Tribal ministry officials to sit competency test

KABUL): The Borders and Tribal Affairs Minister on Wednesday signed an agreement to require his ministry officials sit a skill assessment test aimed at hiring qualified staffers on different posts.

The agreement was signed between Minister Assadullah Khalid and head of the Independent Administrative Reforms and Civil Services Commission (IARCSC), Ahmad Mashahid.

After signing the agreement, Khalid said officials of the ministry would be hired based on results of the competency programme.

He said officials would be posted on 1,157 positions at the ministry based on the test taken from them.

According to Ahmad Massoud Tokhi, the Public Administration Reforms Commission head, 200 public servants had taken the test for 33 government institutions since the start of the programme three years back.

Salaries of government servants having passed the test were increased from 5,000 afghanis ($101) to 32,500afs, he said, adding those who did not sit the competency test received salaries ranging from 3000afs to 6500afs.

IARCSC head Ahmad Mashahid said the pace of the competency test programme was slow, but hoped all public servants would be included in the programme by next year.

He linked the slow pace to security problems.

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