Afghan Parliament Approves Federal Budget

tolonews

Afghanistan's House of Representatives finally approved the budget for the current fiscal year on Saturday after having rejected it twice in the past month. This year's budget for 1381 was approved after the Ministry of Finance made changes to the allocated amounts for the President and Kabul Bank, Afghan Minister of Finance Hazrat Omar Zakhilwal said. Speaking at the House of Representatives, Zakhilwal said $1 million was deducted from the President's allocated budget and $15 million was deducted from Kabul Bank's allocation. The previous draft rejected by Parliament had allocated $80 million to Kabul Bank. Previously, Afghan parliamentarians had called the budget unbalanced and criticised it for over-allocating to the President and Kabul Bank.Some MPs had said that giving $80 million to Kabul Bank would be a national treason if approved. After the budget was rejected for a second time, the Finance Deputy Minister Mustafa Mastoor said that MPs had rejected it because they wanted an increase in their own budget.In reaction to his comments the MPs called for him to be sacked or they would never approve the budget. Zakhilwal said he did consider the matter. "I discussed the issue with Afghan President, he said that Mustafa Mastoor is an educated person and should remain in his position," he said.