Lawmakers hint at rejecting draft budget again

Wolesi Jirga’s Finance and Budget Commission head Mir Afghan Sapi on Thursday said lawmakers were not against the National Food Program (NFP) but they were against the way it was being implemented.

Addressing today’s session of the lower house, Sapi said no major changes had been brought to the revised draft budget.

He said the method through which the NFP was being executed had not been changed and the lower house would oppose it.

The Wolesi Jirga has already rejected the fiscal year 2021 budget over the eradication of 1,100 uplift schemes and a surge in funds of special accounts under authority of the executive branch of the government.

After being rejected by the house, the budget draft was amended and 20 billion afghanis was added to the accounts which were again approved from the Cabinet.

Another Wolesi Jirga member Selaab said the revised draft budget reached only a few individuals and they did not know what it contains.

He said if there is no surge in salaries of teachers, employees, soldiers and contractors, they will not approve the draft budget.

He claimed an environment of distrust ruled the government and everything was decided inside the Presidential Palace.