The Wolesi Jirga on Monday summoned five ministers for next week over their failure to spend their development budgets.
Minister of public Works, justice, counternarcotics, transport and telecommunications have been summoned to brief parliamentarians on the issue of under-spending.
On November 24, the lower house rejected the government’s expenditure report for the fiscal year 1396 and decided to summon budgetary units heads who spent less than 70 percent of their funds.
Ministers of justice, energy and water, counternatcotis, public works, information and culture, telecommunications and IT, education, mines and petroleum and transport have spent less than 70 percent of their budgets.
The ministries of energy and water, information and culture, education and mines and petroleum are headed by acting ministers. The Wolesi Jirga cannot summon acting officials.
Based on the decision of Wolesi Jirga board, the minister of public works will be grilled on Saturday. Justice and counternarcotics ministers will be summoned on Tuesday and transport and IT on Wednesday.
Mirdad Khan Nijrabi, the lower house secretary, confirmed to Pajhwok the summoning of the five ministers had been added to next week’s agenda.
Under Article 92 of the Constitution, the Wolesi Jirga, on the proposal of 20 percent of members, shall make inquiries from each minister.
If the explanations given are not satisfactory, the house shall consider the issue of a no-confidence vote.
The no-confidence vote against a minister shall be explicit, direct as well as based on convincing reasons. The votes shall be approved by the majority of members.
