issues for consideration at the berlin donor conference ... - ReliefWeb

THE ROAD AHEAD 21
administrations, but the practical challenges to communicating and implementing these decisions are
great. (See appendix D for a list of Afghanistan’s interim government officials.)
Despite examples of the central government developing elaborate budget planning, collecting tax
revenue from reluctant local officials, enforcing remittance requirements, or replacing uncooperative
governors, warlords retain control of vast regions of the country. 99 The split between Kabul and
regional fiefdoms hampers revenue raising schemes, payroll processing, and distribution of funds.
Challenges Ahead
Some basic reforms are underway. Legislation has been established that will allow individual
government ministries to restructure. The Public Administration Reform Program provides a
framework to build a sound legal, administrative, and physical environment for efficient and
effective public service provision. Launched in July 2003, the Priority Reform and Restructuring
Program rationalizes the responsibilities of employees and labor market pay scales.
The Berlin document describes a decade-long plan to build a civil service that is better equipped,
skilled, and managed, while more representative of Afghan society. Ambitious targets include a
merit-based and transparent system of civil service appointments that will cover 90 percent of the
entire system by March 2015. Another goal is to increase the percentage of civil service staff based
outside Kabul (currently 63 percent) in order to decentralize and provide services to the provinces
and districts. 100 For its strategic vision of economic management, public administration, and
technical assistance, the Afghan government is requesting $201 million this year, and $1.1 billion
over a seven-year period. 101
Although a good start, there is more to be done.
First, the government must move more quickly to decentralize decision-making and service provision throughout the
country. The highly centralized nature of decision-making is problematic considering the security,
communications, and transportation problems in Afghanistan.
Second, timely and reliable payment of civil servants must become one of the first measures of government competence.
While acknowledged in the government’s strategy document, Kabul must prioritize the payment of
civil servants in Afghanistan’s provinces and districts. Currently, such payment occurs only after a
complex chain of events, including a series of requests from district finance ministries to provincial
finance ministries to provincial governors to the Ministry of Finance in Kabul. Payments are often
delayed due to security, transportation, and communications problems.
99 Amit A. Pandya, “Security, Reconstruction and Political Normalization in Afghanistan —Falling Short,” American
Progress, January 12, 2004,
(accessed January 15, 2004).
100 "Securing Afghanistan's Future.”
101 Ibid.