Parliament's decision to impeach the interior ministry for its failure to execute its budget is "unfair," ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqi said Wednesday.
The Wolesi Jirga, lower house of the Afghan parliament, decided last week to impeach the 11 "incompetent" ministers who had spent less than 50 percent of their budget. The Ministry of Interior was on that list.
Sediqi, however, said that $53 million was added to the ministry's budget in the 10th month of the fiscal year, which brought the unspent portion of the overall budget from 54 to 44 percent, landing the ministry in trouble with parliament.
"From a professional point of view, it was impossible to spend the additional 10 percent," Sediqi said.
Afghan ministries have consistently failed to spend all of their allotted budget. Lack of capacity and management experience, insecurity in vast areas of the country and incompetence are cited as reasons for the failure.