Wolesi Jirga likely to approve budget

KABUL after the accounts were thoroughly discussed by members of house panels, an official said on Wednesday.

The assembly was not in session today due to a meeting of parliamentary commissions’ members to discuss the draft budget, Finance and Budget Commission head Amir Khan Yar told Pajhwok Afghan News.

“Although some lawmakers pinpointed discrepancies in the draft during the debate, I believe there is no reason for rejecting the proposed budget,” he said.

The Wolesi Jirga wanted to approve the budget after a careful study of fund allocations to enable the government to overcome future problems, he said, without elaborating.

In late February, Finance Minister Hazrat Omar Zakhilwal presented the draft budget with a total outlay of 277 billion afghanis to the lower house.

Addressing lawmakers, Zakhilwal said the first-ever nine months budget for the year 1391 (2012) included 137.3 billion afghanis ($2.78 billion) non-development funds and a 110 billion afs development outlay.

Already approved by the upper house that had recommended cuts amounting to 12 billion afghanis, 57 percent of the general budget will be spent on security sector, 17 percent on education and the rest on other sectors.

ma/mud

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