Afghanistan's first Deputy PM calls on government bodies to provide economic plans

Afghanistan's first deputy Prime Minister Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar called on the government institutions to present their plans to tackle the economic meltdown and root out poverty from the country.

Speaking to a conference in Kabul today, Mullah Baradar accused the previous governments of corruption, saying that the funds for Afghanistan over the last 20 years "poured into the pockets" of certain individuals so the country is not self-sufficient, as noted by Tolo News.

"I instruct the officials of all ministries and departments to share their short- and long-term plans for economic development with us," he said.

Mullah Baradar promised that the Taliban will take significant steps to address the current crisis in the country.

"This is the responsibility of all of us to work for economic progress. We should do something to reduce the level of poverty and provide work opportunities for the people in the country," he said.

"A safe environment will pave the way for investment inside Afghanistan," he added.

The Second Deputy of Prime Minister, Abdul Salam Hanafi, said administrative corruption in the government departments has been eradicated.

"We support the private sectors to improve the economy in Afghanistan and to attract investors to invest in various fields in the country," he said.

Afghanistan's national revenue is estimated at around 5 billion dollars. The first deputy of the PM said that almost 50 per cent of the revenue was previously being embezzled due to widespread corruption, as noted by Tolo News.

( With inputs from ANI )