Afghanistan: World bank grants USD 325 million to strengthen economy

The World Bank and Ministry of Finance of Afghanistan have signed a new financial package totaling $325 million in grants to strengthen economic and job opportunities in cities with a high influx of displaced people. Also the grant will support selected provincial capital cities to enhance service delivery, and strengthen the capacity of selected line ministries.

Speaking about the new financing package, acting Finance Minister Humayon Qayoumi said "The new financial package includes $200 million grant to the Eshteghal Zaiee - Karmondena (EZ-Kar) Project, $50 million grant to the Cities Investment Program (CIP) and $75 million grant to finance the Tackling Afghanistan's Government HRM (Human Resource Management) and Institutional Reforms (TAGHIR). I acknowledge the valuable contribution made by the World Bank to fund these major projects".

The new financial package will help strengthen economic and job opportunities in cities with a high influx of displaced people, support selected provincial capital cities to enhance service delivery, and strengthen the capacity of selected line ministries.

World Bank Country Director for Afghanistan, Shubham Chaudhuri said, "Access to job opportunities and better services is the most crucial need of Afghan people specially the returnees and internally displaced Afghans at this particular time. These new grants are significant step forward in the path to help the Government of Afghanistan strengthen its service delivery capacities and meet its key policy objectives through boosting institutional reforms".

The EZ-Kar Project applies a whole of community approach and aims to increase economic and job opportunities in the cities with a high influx of returnees and internally displaced people. This will be pursued by increasing the returnees' access to civil documents, providing short-term employment opportunities, improving market enabling infrastructure, and supporting investor friendly regulatory reforms.

The project will be implemented by the Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), Independent Directorate of Local Governance (IDLG), and Kabul Municipality. The Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation (MoRR) will also play a key role. Among other initiatives, the project will support the increase in capacity of MoFA to provide consular services as well as help Afghan refugees in Pakistan access information that will facilitate their economic and social integration in Afghanistan.

The CIP will provide technical assistance to the Government in its implementation of the Municipal Incentive Fund under the new Municipal Law for Afghanistan and will instill a culture of  Evidence-Based municipal investment planning in nine major provincial capital cities in the country. In parallel, the CIP will expand municipal service delivery and rehabilitate basic municipal infrastructure in the selected provincial capital cities. The project complements the ARTF-financed Kabul Municipal Development Program and the IDA-supported Urban Development Support Project.

The TAGHIR project replaces the Capacity Building for Results (CBR) Facility and will assist the Government of Afghanistan to deliver its key policy priorities through merit-based recruitment and administrative reforms in 16-line ministries. The project will support up to a total of 1,500 new civil service positions to enable the ministries to meet objectives and deliver on their priorities. The Independent Administrative and Civil Service Reform Commission will lead the project implementation.