Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Kabul (BNA) President Hamid Karzai chaired the plenary session of the council of ministers (CM) that was held yesterday at Gul Khana Palace and during which the president considered the recent snowfalls in the country as a good omen for agricultural growth and better harvests in the coming year and sought information about the dispatch of fodder and food items to the Badakhshan province and its related districts.
Second vice-president Mohammad Karim Khalili and chairman of the national committee for disaster preparedness informed the CM on the committee’s decisions and added that during the recent months on the basis of CM decisions, for and fodder have been sent to 14 provinces affected by the drought and the same materials were also dispatched to other provinces as well.
He added that due to inaccessibility in the Badakhshan province some problems had cropped up and the heavy snowfalls added to those difficulties and caused the death of 30 countrymen.
In order to assist the affected families via air and a delegation was sent to the province as well.
In addition to allocation of three million Afs to all the vulnerable provinces another five million Afs have also been sent to be used under emergency circumstances.
The CM instructed the national disaster committee to focus on the inaccessible and vulnerable provinces and supply their food needs and address their other problems.
Minister of public works informed the CM about the volume of snowfalls and cleansing of the highways by the contractors and most of the highways are open to the traffic excepting Ghour and Daikundi provinces roads.
Minister of foreign affairs and national security advisor informed the CM on the contents of the strategic cooperation agreement between Afghanistan and Britain, the draft of long-term bilateral agreement between Afghanistan and France.
The CM confirmed the agreement in principle and instructed the foreign minister and national security advisor to share and finalize this agreement with the French and British governments.
Meanwhile, minister of fiancé presented the national budget for the year 1391.
The minister said that in order to accelerate the process of allocations the start of fiscal year was changed from the first of Hamal to the first of Jaddi and the national budget exceptionally estimated for 9 months (from first of Hamal up to first of Jaddi of 1391) and the total national budget for the nine months period indicate 241.6 billion Afs or USD 4.832 billion of which Afs. 143.2 billion of the ordinary budget and Afs 107.4 billion is the development budget.
The financiers of the national budget is domestic sources making Afs 95 billion and Afs 133.5 billion have been anticipated from the foreign sources and payment of loans is anticipated at Afs. 3.67 billion and despite the above incomes.
Afs. 8385 billion deficits are seen at development budget.
The council of ministers after debating the national budget instructed the ministry of finance, in order to observe a balance in increasing of allocations for backward provinces, should specify the factors for increased budget insecurity sector, non-allocation for energy and water projects such as the Kajaki and Dahla dams and other water reservoirs, describe the allocated budget for National Solidarity program, and the projects which are implemented through the foreign budgets in the provinces as well as job opportunities in the light of the economic policies and explain them at the session to be held in presence of the president of the country with participation of spectral ministers so that the budget is confirmed.
At the end three international conventions were presented by foreign minister to the CM which was confirmed accordingly.
They include:
“The results of ministerial meeting on implementation of trade and transit trade between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
“Protocol between Afghanistan and Turkey on training for national army ground forces in Turkey.
“The draft of the protocol for training of summer camp of military students of military academy of Afghanistan between Afghanistan and Turkey.
