Decision on summoned ministers’ fate on Monday

KABUL or lower house of Parliament on Saturday said the fate of recently summoned ministers on their failure to effectively use development funds last fiscal year would be announced during Monday’s session.

The house had summoned 16 ministers to explain why their ministries had been unable to use most of the allocations last year.

Under Article 92 of the Constitution, the Wolesi Jirga, based on a proposal from one-tenth of its members, can grill ministers on a variety of issues. If the explanation offered is not satisfactory, the house can consider bringing a vote of no-confidence against a minister.

On Saturday, Foreign Minister Zalmay Rassoul, the last official to be called, explained his ministry’s budget was different from budgets allocated to other ministries as the ministry has nothing to do with public related activities.

He said a major portion of the $6 million development funds allocated to the ministry last year was used on constructing buildings for consulates and embassies abroad.

Rassoul said two key projects, a building for Afghan embassy in Islamabad, and a similar facility in Norway, had been postponed due some reasons.

The company working on the embassy building in Islamabad had been unable to complete the project and the project in Norway was postponed due to problems in purchasing land, he said. However, he vowed to effectively use the budget for upcoming fiscal year. 

Speaker Abdur Rauf Ibrahimi announced a final decision about the fate of the summoned ministers would be taken during the general meeting taking place on Monday.

Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat head, Abdur Razaq Samadi, who was summoned to the lower house, also presented his report on less spending of budget last year.

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