Monitoring Desk
KABUL: The Ministry of Interior (MoI) has notified a five percent pay raise for the police personnel, saying reform efforts have been stepped up.
The MoI also announced a one-month operation against militant groups would be launched in northern Faryab and Jawzjan provinces on Tuesday.
Interior Minister Wais Ahmad Barmak said the salaries of policemen would be increased by five percent from the beginning of new fiscal year (December 22, 2017).
Speaking at a joint meeting of the Law and Order Trust Fund for Afghanistan (LOTFA) and the MoI officials, he said there had also been an increase in policemen’s privileges.
According to the MoI, the number of policemen has reached 175,000 and their salaries range from 10,000 afghanis to 40,000afs.
Barmak said efforts were ongoing to bring about reforms at MoI because the Afghan people and the international community wanted transparency in its affairs. Deputy Country Director at UNDP Jocelyn Mason, who also attended the gathering, praised the reforms effort made by MoI. He said the UN would continue supporting the ministry.
He claimed reforms and accountability at the ministry had enhanced its credibility in the eyes of donor nations and they were convinced their money was going into the right project.
Launch of operation
Nasrat Rahimi, deputy spokesman for the ministry, told reporters in Kabul that an operation against an Daesh and other insurgent groups would be launched in Jawzjan and Faryab provinces.
In response to a question regarding the presence of French terrorists in Jawzjan, he said: “We haven’t received any report to the effect. But we are aware of the existence of Chechen and Iranian fighters in Afghanistan.”
A a number of officials and residents of Jawzjan province allege some French, Swedish, Chechen, and Uzbek nationals are training Daesh fighters in Darzab district. During Monday’s session, Rahimi promised enforcing necessary reforms in the Interior Ministry. He said people would soon see a transformed face of the ministry.
