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In a meeting with a team of US delegate President Hamid Karzai on Mon day once again pointed towards the presence of corruption in the foreign contracts. This has been one of the most significant demands of the Karzai administration to have control over the various contracts. There are thousands of constructions, logistics and transportation, services, security and other sorts of firms engaged in Afghanistan and have small to medium terms contracts with US-led NATO and other national and international organizations. At times when the Western friends of Afghanistan put pressure over the Karzai administration for not doing enough against the deep rooted corruption, Karzai government puts this responsibility on the foreigners. Karzai has ordered to ban the security firms accusing them for causing bad security. Afghanistan has been put in the list of the most corrupt countries of the world.
The deep rooted corruption in the government and non government offices has defamed the Afghanistan across the world. The effectiveness of foreign aid is quite low which has caused the international community specifically the US to put continuous pressure on Karzai administration to efficiently tackle the growing problem corruption. Although President Karzai has enhanced the authorities of High Office of Oversight and Anti-Corruption, no significant improvement is yet in place and the officials of this office complain of being less authorized against the corrupt officials especially at higher levels. In the last few years, the problem of corruption has become more concerning rather than diminishing. The government seems to be transferring the burden of failure against corruption on the shoulders of the foreigners. There is no doubt that there is corruption in the foreign contracts but it must not be up to the level being presented by President Karzai. In the London Conference on Afghanistan held in January, 2010, the donor countries agreed to increase the fund flow through Afghan core budget from 20 percent to 50 percent in two years provided the government of Afghanistan presents creditable plans, especially the methodology it will adopt to counter corruption. The government of Afghanistan has the obligation to remove any constraints in the process of brining transparency and accountability. Cleaning Afghanistan from corruption will increase the trust of Afghans on their government but the reverse condition is contributing to weak governance and increasing insurgency.
The deep rooted corruption in the government and non government offices has defamed the Afghanistan across the world. The effectiveness of foreign aid is quite low which has caused the international community specifically the US to put continuous pressure on Karzai administration to efficiently tackle the growing problem corruption. Although President Karzai has enhanced the authorities of High Office of Oversight and Anti-Corruption, no significant improvement is yet in place and the officials of this office complain of being less authorized against the corrupt officials especially at higher levels. In the last few years, the problem of corruption has become more concerning rather than diminishing. The government seems to be transferring the burden of failure against corruption on the shoulders of the foreigners. There is no doubt that there is corruption in the foreign contracts but it must not be up to the level being presented by President Karzai. In the London Conference on Afghanistan held in January, 2010, the donor countries agreed to increase the fund flow through Afghan core budget from 20 percent to 50 percent in two years provided the government of Afghanistan presents creditable plans, especially the methodology it will adopt to counter corruption. The government of Afghanistan has the obligation to remove any constraints in the process of brining transparency and accountability. Cleaning Afghanistan from corruption will increase the trust of Afghans on their government but the reverse condition is contributing to weak governance and increasing insurgency.
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