Corruption undermines the accountability of government, eroding public trust and reducing the legitimacy of state institutions. It is a means for Illegal Armed Groups (IAGs) to maintain their hold on power structures at the provincial and district levels, preventing the consolidation of state authority and rule of law.  In the justice sector, the sale of judicial access and favorable decisions to the highest bidder fundamentally undermines the security and basic rights of citizens, especially the poor, women, and children. 

State and non-state actors who violate the law are emboldened by this culture of impunity.  The burgeoning illegal narcotics trade—generating some US $2.7 billion domestically in 2004/05—finances corruption of the public sector, made easier by low civil servant wages.

Corruption also affects the enforcement of customs and tax administration.  Bribery, baksheesh, and other “facilitation payments” diminish the amount of revenue collected by the state, leaving it with less funding to spend on basic services vital for sustained growth, economic development, and poverty reduction.

Most importantly, corruption is a significant disincentive for investment.  It increases transaction costs and raises the unpredictability of licensing, property rights/contracts, and other business processes.  According to an investment climate survey conducted by the World Bank, 53% of respondents cited corruption as a major or severe obstacle to doing business in Afghanistan. 

Afghanistan’s heavy dependence on external finance requires the Government to maintain strict procurement and fiduciary management controls of its direct budget support.  As a result, donor confidence will be maintained in the execution of national budget resources.

Our goal is to eliminate corruption in the public and private sectors in order to improve the effectiveness, transparency, and accountability of the Government, and to create an environment conducive to investment, both of which are necessary for economic growth and poverty reduction.

Five-Year Strategic Benchmarks

Key Policies and Coordination

Achieving Our Goals

• Initiative 1: Strengthen Public Sector Management
• Initiative 2: Strengthen Public Accountability Systems
• Initiatives 3 & 4: Strengthen the Legal Framework and Judicial System; Control Corruption within Counter-Narcotics Institutions 

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Five-Year Strategic Benchmarks

The UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) will be ratified by end-2006, national legislation adapted accordingly by end-2007, and a monitoring mechanism to oversee implementation will be in place by end-2008.

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Key Policies and Coordination

Anti-corruption strategies will be mainstreamed across all government policy-making.  The lead unit driving the Government’s anti-corruption strategy is the General Independent Administration for Anti-Corruption (GIAAC).  Legislative institutions will consolidate the legal framework and hold the executive accountable.  The executive ministries, in turn, will implement institutional reforms and sector policies.  Sanctions will be enforced by the judiciary, and civil society will provide checks and balances on the Government as a whole. 

The principal administrative instruments to achieve the stated objectives is implementation of the Law of Campaign Against Bribery and Official Corruption, and the ratification and implementation of UNCAC.

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Achieving Our Goals

The stated goal of the Government’s anti-corruption strategy has four inter-related and mutually reinforcing initiatives:

Initiative 1: Strengthen Public Sector Management 

The Government will create a motivated, merit-based, performance driven, and professional civil service that is resistant to the temptations of corruption.  As a result, efficient, effective, and transparent public services will be provided which do not force customers to pay bribes.  This strategic objective will be delivered as a part of the Public Administration Reform (PAR).

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Initiative 2: Strengthen Public Accountability Systems

Strengthening public accountability encompasses six Government objectives:

1. Strengthen Public Finance Systems in order to create an effective and accountable management of public resources, denying officials the opportunity to cover up corruption. The Government will also overhaul current tax, customs, and public expenditure management systems, and create an effective mechanism for procurement to ensure the sound use of donor aid.
2. Improve the audit system in order to increase transparency and accountability of Government and donor-funded projects by: protecting the Central Audit Office's (CAO) administrative and financial independence, strengthening its reporting mechanisms, increasing the proficiencies and professionalism of auditors,  and expanding audit activities to major provinces. 
3. Strengthen the oversight mechanisms of representative institutions such as the National Assembly, provincial councils, and Community Development Councils (CDCs) through capacity building efforts.  The Government will work with these bodies to make their proceedings transparent and open to the public. 
4. Develop a strong, independent, and responsible media and civil society, leading to increased public awareness about corruption through the free flow of information between Government and public. 
5. Develop mechanisms to coordinate with community-based structures in order to create anti-corruption awareness and represent local interests. 
6. Make design, programming, execution, and monitoring more transparent, participatory, and accountable by strengthening the media’s capacity to undertake and publish investigative reporting, among other means. 

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Initiative 3: Strengthen the Legal Framework and Judicial System 

In addition to measures identified in the Rule of Law and Justice Program, the Government’s strategy will take several other corruption-specific measures:

1. Systematically review the current legal and regulatory environment, and revise or create new laws where necessary, in order to improve the legal and institutional system fighting corruption.
2. Provide skills training for justice professionals on handling anti-corruption cases and on enforcing laws and regulations in a fair, transparent, and accountable manner
3. Encourage civil society, including traditional jirgas and shuras, to demand transparency and accountability from the organs of state, including the judiciary.  In addition, they must demand a decrease in corruption and create reporting mechanisms from the center to the provinces, and vice versa.

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Initiative 4: Control Corruption within Counter-Narcotics Institutions 

The Government will establish an anti-corruption and professional standards unit to undertake proactive investigations against officials working in counter-narcotics institutions.  It will also establish and maintain a transparent monitoring mechanism for opium poppy cultivation and eradication verification by mid-2006.

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In addition to these four strategic elements, the Government will conduct research for reliable data and valid measurements of corruption.  The research will focus on the attitudes towards corruption, its causes, and its extent and sources within key institutions.  A further population-based survey will measure public experiences with corruption.