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Continued Focus Essential to Advance Afghanistan’s Anti-Corruption Efforts: UN Report
The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) on Monday released its annual report on Afghanistan’s fight against corruption.
The report findings show that continued focus and effort are essential for building on the progress made in implementing Afghanistan’s anti-corruption strategy.
“Fighting corruption remains a truly fundamental necessity in Afghanistan,” said Tadamichi Yamamoto, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan. “The United Nations welcomes the progress Afghanistan has made, but all Afghan institutions, along with every segment of society, must persevere in their efforts to advance integrity, accountability, and transparency in the country.”
According to the report, corruption in Afghanistan has weakened the rule of law and put at risk the prospects for peace.
“Fighting corruption remains a truly fundamental and essential endeavor as corruption undermines the rule of law. It opens a door to more crime and creates a vicious circle that fosters a culture of impunity and puts at risk Afghanistan’s journey toward self-reliance,” said Romana Schweiger, the UNAMA Rule of Law Officer.
She further said that corruption “also puts at risk Afghanistan’s prospect for sustainable peace”.
The UN official emphasized that “a negotiated settlement on Afghanistan’s future must be based on integrity and justice”.
The report makes several recommendations, recognizing that the government’s ongoing anti-corruption efforts have yet to impact the lives of most Afghans, and concludes that, notwithstanding the many legal and policy reforms that have been undertaken, corruption remains a substantial obstacle to Afghanistan’s long-term peace and prosperity.
“The United Nations appreciates the government trying to set up many institutional reform measures this year and last, and we encourage pursuing further reform,” said Yamamoto. “The upcoming elections are a test case for implementing lessons learned.”
Meanwhile, the European Union in Afghanistan has welcomed the report, saying it encourages the Afghan government to establish the Independent Anti-Corruption Commission and execute outstanding arrest warrants.
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More needs to be done to boost local industry, says Kabir
The deputy prime minister for policy, Mawlavi Abdul Kabir, met with Nooruddin Azizi, Acting Minister of Commerce and Industry, at Sapidar Palace on Tuesday and discussed issues around the quality of domestic products and the need to grow and develop the industrial sector.
Azizi said that good trade relations with neighboring countries has resulted in stable prices of goods in the country.
He said the Ministry of Commerce and Industry works closely with the private sector. As a result, the private sector functions in a befitting manner and the Islamic Emirate has provided necessary facilities.
Azizi said that based on the Islamic Emirate’s good economic policies, there has been a significant development in the import/export sector in the country.
Kabir in turn voiced appreciation for efforts by the leadership of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and said: “The unprecedented efforts of the IEA’s administrations and the stability of the Afghan currency caused the price of food ingredients to remain in the right state and our people also be able to buy essential materials.”
He emphasized the need to work for a balance in trade with neighboring countries, and said more efforts were needed to improve the quality of domestic products and to grow the sector.
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Russia and Tajikistan hold joint military drills along Afghanistan border
Russia and Tajikistan conducted a joint four-day military exercise along the border with Afghanistan in order to be prepared for any “potential threats”, Tajik media reported this week.
Russian military personnel from the 201st military base in Tajikistan participated in this exercise. Reports stated military personnel practiced various combat tactics, especially tactics to counter terrorist groups that illegally enter Tajikistan.
This comes amid repeated concerns expressed by Afghanistan’s neighbors about what they claim are terrorist threats originating from Afghanistan.
The Islamic Emirate has not yet commented on the drills but has repeatedly denied the presence of terrorist groups in the country. The IEA has also continuously said no militant group will be allowed to threaten another country from Afghanistan.
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Media Violation Commission bans two TV channels
The Media Violations Commission has ordered Noor and Barya TV channels to stop broadcasting and to appear in court, state-run Bakhtar News Agency reported on Tuesday.
ّIt is said that the decision against the channels was taken for “not observing the principles of journalism.”
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