By Dave Anderson:
One of the frequent critiques that we at the Newshoggers have made of American COIN strategy is that it is not a sustainable strategy as it requires the host nation government into the horns of a dilemna; build massive security forces that it can not afford nor sustain without massive foreign financial support which undermines local legitimacy.
Canada.com has a piece on the Afghani national budget:
Afghanistan's state revenues rose by 45 per cent last year, but still only account for less than a third of the budget in a country that remains dependent on Western aid, the finance ministry said on Thursday.
A series of reforms and anti-corruption measures brought Afghanistan's domestic revenues to $600 million in the fiscal year that ended this week... Revenue remains barely $20 per person per year, hardly enough to provide services like schools, hospitals, courts, roads, an army and police.
State revenue accounts for about 5 per cent of gross domestic product. The United Nations estimates Afghans spend more than four times as much on bribes
Local revenues are 5% of GDP, the national budget is overwhelmingly funded by foreigners with their own local strings attached as well as an expectation that Kabul will expand its military efforts for the next several years. Cutting down on corruption could both enhance the local government's authority and legitimacy as well as its easily obtained revenue sources, but to do that would require the Karzai government stepping on many toes that are in its supporting coalition.
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