Fund Our Communities calls for an immediate end to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and an abolition of nuclear weapons by 2020, and the savings redirected to urgent needs at home, with a special focus on job creation. A resolution passed by the
There will be a march and rally for jobs on Sat., June 18. Citizens will gather at St. Vincent de Paul Church (
Published on Friday, June 17, 2011 by The Guardian/UK
Afghanistan Facing Insolvency Within a Month, say Officials
by Jon Boone
The Afghan government will struggle to pay its bills "within a month" after the International Monetary Fund rejected proposals for resolving the Kabul Bank scandal, western officials have warned.
Afghanistan is facing a deepening financial crisis after the IMF rejected proposals to resolve the Kabul Bank scandal. (Photograph
As long as the IMF declares the plans to be inadequate, many countries, including
It was reported by Reuters that the IMF has now formally rejected the Afghan government's proposals, meaning aid disbursements will remain on hold. The failure to reach a deal by a deadline of last Saturday also meant a $70m payment from the World Bank's Afghan reconstruction trust fund was automatically withheld.
Two senior western officials said the government will face a cash crisis in the coming weeks and could struggle to pay staff bills, although one predicted this would be avoided by cutting other spending priorities.
Last month, Omar Zakhilwal, the country's finance minister, told the Guardian that suspension of aid payments "has already had an effect on us, no doubt about it". He insisted that the Afghan government had done "95% of what was asked of us" by the IMF, including effectively nationalising Kabul Bank, stripping the shareholders of their rights and putting all unrecovered loans into receivership.
But although he claimed the remaining issues "were inconsequential to Kabul Bank" the IMF sees two aspects as vitally important. Firstly, an agreement that Afghan taxes, not foreign aid, will repay the $820m taken out of central bank reserves last year to prop up the bank. Second, they want serious criminal investigations against managers and shareholders, many of whom enjoy high level political support, who illegally borrowed huge sums of interest-free cash from the bank.
Although the finance ministry has drawn up plans to increase its tax-raising efforts in order to pay off the bailout in annual instalments, horrified MPs have already rejected one budget request for $73m and is also likely to reject a supplemental budget due to be presented by Zakhilwal soon.
"The IMF tells me, this is our demand, give me condition by this date the parliament must approve this line in the budget," explained Zakhilwal. "I am a minister, can I chose the parliament timeline? On these issues the international community totally disregards the legal processes of Afghanistan."
Many MPs argue that the money should be found by simply selling off the assets illegally bought by shareholders and managers, including a gas distribution company, an airline and luxury villas in Dubai.
Although a $10m forensic audit by Kroll may help identify many deliberately hidden assets, most western experts doubt more than half of the outstanding $910m will be recovered. So far just $61m has been retrieved.
Zakhilwal also argued that prosecutions could only be handled by the attorney general and warned that the complicated inquiry cannot be rushed.
"The attorney general can arrest people, but after 15 days with not case they have to be acquitted – that would be even more embarrassing for us," Zakhilwal said.
Although the finance minister insisted the attorney general was "absolutely committed" to a thorough investigation, the international community is sceptical, not least after Afghanistan's top law officer threw out a case last year against one of Karzai's key aides who had been wire-tapped soliciting a bribe.
One alternative plan is for a special court of handpicked judges deemed to be reasonably honest and well-versed in finance to hear the case.
Credible prosecutions are vital, not just to appease public anger, but also because many of Kabul Bank's assets are in
Not only does
A key element of the "transition" strategy by which the foreign intervention in
But it is now feared that if the Afghan government continues to be considered unworthy of international investment by the IMF the country will have to return to patchwork of bilateral funding agreements.
More reporting here.
© 2011 Guardian News and Media Limited
Posted by B3nign
Jun 17 2011 - 4
The occupied have truely learnt from the culture of the occupiers
Wall Street still did it better, because non of those banksters have been arrested.
Posted by WTF
Jun 17 2011 - 7
US taxpayers to the rescue!
But who will rescue the
Posted by gardenernorcal
Jun 17 2011 - 8
http
Posted by Obedient Servant
Jun 17 2011 - 7
Assuming this article is factual and accurate, not to worry.
It's too big to fail.
Posted by dreamjoehill
Jun 17 2011 - 11
The Afghani economy must be hurting, what with the low price of smack these days.
It's cut into Company funds & bank profits, as well.
Posted by Fred54
Jun 18 2011 - 12
You beat me to this by that much!! LMAO
Posted by TrouserAttack
Jun 18 2011 - 5
Looks like the West have taken easily to thinking of
Well who'd have thunk it? Maybe thieving their stuff and dropping bombs on people doesn't do them as much good as we thought. So much for dynamic motivation...
Posted by mschlee
Jun 18 2011 - 7
Maybe the
FREE
REVOLUTIONARY (DIRECT) DEMOCRACY
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2011/06/17-7
Donations can be sent to the
"The master class has always declared the wars; the subject class has always fought the battles. The master class has had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject class has had nothing to gain and everything to lose--especially their lives." Eugene Victor Debs
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