The Lower House of Parliament voted by majority to reject the 2014 government budget draft assembled by the Ministry of Finance (MoF), requiring the Ministry to reassess its draft and make a number of changes.
According to MPs, the budget was rejected because of the allocation of large amounts of funds under the umbrella of "capacity building"; its focus on security despite the bulk of international aid also being allocated for security; millions of Afghanis going to the Emergency code that the government alone is the sole authority over; the imbalance of development budgets amongst the provinces; the absence of sufficient funds for infrastructure and agriculture; and the projection of a growth in deficit.
"The Specific instances that were discussed by the representatives are amongst the main problems of the draft budget, and as a result, the budget for 2014 was rejected with a majority of votes," Chair of the Lower House Abdul Rauf Ibrahimi said.
"In the past ten years, large amounts were allocated under the name of capacity building but it was unclear where it was spent," Financial and Budget Commission Chair Amir Khan Yar said. "That is why this year we wanted this money to be allocated in other areas, where it is needed more."
A number of MPs expressed anxiety about the consequences of rejecting the budget draft, sending it back to the MoF. They highlighted the fact that salaries for government employees would likely be frozen until the budget was approved, which would cause major discontent among public servants.
"Every year when budget is rejected, government takes employee salaries hostage, making budget rejection an excuse," Parwan MP Sediq Ahmad Usmani said. "Even though, based on the salary law, government employees are paid from the budget of the ongoing year."
The Ministry of Finance is now expected to review the draft once again and make changes with respect to the MPs feedback.
"The adjustments proposed by the House of Representative members were in cooperation with officials from the Ministry of Finance, meaning that adjustments suggested by the Representatives will be taken into consideration," Daykundi MP Sadeqizada Neeli said.
Previously, the Senate asked for changes be made to the draft budget for 2014.