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KABUL (PAN): The international community will spend $30 billion to equip and train Afghan soldiers and police in 2011, in addition to $21 billion that has already been spent over the last eight years, an official said on Tuesday.
The amount would be spent on weapons, training and salaries for soldiers and police and to reinforce the ministries of interior and defence, the director of the Security Assistance Office-Afghanistan, Col. Larry Avery, said.
He said $20 billion had been spent on security forces between 2003 and 2009.
"Recruiting new forces, professional training and better equipping of security forces are the main reasons to spend $30 billion dollars in one year," he said.
Avery discussed the "Afghan First" policy which helps Afghan companies to produce equipment such as boots, uniforms and other military gear for the local forces while encouraging the creation of new Afghan businesses and increasing competition.
"The contracts of weapons and ammunitions will not be given to Afghans as there is no possibility to make weapons in Afghanistan."
He said the $30 billion would be spent on Afghan forces, not US or NATO soldiers in Afghanistan.
The number of Afghan army recruits is expected to reach 171,600 by September, 2011 and the number of police will reach 134,000, he said.
Asked about the likelihood of corruption in the contracts for equipping the national forces, Avery said all contracts would comply with international standards.
Three types of buildings will be used by local forces: wooden buildings, ready for mobile brigades; containers, which are constructed to American standards and more permanent structures which would stand for 50 years, he said.
Currently the Security Assistance Office-Afghanistan is trying to prepare the buildings which could be used for long term, he said, admitting that buildings constructed for Afghan soldiers were not of high quality.
All equipment to be bought or constructed will be carried out though an agreement with the Afghan government, he added.
New vehicles would also be bought for the defence and interior ministries. Currently they rent vehicles for the ministries, based on Afghan requests, but that was adding to the costs he said.
One armoured vehicle costs about $500 to rent a day, he said.
On training of new recruits, he said they focus more on better training.
Currently there are 134,000 Afghan soldiers and 90,000 police in AfghanistanThe amount would be spent on weapons, training and salaries for soldiers and police and to reinforce the ministries of interior and defence, the director of the Security Assistance Office-Afghanistan, Col. Larry Avery, said.
He said $20 billion had been spent on security forces between 2003 and 2009.
"Recruiting new forces, professional training and better equipping of security forces are the main reasons to spend $30 billion dollars in one year," he said.
Avery discussed the "Afghan First" policy which helps Afghan companies to produce equipment such as boots, uniforms and other military gear for the local forces while encouraging the creation of new Afghan businesses and increasing competition.
"The contracts of weapons and ammunitions will not be given to Afghans as there is no possibility to make weapons in Afghanistan."
He said the $30 billion would be spent on Afghan forces, not US or NATO soldiers in Afghanistan.
The number of Afghan army recruits is expected to reach 171,600 by September, 2011 and the number of police will reach 134,000, he said.
Asked about the likelihood of corruption in the contracts for equipping the national forces, Avery said all contracts would comply with international standards.
Three types of buildings will be used by local forces: wooden buildings, ready for mobile brigades; containers, which are constructed to American standards and more permanent structures which would stand for 50 years, he said.
Currently the Security Assistance Office-Afghanistan is trying to prepare the buildings which could be used for long term, he said, admitting that buildings constructed for Afghan soldiers were not of high quality.
All equipment to be bought or constructed will be carried out though an agreement with the Afghan government, he added.
New vehicles would also be bought for the defence and interior ministries. Currently they rent vehicles for the ministries, based on Afghan requests, but that was adding to the costs he said.
One armoured vehicle costs about $500 to rent a day, he said.
On training of new recruits, he said they focus more on better training.
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