ARTF Steering Committee Approves Three-Year Partnership Framework and Financing Program
The Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF), the largest source of on-budget financing for Afghanistan’s development, will continue to support the government’s poverty reduction, service delivery and inclusive growth efforts, contributing up to $2.485 billion over the next three years to the national budget, according to the results of a meeting held on June 25.
The ARTF is a multi-donor trust fund supported by 34 donors and administered by the World Bank. The ARTF’s Steering Committee, comprising Ambassadors of donor countries and co-chaired by HE Eklil Hakimi, Minister of Finance and the World Bank Country Director, met at the Presidential Palace, on June 25.
The Steering Committee approved the ARTF’s proposed Partnership Framework and Financing Program (PFFP) FY1397-1399 (2018-2020), which outlines how the Government will spend those funds with support from international partners.
“ARTF is an important mechanism for reliable, predictable and transparent on-budget support to the Government of Afghanistan. All planned investments in the PFFP are aligned with our core priorities based on the Afghanistan National Peace and Development Framework (ANPDF). Through this mechanism we are able to pool aid financing provided by the international community through a single mechanism with higher standards of transparency and accountability," said HE Eklil Hakimi, Minister of Finance addressing the Steering Committee.
Under the new PFFP, funding will continue to be provided for the priorities in the Afghanistan National Peace and Development Framework, introduced at the 2016 Brussels Conference on Afghanistan. The largest portion of ARTF funds, 37 percent, will be devoted to poverty reduction, service delivery, and citizen engagement, including programs in health, education, and the Citizens’ Charter.
The ARTF will also support economic growth and job creation, governance and state effectiveness, and will provide fiscal stability support for civilian expenses of the Government, including civil servant salaries.
“The ARTF represents an unique partnership between Afghanistan and its international partners, one that has been in place since 2002, working for a better, more prosperous future for Afghanistan,” said Shubham Chaudhuri, World Bank Country Director for Afghanistan. “The 2018-2020 PFFP reaffirms the commitment of the ARTF partners to continue working with the government of Afghanistan to improve the lives of all Afghans.”
Source: World Bank
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