Societal Dysfunction Writ Large
The Government of Afghanistan is notoriously corrupt, a condition that represents most of Afghan society. Despite which, the level of corruption seen at the highest governing level is such that Afghans themselves deplore the extent to which it impacts on their lives.Billions of dollars have been sent to Afghanistan from Western sources attempting to aid the country in its aspiration to become a normally functioning country, but very little of that funding has advanced the civil infrastructure, having been re-directed to private internationally-invested bank accounts.
With the relative imminence of ISAF/NATO troops departing from the country in 2014, much will change.
Afghanistan has demanded - through President Hamid Karzai - guarantees of the international community of $3-billion yearly to continue funding the Afghan National Army and the National Police to keep the country from once again falling into the hands of the Afghan Taliban.
There has never been an adequate accounting for the manner in which the international funds have been disposed of.
But just as the members of Parliament and provincial governors and their retinues continue to enrich themselves personally at the expense of the populace and an appropriate, reliable government infrastructure, so too do they profit through support of the poppy trade.
Graft, corruption and self-serving is endemic. As several hundred female workers in a Kabul-based female-only factory are soon to experience for themselves.
A factory that has a $35-million annual contract to provide uniforms for the new Afghan security forces under NATO has been put on notice that that contract which keeps these women employed is soon to be imperilled. Managers at the factory have been informed the contract will be lost when responsibility switches from NATO to the Kabul government.
Simply put, officials of the government claim they can obtain those same uniforms more cheaply from China or Pakistan. The factory understands full well that this has occurred as a result of their refusal to pay kickbacks to ministry staff. If the Sarco Abad factory cannot find alternate order sources it will become inevitable that its 230 workers will be laid off and the factory closed.
"We have told the workers we are trying to do everything we can to keep the factory going, but I am afraid the women will slowly lose hope", Angela Sidiqi, the factory's deputy managing director explained. Monthly wages for these women range between$126 to $165. They are the earning mainstays of their families. "If I lose the job I will not be able to feed my children", said one worker, a widow.
Many other Afghan businesses which have been dependent on the presence of foreign interests, foreign aid and NATO troops will find themselves in a similar position with the withdrawal of ISAF/NATO. An economy almost entirely reliant on foreign investments and aid will see its GDP dissolve over the next few years.
Labels: Afghanistan, Corruption, Economy, NATO, Political Realities
posted by Pieface @ Tuesday, September 25, 2012
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