§ Mr. Menzies CampbellTo ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what the Government's assessment is of the progress made in Afghanistan on civil service reform; what assistance his Department is giving Afghanistan in this respect; and if he will make a statement. [125677]
§ Hilary BennAn effective public administration is essential to the process of reconstruction in Afghanistan. DFID has been an important source of assistance to the Afghanistan Transitional Administration (ATA) as it has sought to re-establish the basic functions of government. We are supporting capacity building within institutions, including the Ministry of Finance, Central Bank, and Administrative Reform and Civil Service Commission. Other donors such as the World Bank are helping in areas such as procurement and audit. Achievements have included the introduction of a new currency, development of a national development framework, and of a payments and payroll system and implementation of measures to maximise revenue collection. But much remains to be done, and after twenty years of upheaval, there are no short-cuts to rebuilding Afghanistan's public administration. President Karzai recently issued a "Priority Reform and Restructuring" decree (executive legislation) that will allow further urgent reforms to take place in up to twenty Government Departments. These reforms will be supported by DFID and the World Bank.