Int’l Community Backs Afghan Reforms

Major economic powers and international institutions have announced support for Afghanistan’s economic programs and the government’s reform agenda, Pajhwok reported. A statement from the Afghan Embassy in Washington said on Sunday the support pledge came during a meeting attended by representatives of major economies and Finance Minister Eklil Hakimi. Hakimi briefed representatives of the international community about progress in implementation of Afghanistan’s reform agenda over the past two years and economic activities in the war-torn country. Hakimi said Afghanistan had kept its promises within the national framework it had pledged to evolve at the Brussels Conference. Some of the targets had been achieved in a short period, he claimed. The finance minister said a new system for revenue collection was being established to help boost Afghanistan’s annual revenue from six billion afghanis ($85.2 million) to nine billion afghanis. Representatives of the European Union, World Bank, the UK, Sweden, Denmark, Australia, Canada and USAID attended the meeting.