcement, and improve

3. Economic and Social Development: Reduce poverty, ensure sustainable development

Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS) i

iii Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS)

iv Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS)

To meet these challenges, I am pleased to present Afghanistan’s National Development Strategy

vi Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS)

Prof. Ishaq Nadiri

Dr. Amin Farhang

Dr. Zalmay Rassoul

Message from the Ovresight Committee vii

viii Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS)

See complete list of contributors in next page.

FROM THE ANDS & JCMB SECRETARIATS

x Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS)

GOVERNANCE & PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION REFORM SECTOR

JUSTICE & RURAL OF LAW SECTOR

RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS SECTOR

TRANSPORT & CIVIL AVIATION SECTOR

WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT SECTOR

INFORMATION & COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY SECTOR

URBAN DEVELOPMENT SECTOR

EDUCATION AND CULTURE SECTOR

MEDIA, CULTURE AND YOUTH SECTOR

HEALTH & NUTRITION SECTOR

AGRICULTURE & RURAL DEVELOPMENT SECTOR

SOCIAL PROTECTION SECTOR

REFUGEES, RETURNEES & IDPS SECTOR

PRIVATE SECTOR DEVELOPMENT SECTOR

xii Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS)

THE NON GOVERNMENTAL AND CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS

MINISTRY REPRESENTATIVE IN SUBNATIONAL CONSULTATIONS

ANDS PROVINCIAL FOCAL POINTS

xiv Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS)

xvi Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS)

CHAPTER 8 ..................................................................................................................................................... 146

PART III ........................................................................................................................................................... 155

CHAPTER 9 ..................................................................................................................................................... 157

xviii Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS)

PART IV ........................................................................................................................................................... 165

CHAPTER 10 ................................................................................................................................................... 167

CHAPTER 11 ................................................................................................................................................... 177

CHAPTER 12 ................................................................................................................................................... 187

xx Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS)

Acronyms and Abbreviations xxi

xxii Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS)

1. Hamal March 21 7. Meezaan September 23

Glossary of Afghan Terms xxiii

The Government has so far distributed 30,000

2 Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS)

4 Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS)