UN envoy to Afghanistan in Kabul, to revamp international aid modalities

Kabul, July 6 : The UN's envoy to Afghanistan is set to outline a new plan on spending foreign aid in Afghanistan, amid concerns that millions of dollars have been wasted.

According to the BBC, Envoy, Kai Eide is keen that international aid money be managed by the Hamid Karzai-led Government, in return for a crackdown on corruption.

In June this year, 80 countries pledged a further 22 billion dollars for Afghanistan, and now donors and the Afghan government are being told to deliver - to get schools, clinics, agriculture and electricity to the people who need it.

It is an acknowledged fact that millions in development money has notoriously gone to waste in the seven years since the fall of the Taleban.

Many countries spend a chunk of their aid through the government, or on a trust fund set aside to fund National Solidarity Programmes in more than 22,000 districts in Afghanistan.

Eide, the UN special representative to Afghanistan, will on Sunday outline to the Afghan Government and donors that they have got to be more co-ordinated and to deliver development more effectively and efficiently.

Corruption is a major issue and the words auditing and accountability will be buzzing around the room at the first monitoring board meeting since the Paris conference.

The promises have been made and the UN head here is now trying to take control of an aid effort that many think has been missing the mark.

ANI