Tuesday, October 02, 2012
Kabul (BNA) President Karzai chaired the plenary session of the council of Ministers (CM) at the presidential place.
To start with president Karzai informed the session about the participation of the high-ranking Afghan delegation to the 67th sessions of the UN General Assembly, the tri-partite meeting of leaders of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Britain, the tripartite session of leaders of Afghanistan, India and Britain and said:
“With understanding that peace is the biggest aspiration of the people of Afghanistan and that military efforts cannot assist restoration of security in the country, at the tri-partite meetings focus was made on priorities of the peace process and reconciliation and it was stressed that Afghanistan will continue efforts towards peace process so that all armed elements return to peaceful life. And in order that to achieve this request was made from the UN Security Council to extend full support to the peace efforts of Afghanistan for restoring security and facilitate peace talks.
During this visit the president of Afghanistan carried separate meeting with the UN Secretary General, Polish president, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the US and Lakhzar Ibrahimi.
The CM considered the results of the president’s visit and participation at the 67th UN General Assembly and tri-partite meetings as positive and confirmed it.
In another part of the meeting emphasis was made on national interests, defense of territorial integrity and national unity in the country and it was stressed that in democratic order the specialists and informed people have the right to criticize the performances of the government, but when national issues are discussed the focus should be on national interests and disruption of public minds should be avoided.
However, as witnessed some of the mass media in their discussions against the national interests and national unity are confusing the minds of the people that under the present delicate conditions is not to the benefit of people and the country.
The Ministry of Information and culture has been assigned to undertake necessary measures in this respect.
As per the agenda Sadeq Mudaber chairman of the administration affairs and secretariat of the council of ministers informed the meeting over the implementation process of the decree 45 of the president.
He said that last week 16 members of the cabinet visited the provinces and they had meetings with the government departments.
Also, implementation of the resolution, decrees and orders of the presidential office during the 1385 up to 1390 was evaluated by the administration affairs department as a result of which 10544 specific tasks were delegated to the related departments and almost 89% of tasks were completed.
In respect to 31 other tasks he said that so far 26 tasks have been completed and another five that required more discussions remained and it is in the process of execution. He assured the CM that the three months duration of tasks is completed and the tasks have been achieved in good manners.
The CM considered the achieved tasks under the decree 45 and recommended that those departments which have not completed their tasks should finalize them and refer reports to the administration affairs and secretariat of the CM. The commission of administrative reforms and civil services received instruction to review the draft of test of civil services, and prepare a report in this respect to the coming sessions of the CM and publish its performance.
The minister of public works informed the CM on the repairing of the Salang Highway and it was said that the main repairing tasks of the highway is carried from the budget of the ministry and the ISAF forces merely pledged some commitments in respect to repairs of the Salang Tunnel. The ministry however expressed concern over heavy passage of the trucks with high tonnage which will destroy the highway and proposed that technical controlling systems should be installed that would cost USD 4 million.
The CM confirmed the proposal of technical controlling systems of high tonnage trucks and assigned the finance ministry to allocate the needed source at the disposal of the public works ministry and the ministry was advised to prevent entry of high tonnage trucks on the highway and necessarily fine the violators.
Minister of Urban Development based on instruction of decree no 45 presented a professional details in respect to structure and Master Plane of the New Kabul City.
The CM instructed the ministries of public works, energy and water, presidential advisor in construction, technical, mines, energy and water and the administration for development of New Kabul led by minister of urban development so that in the first place prepare the draft for water supply of the present Kabul City and the New Kabul City through the Panjshir and Gulbahar Rivers and present it to the CM.
Meanwhile, it was suggested that provision of water for 20 to 50 thousand families in Deh Sabz without execution of the project for transfer of water from Panjshir and Gulbahar should be studied and its report presented to the council of ministers.
The minister of economy presented a proposal pertaining to supervision of the development projects including those of municipalities in the light of the decree no 45 in three phases: before investment in the project, during the work process on the project and at the end of the project which was confirmed by the CM and the ministry was assigned to implement it accordingly.
The minister of economy also presented an assessment report on the PMU-PIU and its similar structures based on instruction of decree No 45 pertaining to elimination of the similar structures with the government of Afghanistan with the cooperation of the representative of the administration affairs and other related organs.
It was stressed at this report that foundations exist in 23 ministries employing 5324 persons with the annual expenditure of USD53.5 million.
These foundations have been created at a time when structure capacities at the ministries were quite weak and they were utilized for managing the projects. However, now all the ministries and departments are under the administrative reform process and the existence of these foundations within the original departments are considered similar entities and therefore their existence is not necessary and to overcome the following is proposed:
1. Strengthening of the main departments in terms of professional cadres.
2. Design and preparing of equality of salaries by the finance ministry and the administrative reforms and civil services.
3. Finalizing of the draft of amendment of structures till the end of 1391.
4. Transfer of the projects to the official departments (department of policy and plan to be designed and administered) and if needed the ministries and departments facilitate their merger with the main government departments till the end of 1393.
The CM considered the proposal logical and adopted it and assigned the ministry of economy to implement it.
Then the resolution for national appeal pertaining to bringing improvements in the educational order, technical education, vocational and employment was presented by minister of higher education and it was decided that this issue should be discussed by the CM forthcoming meeting.
At the end the protocol of cooperation between the ministries of defense of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and Turkey and Pakistani in common implementation and holding of courses, protocol of cooperation between the ministry of interior of Afghanistan and Turkey and Pakistan in relation to the training of national police of Afghanistan, the contract for financing of reconstruction project of Mazari-i-Shrif Airport between the ministry of finance and transport and civil aviation of Afghanistan and the Federal Republic of Germany, cooperation agreement between the ministry of higher education and the Sharde University of India and the cooperation agreement for scientific and technical cooperation between the Poly Technical University and the Technical University of Slovak was presented to the CM by deputy minister foreign affairs which were adopted accordingly.
