A document by the Supreme Audit Office reveals that it cannot determine the operational expenditures of Afghan security agencies and their use of funds during 2018.
But the Afghan security agencies have said that they are ready to report where they invested their Qatia (financial) statements and other funds.
“The Ministry of Defense spends its operating funds with complete legitimacy and transparency, based on the budget implementation rules and also the regulations that exist between the security sector and the Ministry of Finance,” said Fawad Aman, a deputy spokesman for the Ministry of Defense.
The Afghan Ministry of Interior and the National Directorate of Security (NDS) have also said they are ready to report on their operating funds and implementation of funds.
According to the Supreme Audit Office, its Account Inspection Commission has not obtained the details to determine the overall operational expenditures of the security agencies or to find out where the funds have been invested.
“The Directorate General Budget (under Ministry of Finance) reports orally about the operational expenditures of the institutions to the Treasury department, which is questionable and needs clarification,” an excerpt from the SAO’s document reads.
Lawmakers in Afghanistan’s parliament have also raised questions about the spending by the State Ministry on Peace Affairs.
“In principle, there are some institutions which should not have operating funds, but they have spent money as operating funds and this is a clear violation of the law,” said Mohammad Azim Mohseni, chairman of the Afghan parliament’s budget and financial commission.
According to the parliament’s budget and financial commission, last year the Afghan government allocated 700 million Afs in the budget plan for the State Ministry on Peace Affairs.
“All the expenditures for peace efforts which are moved forward by this ministry (State Ministry on Peace Affairs)--all its specifications--were approved by the parliament during the assessment of mid-term budget,” said Najia Anwari, spokeswoman for the State Ministry on Peace Affairs.
According to SAO, the overall operating costs of the Afghan security agencies for 2018 is estimated to be 3.7 billion Afs.
Based on SAO assessment, from the total amount, over 2.7 billion Afs were allocated to the National Directorate of Security (NDS) and more than 400 million to the Office of the National Security Advisor, while the Afghan Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Interior got 300 million Afs each for their operational expenditures.