Corruption affects all aspects of life in Afghanistan, undermining public trust and confidence in government institutions, and hindering the country’s efforts to become self-reliant. As per President Ghani’s remarks, government corruption has driven a three-decades-old conflict.
Corruption has blocked Afghanistan from being self-reliant and free. And corruption has wasted a vast amount of precious resources that could otherwise have been spent reducing Afghanistan’s crushing levels of poverty.
Recently a number of media reported corruption in aids to Afghanistan to fight the virus pandemic during the difficult times. The media reports show embezzlement in medical aids as well as amounts spent in fight against COIVD-19 in the country.
Hailing the media’s investigative reports, the president during the cabinet meeting the other day, instructed the line ministries to review the reports and take actions accordingly. The president has said that fight against the corruption was at the top of government programs.
The government of Afghanistan is committed to fight corruption and bring necessary reforms in the government organs in order to render the required services to the people of Afghanistan. The Afghan Government is an elected-government and is accountable to its people, as the state receives its legitimacy from the public. Meanwhile, the continuation of the international aids is conditioned with reforms in the government and fighting corruption.
Besides government, the civil institutions media and the Afghan masses as the whole, bear major responsibilities in this area. They should continue their reporting from the corruption and avoid paying bribes or get their works done in the government offices by paying illegal money to officials. They should instead hold the government officials responsible and accountable for rendering services in a transparent manner and follow administrative principles and norms.
On the other hand, people should promote the culture of fighting and hating corruption in the society. Civil society organizations and media can play a major role in raising the awareness of people to stand against corruption and view this phenomenon as a hated and negative phenomenon in the society.
As the phenomena seriously threatening the development process in the country, therefore it is necessary to be united in this fight against corruption and support the government by revealing the identity of corrupt officials so that the government prosecutes them.
The Afghan Government has arrested and prosecuted a number of officials involved in corruption since its establishment. The government commitment to fight corruption is firm and believe that corruption badly impact economic growth in the country.