With 20 days until the end of the current Afghan fiscal year, the Ministry of Finance has not sent the draft budget to the Wolesi Jirga, the Lower House of the Parliament, for approval, for which the ministry was criticized by lawmakers on Saturday.
According to Article 98 of the Constitution, the government should send the following fiscal year’s budget to the parliament for approval in the last three months of every year and MPs shall approve it within a month.
But some MPs said the draft budget is sent to the parliament with a delay every year.
“The draft budget should be sent to the parliament and the economic and other commissions should review it,” said Abrarullah Murad, an MP.
“The draft budget has not been sent. Many projects have remained incomplete as there is no budget for their execution,” said Raihana Azad, an MP.
But the Finance Ministry spokesman Shamroz Khan Masjidi said the draft budget has already been sent to the Meshrano Jirga, the Senate, for approval.
“So far, we have not received the Senate’s response on the draft budget and we hope that the Senate completes its review on the draft budget and shares its view with us. After their approval, we will send it to the Wolesi Jirga,” said Masjidi.
