KABUL Investment Support Agency (AISA)’s ambiguous legal status and lack of oversight has put government funds and property in jeopardy of being misused.
After an extensive review, the Independent Joint Anti-Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Committee (MEC) issued recommendations on Saturday, calling for an audit of AISA and a review of the transfer of industrial parks to that organisation.
The recommendations also address the need to reformulate the legal and regulatory framework governing AISA to ensure that appropriate oversight is exercised in the future.
AISA was created by the High Council on Investment to support the development of the private sector in Afghanistan. However, MEC’s analysis reveals that AISA asserts its independence as a limited liability corporation or alternatively as a government entity whenever it is more advantageous.
AISA collects fees for public services, but the income is used directly by AISA, rather than being sent to the Central Revenue Account of the government. Since 2006, AISA has never had to account to the government for its income and expenses, as other government entities do.
The lack of accountability is of greater concern with the transfer of responsibility for the development of hundreds of acres of industrial park land. MEC is calling on the government to review the legitimacy of the transfer of responsibility to ensure that it conforms to the constitution and laws of Afghanistan.
Mr. Drago Kos, MEC’s current chair stated it was a matter of concern AISA’s ambiguous legal status and lack of transparency was allowing it to use public resources inappropriately, particularly in relation to the use of collected fees and the administration of industrial parks.
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