Afghan President Calls For Stronger Institutions To Fight Corruption

KABUL (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th December, 2019) Afghanistan has progressed in countering corruption over the past several years and with the help of international partners is determined to accomplish even more, especially in terms of strengthening relevant institutions, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said at an annual conference in Kabul marking the International Anti-Corruption Day.

"The foundation of the anti-corruption strategy is axiomatic and not dependent on individuals - it cannot achieve real success in the fight against corruption unless we have strong institutions," Ghani said.

According to the Afghan president, the financial aid that Afghanistan has received from abroad in grants toward fighting corruption has decreased over the past five years, despite proving to be effective.�

"The judicial and court center to tackle corruption and heavy crime has been able to reach 1000 cases in the interim, and 200 people have been sentenced in connection with this, of which 70 are senior government officials," Ghani continued.

At the same time, he admitted that the problem of separate individuals in Afghanistan hindering the collection of revenues from taxes pertained.

US Ambassador John Bass, who was also present at the conference, stressed that the fight against corruption had not received as much attention from the Afghans as it deserved. While many Afghans agreed that it was a major problem, few acknowledged any responsibility for curbing it, he added.

UK Ambassador Alison Marie Blake, in turn, confirmed her country's readiness to continue supporting the Afghan government in fighting corruption, especially in terms of countering the circumvention of taxes.

The International Anti-Corruption Day is marked annually on December 9. According to the United Nations, $1 trillion annually is paid in bribes, while an estimated $2.6 trillion is stolen through corruption � a sum equivalent to more than 5 percent of the global GDP.