Country Update ISSUE 055 O C T. 2019 “ Rural communities across Afghanistan benefit from better access to basic services through all-weather roads ” under the Afghanistan Rural Access Project. page 24 page 4 page 6 page 36 page 38 world bank ongoing international afghanistan group support operations finance reconstruction corporation trust fund / The World Bank Group in Afghanistan/3 CONTENTS ongoing NEW SUPPORT TO NEWS operations IMPROVE DIGITAL world bank page 6-33 PAYMENT, LAND group support 22 results page 4 -5 page 6 ‘All-weather road puts ADMINISTRATION education and training district on path to SYSTEM, AND POLICY page 4 development’ FRAMEWORKS World Bank projects and page 9 programs financial sector New grants will support the following International Finance page 16 initiatives: Corporation health $45 MILLION GRANT TO THE PAY- Multilateral Investment MENTS AUTOMATION AND INTEGRA- page 18 Guarantee Agency TION OF SALARIES IN AFGHANISTAN infrastructure (PAISA) PROJECT, which aims to build a credible and transparent infrastruc- page 5 page 24 28 results ture for national payments in the Country Partnership Framework, 2017-2020 rural development ‘Community grain bank staves off hunger ’ Government of Afghanistan and pro- new national financial inclusion strategy to boost productivity vide support to strengthen the main page 33 government institutions responsible Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund service delivery for government payments. The grant comprises $10 million from IDA and and jobs in afghanistan Japan Social page 34 $35 million from the ARTF. The central bank of Afghanistan, Da Most financial institutions including Development Fund urban development Afghanistan Bank, recently launched a banks have little knowledge of the agri- $35 MILLION GRANT TO THE AFGHA- National Financial Inclusion Strategy culture sector and insufficient capacity NISTAN LAND ADMINISTRATION SYS- that will ensure access to finance for to design products that can appeal to TEM PROJECT (ALASP), to support the households and enterprises in key areas, agribusinesses, according to the review. development of the Afghanistan land international finance particularly in agriculture and livestock, Micro, small, and medium enterprises, administration system and provide corporation the population in selected areas with to boost productivity, create jobs, and most of which operate in agriculture, re- page 36-37 improved land registration services. contribute to the broader economy. present a huge opportunity for growth as The grant comprises $25 million from World Bank Afghanistan closely they need more than $4.7 billion in credit. page 36 IDA and $10 million from the ARTF. worked with Da Afghanistan Bank in the The new strategy addresses many of ongoing advisory projects past 18 months undertaking a thorough these issues. It will help increase access $400 MILLION TO THE 2019 INCENTIVE review of financial institutions, which to finance in critical areas of the eco- PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT POLICY helped prepare the strategy. nomy and promote formal financial results 40 46 results OPERATION, which aims to strengthen The review found that the agriculture services for households and the private ‘Rehabilitated farm enables afghanistan ‘Farmers find solutions the policy framework to support state and livestock sector employs 44 percent sector, including digital payments and farmers to grow healthy crops reconstruction trust a phone call away’ effectiveness, private investment, and of the national workforce and accounts services. The strategy also includes re- fund social inclusion, and to improve the for a quarter of national gross domestic gulatory and policy reforms that will page 38-54 policy and institutional framework for product. But it has remained one of the enable agribusinesses to secure affor- public financial management. most overlooked sectors in accessing fi- dable financing on suitable terms. page 42 nance, representing only four percent of Offering the right financial products to ongoing projects total bank lending in the country. micro, small, and medium enterprises in Microfinance institutions provide the rural Afghanistan will enable them to cre- majority of agriculture loans while for- ate jobs for rural people and ensure sus- mal banks cater to only a tiny portion. tainable supply of agricultural products. 4/  Country Update/ / The World Bank Group in Afghanistan/5 WORLD BANK GROUP SUPPORT COUNTRY PARTNERSHIP World Bank projects administration spheres, and through its renewable energy, and investment climate reforms, for both public and private sectors, FRAMEWORK, In 2013, MIGA launched its “Conflict Affec- available, both for closed and active invest- budget support operations. It has advo- ted and Fragile Economies Facility” that uses ment projects. As of August 20, 2019, there and programs cated building capacity and legitimacy of to strengthen the environment for private 2017–2020 donor partner contributions and guarantees are eight active ARTF-only ($644 million) pro- the state, and channeling donor resources sector investment and promote private sec- as well as MIGA guarantees to provide an ini- jects, while 14 projects are financed jointly Since April 2002, the World Bank's Interna- through the government to ensure invest- tor growth. tial loss layer to insure investment projects in with IDA ($1.99 billion), with net commit- The World Bank Group’s current tional Development Association (IDA) has ments are aligned with national priorities. To IFC’s current cumulative committed invest- difficult contexts. This facility could be used to ment value of $2.6 billion. committed over $4.48 billion for develop- this end, the World Bank works closely with ment portfolio stands at over $238 million engagement with Afghanistan c For more information: see page XX boost the agencies’ exposure in Afghanistan. ment and emergency reconstruction pro- other multilateral and bilateral agencies and its advisory services portfolio stands over 2017–2020 is determined jects, and six budget support operations in Afghanistan across a number of sectors where aid coordi- currently at $11.5 million. IFC’s investment by the Country Partnership Fra- Afghanistan. This support comprises over nation and government ownership are most portfolio includes investments in the tele- mework strategy, which is closely Japan Social $4.14 billion in grants and $436.4 million critical. communication sector, agribusiness, and aligned with the government’s Reconstruction Development Fund in no-interest loans known as “credits”. The c For information about completed projects: financial markets. The investment pipeline Bank has 10 active IDA-only projects ($908 www.worldbank.org.af – Projects & Programs. looks promising and includes investments in Afghanistan National Peace and Trust Fund million) and 14 projects jointly funded with the power and education sectors. The Japan Social Development Fund (JSDF) Development Framework. the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund, c For more information: see page XX The Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund was established by the Government of Japan with net commitment value of over $2.3 bil- International (ARTF) is a partnership between the interna- in 2000 as a means of supporting activities lion from IDA. Finance Corporation Multilateral The World Bank Group strategy tional community and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GoIRA) to that directly respond to the needs of poor and vulnerable groups, enhance their capaci- Since the adoption of the Afghanistan Na- aims to help Afghanistan: tional Peace and Development Framework The International Finance Corporation (IFC), Investment • Build strong and accountable improve effectiveness of the reconstruction effort. As of May 21, 2019, 34 donors have ties, and strengthen their empowerment and participation in the development process. (ANPDF), the World Bank’s engagement has the World Bank Group’s private sector arm, become increasingly programmatic. Under- is supporting economic development in Guarantee Agency institutions to support the go- contributed over $11.4 billion, making the The fund is administered by the World Bank. pinned by advisory work, both policy and vernment’s state-building ob- ARTF the largest contributor to the Afghan The Government of Japan and the World Afghanistan by providing a broad suite of The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agen- budget—for both operating costs and deve- Bank agreed to set up a special window with- investment lending focus on the main enga- investment services to the private sector, par- jectives and enable the state to gement clusters: macro-fiscal management cy (MIGA) has $116.5 million of gross expo- lopment programs. in JSDF to support activities in Afghanistan ticularly in the infrastructure, finance, agribu- fulfil its core mandate to deli- and institution building, stimulating private siness, and services sectors. sure for two projects in dairy and cashmere The ARTF’s support for National Priority under a multi-year program of assistance for investments and growth to create jobs, go- The investment program is supported by production. ver basic services to its citizens, Programs (NPPs), operating costs of govern- the country’s reconstruction and transition to- vernance and anti-corruption, human capital advisory services, including access to finance, Among MIGA’s global priorities for FY and create an enabling environ- ment operations, and the policy reform ward political, economic, and social stability. 2018–2021 are support for foreign direct agenda is contributing to the achievement As of January 2019, JSDF’s total commit- development and service delivery, citizen en- corporate governance enhancement, sup- ment for the private sector; gagement and gender equality, as well as ur- ply chain development, food safety mana- investment with high developmental impact of the ANPDF goals. More than $5 billion has ment had reached $85 million. A number of • Support inclusive growth, with been disbursed to the government to help JSDF-financed projects have been completed. banization, infrastructure, and connectivity. gement, financial system management, in IDA countries and fragile and conflict affec- The Bank has actively supported key re- environmental and social management, ted situations. Afghanistan is a key country a focus on lagging areas and ur- cover recurrent costs, such as civil servants’ c For more information: forms, particularly in the fiscal and public strengthening horticulture export, access to for MIGA to deliver on these objectives. ban informal settlements; and salaries, and over $5.5 billion had been made http://go.worldbank.org/U5OQZVF200 n • Deepen social inclusion through improved human development outcomes and reduced vulnera- bility amongst the most under- privileged sections of society, including the large numbers of internally displaced persons and returnees. 6/  Country Update/ / The World Bank Group in Afghanistan/7 ONGOING OPERATIONS / education and training Activities are underway The project also works on the concept of to improve Technical Vocational Education a select number of lead institutes located in Afghanistan Second and Training teacher competencies and Herat, Kabul, and Nangarhar for targeted sup- port and capacity building to serve as hubs Skills Development curriculum in selected priority trades, such as for teacher training and curriculum develop- Project (ASDP II) auto-repair, under ASPD II. Among other outcomes, ment. The project also supports an in-service Technical Teacher Training Institute. cIDA grant $55 million project support is expected The curricula for the three priority trades of to result in changes in The project supports the Government of skill development that will information and communications technology align with labor market (ICT), accounting, and business administra- Afghanistan in its strategy to build mar- needs in eight priority ket relevant vocational and technical skills trades, including areas tion have been redeveloped. The work on the for economic growth and development. with potential to improve revision and redevelopment of the curricula women’s labor force for construction, auto-repair, and agriculture Building on the former Afghanistan Skills participation. Development Project, this program will con- is ongoing. tinue to strengthen the Technical Vocational ASPD II is financing an academic partner- Education and Training (TVET) institution- ship contract with Pune University in India, al system, improve performance of TVET where 20 faculty members from the National schools and institutes, and improve teacher Institute of Management and Administration competencies. and other TVET institutes are enrolled to pur- In July 2017, the project was restructured sue master’s degrees in ICT, commerce, and to reemphasize its focus on the development business administration. objective of improving TVET teacher compe- About 80 teachers are expected to enroll by tencies and curriculum in selected priority the end of 2019 for one-year teacher training trades. programs in priority trades at Reva University The purpose of restructuring was to sup- (26 teachers) and Sam Higginbottom port implementation of the significant new University of Agriculture, Technology and skills development reforms that the govern- Sciences (54 teachers) in India. ment has launched. The reforms include (i) In addition, over 522 TVET graduates have realignment of the TVET sector with labor been supported with scholarships through market needs in eight priority trades, includ- a voucher program, which facilitates further ing areas with potential to improve women’s professional studies for meritorious students labor force participation; (ii) assessment of Deputy Minister for TVET to the TVETA, which lagging provinces (never enrolled or dropped who have graduated from TVET institutes. the qualification of all TVET teachers; (iii) has been tasked to oversee the coordination out), teachers, principals, and Ministry of training abroad offered to the best qualified; (iv) mobilizing four lead institutes to support and implementation of TVET policy. Education staff. The system-level improve- EQRA In 2018, the project went through a second ments in management will benefit all exist- teacher assessments/training in the eight pri- round of restructuring mainly to respond to ing students as well as out-of-school children c IDA Grant $100 million ority trades; (v) upgrading and standardizing the government’s strategic priorities, and re- who will be brought into school. The project c ARTF Grant $100 million competency-based curriculum across the pri- vision of the institutional arrangements in is expected to benefit about 7 million chil- c Global Partnership for Education ority trades; and (vi) implementing a teacher the TVET sector and of some of the disburse- dren who are attending school regularly $98 million policy framework to guide reforms in teacher ment-linked indicator targets in the results from direct project interventions over the EQRA will be implemented over the course recruitment, management, and training. framework. five-year implementation period. of five years from 2018 to 2023. The project’s To streamline institutional capacity to Upon request of the TVETA, the World Bank Component 1 to increase access to edu- objective is to increase equitable access to deliver on the human capital development has initiated an institutional and capacity cation will be implemented in 17 selected primary and secondary education in selected agenda, GoIRA has established a standalone assessment of the Authority to improve ef- provinces—Badghis, Balkh, Faryab, Ghazni, lagging provinces, particularly for girls, and to TVET Authority (TVETA) based on Presidential ficiency and capacity in service delivery. An Helmand, Herat, Kabul, Kandahar, Khost, improve learning conditions in Afghanistan. Decree No. 11, dated April 21, 2018. The man- action plan with concrete steps for improv- Kunduz, Logar, Nangarhar, Nooristan, Paktika, Primary beneficiaries will be students in date for vocational education has been trans- ing TVETA’s implementation capacity is being Urozgan, Wardak, and Zabul. general education, out-of-school children in ferred from the Ministry of Education and developed. Country Update/ ongoing operations 8/  / The World Bank Group in Afghanistan/9 Strengthening Component 1: Improving access to finan- cial services for micro and small enterprises. Women’s Economic This component aims to provide continuing Empowerment Project support to the microfinance sector through the Microfinance Investment Support Facility (SWEEP) for Afghanistan (MISFA), as well as, support- ing MISFA to take on a broader role as a cata- JSDF Grant $2.7 million c lyst for innovations to increase access and SWEEP is a three-year pilot project im- usage of financial services from the lower plemented by the Aga Khan Foundation- end of the market according to its new stra- Afghanistan in close coordination with the tegic plan. It should, however, be underlined Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs. SWEEP that the role of MISFA is primarily that of was requested by the government to develop market facilitator, rather than direct techni- tools and methods and provide a platform cal assistance provider. to share experiences to inform the Women’s Under component 1, MISFA has initiated a Economic Empowerment National Priority series of activities, including expanding the Program (see page 54). Targeting the Ultra Poor (TUP) program in The main beneficiaries will be poor women six provinces (Balkh, Kabul, Kandahar, Kunar, in select rural and peri-urban areas. SWEEP Laghman, and Takhar), where it has been will support the development and capacity successful in targeting and initiating mean- building of clusters (self-help groups com- ingful improvements in the well-being of prising community-based savings groups), ultra-poor beneficiaries. and provide them with training, business An impact evaluation of the program, development services, and access to finance. carried out jointly with the Development A baseline survey was completed in October Impact Evaluation, has been completed in 2018, followed by implementation of the Balkh province, tracking households from project in November 2018. before the interventions started to one year Since December 2018, a total of 45 clus- after the program ended. The baseline survey ters have been formed in four provinces, showed that the TUP selection process was 290 monthly cluster meetings have been effective in identifying households that— EQRA is expected to benefit about 7 million held, and sub-committees formed. Cluster across a range of dimensions—were worse schoolchildren over the members are being trained and expected off than the average resident in target areas, project duration. It will to receive revolving loan funds in the next and arguably more in need of support to help increase equitable access to education, particularly quarter. shift them closer to sustainable livelihoods. Constraints that limit school participation a new curriculum, dissemination of learning for girls. Out-of-school The results of the impact evaluation pub- children in lagging lished in June 2019 show that the TUP pro- in Afghanistan, such as deteriorating secu- materials, and improvements in teaching rity, cultural norms that undervalue educa- quality through coaching and subject-specific provinces will also benefit from project interventions. / financial sector gram in Balkh led to a significant reduction in tion, opportunity costs to attending school, training. the incidence of extreme poverty, increased consumption, and improved food security distance to school, lack of gender-segregated latrines, and lack of female teachers, will be EQRA also seeks to enhance transpar- ency and management capacity of the Access to Finance among the beneficiaries, over 90 percent of addressed through key interventions. These Ministry of Education and in the provinces Project whom are women. include (i) improving school infrastructure, by strengthening its Education Management A fifth of participating households in cIDA grant $50 million Balkh moved above the national poverty which will be implemented by the Ministry Information System and data collection pro- of Rural Rehabilitation and Development; (ii) cedures, improving teacher recruitment and The Access to Finance Project aims to build line (roughly equivalent to $1 per person providing school grants; and (iii) establishing human resource management, and imple- institutional capacity to improve access per day). Their spending was up by a third. community-based education classes. menting budget planning and norm-based to credit of micro, small, and medium en- Psychological well-being, the number of To improve learning conditions, the project operations and maintenance budget alloca- terprises. The project has the following hours spent working, financial inclusion, and will support textbook development based on tion formulae. components: the empowerment of women all rose too. Country Update/ ongoing operations 10/  / The World Bank Group in Afghanistan/11 Based on the success of the program, the Movable Collateral Registry, established in TUP will be scaled up to two more provinces February 2013, and the Public Credit Registry, (Parwan and Nangarhar), with an expected launched in December 2013, are key build- completion date of end-June 2021. ing blocks in the infrastructure of the Afghan Component 2: Improving access to finan- financial system. Having both systems fully cial services for small and medium enterpris- functional has streamlined SME applications es (SMEs). Through support to the expansion for banking loans and supported banks’ lend- of the Afghanistan Credit Guarantee Facility ing decisions. and technical assistance to financial insti- A second additional financing ($20 million) tutions to strengthen their SME lending was approved in October 2016. Under the capacity, this component aims to increase additional financing, a new core banking sys- commercial bank and microfinance institu- tem will be in place to enable DAB to better tion lending to SMEs and thus facilitate their manage the sector’s risk and strengthen its access to financial services. Component 2 oversight. supports the provision of credit guarantees There is increased focus to invest in DAB for SMEs. staff to enhance the effectiveness of its reg- Implementation of component 2 started ulatory capacity. To this effect, DAB’s Talent in June 2017, after an implementation part- Development Program was launched in nership agreement was signed between the February 2018 and funded 136 scholarships Ministry of Finance and the Afghanistan for bachelor and master’s programs in Kabul Credit Guarantee Foundation. As of end-June for eligible staff. Some 700 DAB employees 2019, the outstanding guaranteed SME loan have been given the opportunity to pursue a portfolio of three partner financial institu- degree or professional certification, with 220 tions is $21.8 million, down from $25.7 mil- of whom having completed or enrolled in a lion in the previous quarter. This is explained bachelor or master's program. by the current operating environment, which A DAB delegation also visited Bangladesh affects the investment decisions of and en- Bank, the central bank of Bangladesh, in suing demand for loans by SMEs, as well as February 2018 to exchange experiences in the risk appetite of financial institutions. The implementing core banking system upgrades. revised project closing date is June 30, 2021. Establishment of the national card and Results of an impact evaluation of the mobile payment switch was finalized under Afghanistan Financial Targeting the Ultra Poor program in Balkh the Afghanistan Payment System (APS) and officially inaugurated by the DAB governor Sector Rapid province showed that the program significantly ducted in accordance with international tivities, in order to increase the availability on April 26, 2016. The contract to develop Response Project reduced the incidence of extreme poverty, standards. The audits will lead to the develop- ment of action plans to address weaknesses of banking sector skills. AIBF has trained over 7,800 professionals from commercial banks the Automated Transfer System (ATS) was awarded in April 2016. ATS will modernize the (FSRRP) increased consumption, and improved food security that are identified, with oversight from DAB. in different training programs, exceeding the national payment system for efficient and among the beneficiaries, The audits of the 10 commercial banks were set target of 6,000 at project’s end. transparent payment transactions. With the cIDA Grant $45.7 million over 90 percent of whom completed in June 2012. The project was restructured and a first ad- operationalization of the APS and near-full are women. The project assists the Da Afghanistan Bank The project also aims to modernize the ditional financing to the project ($6.7 million) functionality of the ATS, the payment infra- (DAB), the central bank, to develop a set of national payment system with the goal of re- supported selected technical assistance ac- structure has been modernized to enhance fi- action plans to improve banking supervi- ducing the use of cash transactions, the main tivities originally financed under the Financial nancial intermediation and enable safety and sion and implement a modern payment sys- means of making payments in Afghanistan, Sector Strengthening Project, which closed in efficiency of the financial system. tem for efficient and transparent payment and transitioning to electronic, card, or mo- June 2014. The additional financing targeted With the closing of the FSRRP on October transactions. bile payments. activities to strengthen DAB’s capacity and 31, 2019, remaining activities to strengthen Specifically, the project aims to allow DAB The project also provides further support the establishment of a Public Credit Registry. the payment infrastructure will be carried out to accurately assess the financial situation to the Afghanistan Institute of Banking and A Movable Collateral Registry and a Public by DAB under a new lending operation pend- of 10 commercial banks through audits con- Finance (AIBF) to allow it to scale up its ac- Credit Registry are now fully operational. The ing approval in 2020. Country Update/ ongoing operations 12/  / The World Bank Group in Afghanistan/13 Afghanistan: Public- oriented management culture in MoF. FSP, which came into effect in January Private Partnerships 2018, provides strategic support at a criti- and Public Investment cal moment in Afghanistan’s development. Improved public financial management and Advisory Project revenue generation is central to the govern- (PPIAP) ment’s self-sufficiency agenda. FSP focuses on four key result areas: (i) im- IDA Grant $20 million c proved development budget execution rate; ARTF Grant $30 million c (ii) increased domestic revenue as a percent- age of GDP; (iii) increased compliance with PPIAP will work with the government and, in audit recommendations; and, (iv) improve- particular, the central Partnerships Authority ment in core institutional capacity, represent- in the Ministry of Finance, to develop a pipe- ed by a reduction in the number of long-term line of feasible privately and publicly funded technical assistants. projects. Key implementation developments se- The project, implemented in July 2018, is cured to date include: organized around three complementary in- (i) Budget Processes; Fiscal Policy; and vestment components: Development Policy: MoF has made gradual • Strengthening institutional and technical but significant progress to strengthen the capacity of relevant institutions and upstream preparation process of public in- supporting the development of a Public vestment projects. It has newly introduced a Investment Management–Public-Private standard Project Concept Note and strategic Partnership framework; • Supporting the establishment and opera- fit screening during the 2019 budget pre- tion of an Investment Project Preparation paration, the first step toward aligning Facility, including the development of its new public projects with national develop- governance structure, institutional roles ment priorities. and responsibilities; and A total of 175 projects were submitted to • Project management. and reviewed by MoF. The ministry will issue circular(s) for the 2020 budget, which will include detailed guidelines on financial, eco- Government procurement has become simpler and Fiscal Performance nomic, and gender analysis, and require that more transparent with the implementation of an Improvement Support no new projects larger than $7.5 million be approved for implementation without pro- electronic procurement Project (FSP) Afghanistan This is the second of three planned op- erations aligned with the government’s cur- system, minimizing inaccurate information IDA Grant $25 million c ject appraisal. Recently developed Operations and Maintenance (O&M) norms and guide- Incentive Program rent three year program of policy reforms. and corruption risks. Supported by FSP, the ARTF Grant $75 million c lines will also be applied for the 2020 budget. Development Policy Supported reforms are organized under two pillars: (i) strengthening the policy framework electronic system was launched by the National Government of Afghanistan c (ii) Tax Administration: The focus continues on implementing the value-added tax, in ad- $100 million Grant (IP-DPG) to support state effectiveness, private invest- Procurement Authority as part of its efforts to dition to supporting audit and legal functions. ment, and social inclusion; and (ii) improving improve service delivery, FSP is designed to improve management Further, the Afghanistan Revenue Depart- IDA Grant $100 million c transparency, and cost- the policy and institutional framework for of public finances in Afghanistan by strength- ment is in the process of upgrading their sys- ARTF Grant $300 million c effectiveness. ening the capacity of the Ministry of Finance public financial management. tems to ensure sustainability of operations. The IP-DPG operation supports continued pro- Reforms under the first pillar support de- (MoF), National Procurement Authority, and (iii) Customs Administration: The Auto- gress on key reforms under the Afghanistan velopment of e-payments and mobile money, Supreme Audit Office. It supports the imple- mated Systems for Customs Data (ASYCUDA) National Peace and Development Framework. civil service reforms, access to finance, power mentation of the Afghanistan Fiscal Perfor- roll-out is continuing, with 18 customs offices The operation will provide up to $400 million sector reform, land titling, and water produc- mance Improvement Plan (FPIP) through connected and more modules being added. of recurrent cost support to the Government tivity. Reforms under the second pillar support recipient-executed investment financing. Under UNCTAD’s contract for ASYCUDA im- of Afghanistan to support vital services, mo- an improved public investment management The project aims to improve domestic reve- plementation, a disaster recovery center bilized against a series of high priority policy system, tax administration, and accountabil- nue mobilization and public expenditure ma- will be operationalized in Valencia, Spain, by and institutional reforms. ity of public finances. nagement, and to reinforce a performance- the end of 2019. A command-and-control Country Update/ ongoing operations 14/  / The World Bank Group in Afghanistan/15 center has been created at the Afghanistan tive processes and creating better working Customs Department Headquarters. Part of environment and facilities, including better the initial staffing will be provided temporar- ICT infrastructure and integrated informa- ily under FSP. tion management systems for the rest of The feasibility study for implementing a the ministry to operate smoothly. The DM National Single Window has been completed Administration identified 52 business pro- and is currently under review before further cesses that require simplification, of which implementation actions start. one administration-related, five procure- (iv) Procurement Reform: The National ment-related, and two finance-related pro- Procurement Authority has advanced its pi- cesses have been simplified to date. loting of Electronic Government Procurement By end-2019, the DM Administration plans (e-GP) and open procurement to improve to further enhance internal payroll man- transparency and accountability in procure- agement by linking the web-based payroll ment processes. Progress has been gradual system with E-attendance and the human over the last year, with four out of the 18 resources database. planned modules developed and the re- maining modules currently being developed through contracted system developers and Modernizing Afghan information technology (IT) infrastructure. State-Owned Banks E-Tendering, the key e-GP module, is under development and expected to be launched Project by mid-2020. IDA Grant $40 million c (v) Institutional Capacity and Performance The project aims to strengthen corporate Management: FSP has been helping develop governance and enhance operational effi- MoF as an institution by building staff capac- ciency of state-owned banks. The project, ity and putting systems in place. However, implemented by the Ministry of Finance, resources remain overstretched and under- will contribute to the modernization, trans- capacitated, but nonetheless provide the parency, and efficiency of the three Afghan operational anchorage for FPIP implementa- state-owned banks: New Kabul Bank, Bank tion by technical departments and are hence Millie Afghan, and Pashtany Bank. It will PAISA will support the critical to broader public finance manage- modernize their IT infrastructure and devel- continued development ment outcomes. op sustainable business models to support of the biometric identification system The office of the Deputy Minister (DM) for Administration in MoF has made concerted inclusive growth. for civil servants and Payments Automation ry frameworks and operational processes will The project, effective April 2018, is achiev- pensioners, making digital complement investments in physical IT in- efforts to improve management and sustain- ing significant progress in addressing government-to-person payments more efficient and Integration of frastructure as well as incentives to spur pri- ability of MoF technical assistance. These ef- forts include designing a new output-based reforms in the corporate governance frame- work of the state-owned banks. With project and transparent. Salaries in Afghanistan vate-sector–led delivery of financial services. The project comprises four components: international consultant guideline and scale, support, MoF has developed an ownership (PAISA) Project (i) supporting a biometric identification sys- as well as carrying out a strategic assess- policy, established an ownership unit, and tem for civil servants and pensioners; (ii) in- IDA Grant $10 million c ment of national technical assistants (NTA). defined the terms of reference of the supervi- tegrating the identification, verification, and This work, anchored by the government’s ARTF Grant $35 million c sory boards by means of a presidential decree payment systems; (iii) expanding financial new Civil Servants Pay Policy, has resulted in that was issued in December 2018. The project objective is to support the de- services and access points for digital cash reducing MoF’s overall NTA cohort by 60 per- The World Bank is working closely with velopment of digital government-to-person out and cashless payments; and (iv) project cent (from 780 to 454 employees), with 12 MoF and the state banks to prioritize corpo- (G2P) payments in Afghanistan. Advisory management. percent of these positions integrated into the rate governance reforms and critical IT up- assistance to the recipient’s Ministry of The project was approved by the World ministry’s Tashkeel (organizational structure). grades to boost operational efficiency of the Finance, Da Afghanistan Bank, and benefi- Bank Board on April 25, 2019, and expected The DM Administration also continues to state banks. ciary entities on improved legal and regulato- to be effective by end-October. focus on simplifying internal administra-  Country Update/ ongoing operations 16/  / The World Bank Group in Afghanistan/17 / health Afghanistan Sehatmandi (Health) HEALTH INDICATORS Project ON POSITIVE TREND IDA Grant $140 million c ARTF Grant $425 million c UNDER-FIVE MORTALITY RATE Global Financing Facility c DROPPED from 257 to 50 per Grant $35 million 1,000 live births from 2003 to The project aims to increase the utilization 2018. and quality of health, nutrition, and family planning services across Afghanistan. The project comprises three components: NEWBORN MORTALITY RATE Component 1: To improve service delivery, FELL from 53 to 23 per 1,000 live this component will finance performance- births from 2003 to 2018. based contracts to deliver the Basic Package of Health Services and Essential Package of NUMBER OF FUNCTIONING Hospital Services across the country. Component 2: To strengthen the health HEALTH FACILITIES INCREASED system and its performance, this component to more than 2,800 in 2018 from will support a systematic organized approach 496 in 2002, while at the same to establish a performance management cul- time the proportion of facilities ture in the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) with female staff increased. and among stakeholders. Component 3: To strengthen demand and community accountability for key health BIRTHS ATTENDED BY SKILLED services, the third component will finance a HEALTH PERSONNEL AMONG range of activities, including communication THE LOWEST INCOME QUINTILE campaigns aimed at raising overall aware- INCREASED to 59 percent from ness of health rights as well as specific health This district clinic in Kandahar province 15.6 percent. behaviors to support MoPH and service pro- has brought quality viders to be more responsive to community health services closer health needs. to local residents after PENTA3 IMMUNIZATION The Afghan health system has made con- Afghanistan also has one of the high- upgrading its services under the Sehatmandi Group for Estimation of Maternal Mortality COVERAGE MORE THAN siderable progress during the past decade est levels of child malnutrition in the world. project. “If this clinic will consider the available data to come up DOUBLED (a combination of five thanks to strong government leadership, About 36.6 percent of children under five were not here, we with the best estimate for MMR shortly. would have to go to vaccines in one covering polio, sound public health policies, innovative ser- suffer from chronic malnutrition, and both The MMR estimate seems inconsistent women and children suffer from high levels a private clinic or a with the significant increases in coverage of diphtheria, Pertussis, tetanus, vice delivery, careful program monitoring hospital in Kandahar and evaluation, and development assistance. of vitamin and mineral deficiencies. city,” says a resident skilled birth attendance (59 percent up from haemophilus influenzae type b, Data from household surveys (between 2003 The Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) has from a nearby village. 15.6 percent in 2003), improved quality of and hepatitis B) from 29 percent “We get medicine, and 2018) show significant declines in mater- fallen significantly from 1,600 per 100,000 live vaccines, and dietary care as shown by frequent health facility sur- to 61 percent among children age nal and child mortality. births in 2002. The Afghanistan Demographic supplements here." veys, improved physical access to services (a 12 to 23 months in the lowest Despite significant improvements in the co- Health Survey (ADHS) 2015 undertaken by fourfold increase in the number of facilities income quintile. verage and quality of health services, as well the Central Statistics Organization, with since 2002) shown in the ADHS, as well as as a drop in maternal, infant, and under-five funding support from USAID, indicated a progress on other related impact indicators mortality, Afghanistan health indicators are MMR estimate of 1,290 per 100,000 live (e.g., under-five mortality rate has declined to CONTRACEPTIVE PREVALENCE still worse than the average for low-income births. The ADHS, however, notes that the 50 per 1,000 live births). Other survey-based RATE INCREASED (using any countries, indicating a need to further decrease MMR estimate seems to be an overestimate. estimates also put the MMR significantly modern method) to 19.8 percent barriers for women in accessing services. The United Nations Inter-Agency Working lower than 1,290. from 10 percent. Country Update/ ongoing operations 18/  / The World Bank Group in Afghanistan/19 / infrastructure the procurement process for two more silos are expected to commence soon. Afghanistan Digital The Grain Reserve Managing Charter has been developed and included in the Ministry CASA 1 Project of Justice's legislative plan. The first draft of three operational guidelines has been com- IDA Grant $51 million c pleted. The project is benefiting from tech- The project, which came into effect in March nical assistance from the UN World Food 2018, aims to increase access to affordable Programme, especially on the construction of internet, attract private investors to the sec- physical infrastructure. tor, and improve the government’s capac- ity to deliver digital government services by supporting a regionally integrated digital Central Asia South infrastructure and creating an enabling en- Asia Electricity vironment. The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology is the imple- Transmission and menting agency. Trade Project (CASA-1000) Afghanistan Strategic IDA Grant/Credit $526.5 million, c Grain Reserve Project including $316.5 million IDA grant to IDA Grant $20.3 million c Afghanistan JSDF Grant $9.7 million c CASA-1000, covering Afghanistan, Kyrgyz The project will enable the Ministry of Republic, Pakistan, and Tajikistan, will put in Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock to estab- place the commercial and institutional ar- lish a strategic wheat reserve to be available rangements as well as the infrastructure to Afghan households to meet their needs required for 1,300 megawatts (MW) of sus- following any unforeseen emergency situ- tainable electricity trade. ation that affects access to wheat for their The total project cost is estimated at consumption, and to improve the efficiency $1.17 billion, to which the World Bank of grain storage management. has contributed $526.5 million in loans Progress is underway on The project supports the establishment of and grants to the four countries. Several the Herat Electrification a governmental semi-autonomous corpora- other development partners are also pro- Project, which will tion to be in charge of managing the grain viding financing for CASA-1000, including provide electricity to substation in Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan; Afghanistan is expected to receive 300 over 230,000 people and high voltage direct current (HVDC) trans- MW of electricity import from Tajikistan and reserve of the country and coordinate its ac- the Islamic Development Bank, European 1,600 institutions and tivities with other governmental agencies Bank for Reconstruction and Development, businesses in selected mission lines from Tajikistan to Pakistan Kyrgyz Republic through the existing 220 and donors. United States Government, United Kingdom areas in Herat province. via Afghanistan; and three new HVDC con- kV AC lines from Sangtuda substation, and For the storage of grains, the project will Department for International Development, verter stations in Tajikistan, Pakistan, and Tajikistan to Chimtala substation in Kabul upgrade two existing storage facilities, build and United States Agency for International Afghanistan. However, in 2016, the four via Pul-e-Khumri. Da Afghanistan Breshna four new large facilities, as well as build na- Development. countries restructured the project, in which Sherkat (DABS), Afghanistan’s electricity tional capacity in human resources to oper- CASA-1000 will build more than 1,200 kilo- the converter station in Kabul was dropped. company under the Ministry of Energy and ate these facilities according to international meters (km) of electricity transmission lines Of the total project financing, Afghanistan Water, is the implementing agency for the standards. It is estimated that by end of this to transmit excess summer hydropower en- has received $316.5 million in the form of an Afghanistan portion of this project, which in- five-year project, the overall storage capac- ergy from existing power plants (such as the IDA grant. The grant will support construction cludes a Security Management Plan for both ity for wheat will reach 200,000 metric tons, Toktogul power plant in Kyrgyz Republic and of about 560 km of an overhead HVDC trans- the construction and operation phase. sufficient for the consumption of 2 million Nurek power plant in Tajikistan) to Pakistan mission line from Sangtuda converter station CASA-1000 came into effect in January Afghans for six months. and Afghanistan. in Tajikistan to Nowshera converter station 2018. Three contracts for the HVDC trans- The project is making progress in the com- At approval, CASA-1000 included the en- in Pakistan. In addition, Afghanistan has re- mission line in Afghanistan were signed in plex procurement process of the construction gineering design, construction, and commis- ceived a $40 million grant from the ARTF for December 2017. Survey and design works are of silos. The pre-bid meeting for the Kabul sioning of high voltage alternating current the CASA Community Support Program (see in advance stage. According to the contract’s Grain Steel Silo has been completed, while (HVAC) transmission lines and associated page 44). schedule, construction of the line is expected Country Update/ongoing operations 20/  / The World Bank Group in Afghanistan/21 to begin from the third quarter of 2019. existing standards, procedures, and prepa- The contracts for preparation of the coun- ration of a grid code for the Afghan power try-specific Environmental and Social Impact system consistent with best international Assessment and the Resettlement Action practices. The contract for a consultancy ser- Plan for the HVDC transmission line are un- vice to prepare the grid code has been signed der implementation. A contract for a Project and the grid code is expected to be prepared Owner’s Engineer for the HVDC components by April 2020. was awarded in November 2018. Procurement for the majority of key in- frastructure packages under CASA-1000 Irrigation Restoration in the other three countries has also been and Development completed, including the procurement for the two convertor stations in Tajikistan and Project (IRDP) Pakistan for which the contracts were signed IDA Grant $97.8 million c in September 2018. ARTF Grant $118.4 million c Government of Afghanistan c $3.5 million Herat Electrification The project builds upon and scales up ac- Project tivities supported under the completed IDA Grant $60 million c World Bank-financed Emergency Irrigation Rehabilitation Project, closed in December The project aims to support DABS provide 2011. electricity to over 230,000 people and 1,600 After project restructuring and additional institutions and businesses in selected areas financing in July 2016, IRDP envisages sup- in Herat province. port to rehabilitate irrigation systems serving The project will support investments for (i) some 215,000 hectares of land and design building a new 110 kV transmission line to of a limited number of small multi-purpose Karokh district and Chesht-e-Sharif, Karokh, dams and related works, while establishing Obe, and Pahstun Zarghoon 110/20 kV sub- hydro-meteorological facilities and services. stations, and medium and low voltage dis- Progress had been made in all areas. In the tribution networks in four districts of Herat irrigation component, a total of 192 irrigation province; (ii) extension, intensification, and schemes have been rehabilitated, covering upgrading the existing grid to provide access over 216,500 hectares of irrigation command The rehabilitation of this to new or improved electricity service to other area (compared to the end project target of irrigation scheme serving parts of Herat province; and (iii) piloting con- 215,000 hectares and over 425,000 farmer three villages in Nangarhar struction of solar mini-grids and solar-hybrid province has boosted households). A total of 16 kilometers (out of Qargha in Kabul and Darunta in Jalalabad, Progress to date also include: Panj-Amu farmers’ harvests and mini-grids in villages that are unlikely to ob- 26.3 kilometers end of project target) critical income. The irrigation canal are in progress. Dam safety guidelines for River Master Plan Concept Note approved; tain grid electricity in less than five years. river basin erosion protection in various part serves some 330 hectares of Afghanistan have been developed and com- transboundary policy presented to the cabi- farmland, benefiting more Contracts have been awarded for the con- of the country have been completed so far. pleted under the project. net, all comments incorporated and under than 11,000 people. It is one struction of the 110 kV transmission line, the In the small dam component, a prefeasi- of 192 irrigation schemes In the hydro-met component, installation finalization; terms of reference for hydrogeol- four 110/20 kV substations, and electrifica- bility review of 22 small dams resulted in a upgraded by IRDP. of 127 hydrological stations and 56 snow and ogy drilling test wells and geophysical survey tion of the four districts. Major equipment feasibility study being conducted on the six meteorological stations located in various lo- for seven cities (Farah, Herat, Jalalabad, Kabul, for the 110 kV transmission line to Karokh best ranked dams in the northern river basin cations on the five river basins in the country Kandahar, Mazar, and Zaranj) completed is on-site and work on the tower foundation (which is not on international rivers). A letter is completed and operations and mainte- and recruitment of the implementing com- is in progress. Boundary walls and structural has been received from MoF for dropping the nance (O&M) work is ongoing. In addition, pany for Kabul city is underway; and hydro- work of control rooms have been completed detailed social and environmental study from 40 cableway stations for flow measurement geological maps have been prepared for the and work on the switchyard foundation is in the project because the government will fi- at selected hydrology stations have been in- Preliminary National Ground Water Potential progress. Distribution equipment for elec- nance the detailed design and construction stalled and installation of 30 cableways are Map and National Data Availability/Well trification of the four districts is on-site and of those six best ranked dams in the feasibil- ongoing. Further, a national O&M team has Depth-Water Level/Water Quality Maps. installation work is underway. ity study. been established to take care of O&M of all The project will also support review of Further, minor repair works for two dams, hydrological stations. Country Update/ ongoing operations 22/  results all-weather road puts district on path to development in Kabul province • For years, villagers in a rural district in Kabul province lived with bad dirt roads that impeded their access to essential facilities only 6 km away. • After a district main road was asphalted under the Afghanistan Rural Access Project, villagers enjoy better access to schools, health care, and markets and look forward to more development in their villages. • Over 150,000 people in Kabul province have benefited from the project, which has increased the number of people accessing essential services more frequently. I n his self-modified motorcycle mini-truck that serves as a local taxi, Zarkarim, 26, waits patiently alongside the road outside Sonobar village for his next customer. His motorcycle mini-truck was an important means of transport for villagers in Mirbachakot district when most other vehicles refused to take passengers down the unpaved rural roads. “My motorcycle mini-truck was getting damaged and slowly destroyed by the rough road conditions over time,” recalls Zarkarim, who has spent four years as a driver, traversing the roads in and around the district. In recent years, however, Zarkarim has been happy to carry passengers and goods in his motorcycle mini-truck. A district main road was asphalted between 2015 and “ 2016 by the Afghanistan Rural Access Project (ARAP), connecting 10 villages. Since then, “I and the other drivers are so happy because we can make our trips on a paved Since the road was paved, road,” Zarkarim says. “I also make more money because traversable roads is one of the first steps to help them.” I can make four or five trips a day carrying goods when ARAP is implemented by the Ministry of Public Works before I could only make one trip because I had to drive our transport problems have been solved. and Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development so slowly and carefully over the dirt road, often having to and coordinated by the Ministry of Finance. To date, 19 repair damage along the way.” ARAP projects have been completed in Kabul province, ” The 3.1-km main road connects more than 8,700 benefiting over 150,000 residents. An additional six pro- The cars can now come to our door and take us households in Mirbachakot district to basic and essential jects are underway, which will benefit close to 40,000 facilities in the district center, about 6 km away, as well as to our destination. We can go anywhere. people when completed. to roads leading to other villages and the capital, Kabul. The upgrade to an all-weather road has meant that villagers enjoy safe and reliable transportation, which Contribute to Development has boosted social inclusion among Mirbachakot district Ahmad Hamed Serat, 36, ARAP project manager for Kabul –Haji Nizamuddin, farmer, Siawe Charmgar village, Mirbachakot district, Kabul Province province, says that ARAP is having an impact on the dis- residents. “If there was a ceremony, like a wedding, we could not attend before,” says farmer Haji Nizamuddin, trict’s development. “Paved roads facilitate develop- 65, from Siawe Charmgar village. “Since the road was ment of the communities—easy access to school, hos- paved, our transport problems have been solved. The cars pitals, and other villages and cities are all necessary for can now come to our door and take us to our destination. Mirbachakot to grow and improve,” he says. “Our people We can go anywhere.” need help to improve their circumstances, and having Country Update/ ongoing operations 24/  / The World Bank Group in Afghanistan/25 / rural development munity-driven development approach to- ward rural infrastructure and service delivery Afghanistan Rural and reached about 35,000 communities over 14 years. Access Project (ARAP) The project will support the first phase of the Government of Afghanistan’s 10-year c IDA Grant $125 million Citizens’ Charter National Program and will c ARTF Grant $312 million target one third of the country. The first ARAP aims to enable rural communities phase of the program is expected to be im- across Afghanistan to benefit from improved plemented over a period of four years, ending access to basic services and facilities through by 2020. all-weather roads. The project is expected to The Citizens’ Charter aims to improve the increase the number of people living within delivery of core infrastructure and social ser- 2 kilometers (km) of all-season roads, reduce vices to participating communities through travel time to essential services, and enable strengthened Community Development rural communities to access essential servic- Councils (CDCs). These services are part of a es more frequently. minimum service standards package that the As of July 31, 2019, construction of 670 km government is committed to delivering to the of secondary gravel roads, 265 km of second- citizens of Afghanistan. ary asphalt roads, and 1,500 km of tertiary The project has been set up as an inter- roads has been completed. In addition, 1,480 ministerial program for the delivery of a pack- linear meters of secondary bridges and 1,980 age of basic services and is structured around linear meters of tertiary bridges have been four components: built. Component 1: Service Standards Grants. Routine and periodic maintenance of 600 This component supports two types of grants km of secondary roads has been undertaken to CDCs: as well as routine and periodic maintenance (1a) Rural Areas Service Standards Grants. of 3,500 km of tertiary roads. The Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Rollout of the first nationwide inventory Development (MRRD) has overall responsi- and condition survey of rural roads has been bility for the implementation of the grants. completed and over 90 percent of inventory This subcomponent supports delivery of for secondary roads and above have been minimum service standards on rural infra- About half of the completed for 32 out 34 provinces. structure. Allocations per community will be members in Community needs-based and based on an initial gap and Development Councils tween the CDC, cluster/Guzar, urban district, Citizens’ Charter set up under the Citizens’ needs assessment against the minimum ser- Charter are women, vice standards. The investments include wa- and municipality. Afghanistan Project indicating that the new ter supply and a choice between basic road election system and norms Component 2: Institution Building. This component supports capacity building, tech- (Citizens’ Charter) on council governance are access, electricity, or small-scale irrigation. (1b) Urban Areas Block Grants. The having a strong impact. EXPECTED CITIZENS’ CHARTER RESULTS nical assistance, and community facilitation c IDA Grant $227.7 million Independent Directorate of Local Governance Results expected under the first phase include : services. In rural areas, MRRD works with c ARTF Grant $444.3 million (IDLG)—the project’s urban implementing • 10 million Afghans reached. 14 facilitating partners (FPs) in undertaking (includes additional financing of IDA agency—has overall responsibility for the capacity building and training of provincial • 3.4 million people gaining access to clean drinking water. and district staff to oversee, monitor, and Grant $127.7 million and ARTF Grant $44.3 grants to 600 urban CDCs and 120 Guzars million for Citizens’ Charter Emergency (neighborhoods) in four major cities (Herat, • Improvements to quality of service delivery in health, report on project progress, as well as Social Jalalabad, Kandahar, and Mazar-i-Sharif) to education, rural roads, and electrification. Organizers. The ministry provides engineering Regional Displacement Response) and technical support to communities across fund small infrastructure works. The menu • Increase in citizen satisfaction and trust in government. c Government of Afghanistan all 34 provinces. of options includes street upgrading, parks, $128 million • 35 percent return on investment for infrastructure projects. In urban areas, IDLG works with UN Habitat, lighting, provision of potable water, solid The Citizens’ Charter is the successor to waste management arrangements, and which serves as an Oversight Consultant, the highly successful National Solidarity women’s economic activities. This subcom- as well as four FPs on capacity building and Programme (NSP), which introduced a com- ponent supports service delivery linkages be- training of municipality staff to supervise, monitor, and report on project progress. Country Update/ ongoing operations 26/  / The World Bank Group in Afghanistan/27 Component 3: Monitoring and Knowledge public works schemes that are targeted at Learning. This component includes robust vulnerable households within the commu- supervision and learning activities from vil- nities and managed through a community- lage to national levels, exchange visits across driven development approach. The cash for communities, especially for women, and sup- works will include repairs, rehabilitation, port for thematic studies and evaluations. It cleaning, expansion, or construction. Cash for covers a range of participatory monitoring services will target ultra-vulnerable house- and evaluation tools, including the rollout of holds that cannot participate in public works. simple citizens’ scorecards to be completed The Kuchies Development Sub-Program by CDCs and Social Organizers to report on (KDSP) is an additional sub-program to the the minimum service standards. Citizens’ Charter. The sub-program was of- Component 4 (new under Additional ficially launched in April 2019 and aims Financing): Project Implementation and to reach semi-nomadic and fully nomadic Management. This component supports the Kuchies communities in Afghanistan. It ad- management and oversight of the project heres equally to the principles of equity, in- at national, provincial, and district level in clusion, participation, accountability, and rural areas and the municipal management transparency. KDSP is expected to comply units in the four regional hub cities. This in- with the guidelines described in the Citizens’ cludes areas such as policy and operational Charter. planning; capacity building; management KDSP will support the provision of develop- information systems; grievance redress ment services to the Kuchies communities mechanisms; human resource management; in the areas of health, education, road con- communications; donor and field coordina- struction, safe drinking water, electricity, and tion; financial management and procure- drainage system. Additionally, the sectoral ment functions; and safeguards oversight. menu for KDSP will include specific services Component 5 (new under Additional tailored to the unique development needs Financing): Social Inclusion and Maintenance of the nomadic communities, which include and Construction Cash Grants (MCCGs). This electricity through solar or biogas systems component will provide emergency short- and modernization of water reservoirs. term employment opportunities through la- Implementation progress to date includes: The social and economic bor-intensive public works, as well as support In rural areas: Over 11,600 community empowerment of poor rural women, such as these for collective action activities beyond public profiles (CPs) completed; nearly 11,500 works that are aimed to foster greater social new CDCs elected; over 11,200 Community carpet weavers in Herat province, will increase Women’s Economic inclusion and protect the ultra-poor/vulner- Development Plans (CDPs) completed; and under WEE-RDP. Progress in community mobilization Empowerment Rural able in communities. more than 10,900 sub-project proposals There are two subcomponents: prepared. has been quick with over 4,000 self-help groups for Development Project (i) Social Inclusion Grants and Collective In urban areas: Implementation has been women created across the country within months (WEE-RDP) Action Activities will take the form of a rolled out in over 840 communities. A total of of project start. Over c IDA Grant $25 million “matching grant” up to a total value of $2,000 836 CPs completed; 836 CDCs elected; 813 three quarters of self-help group members belong to c ARTF Grant $75 million per community that will be used to provide CDPs completed; and 834 sub-project pro- poor households in their incentives for community philanthropy. The posals approved. communities. WEE-RDP aims to increase social and eco- combination of the matching grant and com- Overall, 92 percent of CDC membership in nomic empowerment of poor rural women in munity donations will be used in the first areas previously covered by the NSP comprise selected communities. It is the flagship oper- instance to initiate a food/grain bank for the new members (i.e., those who had never pre- ation under the Women’s Economic Empow- ultra-poor in each of the targeted commu- viously served on CDCs) and almost half (49 erment National Priority Program (WEE-NPP) nities. It is expected that this will be replen- percent overall and 50 percent office bearers) (see page 54) and builds upon the recently ished periodically with additional community are women. This is evidence that the new closed Afghanistan Rural Enterprise Develop- donations. election system and norms on CDC govern- ment Project (AREDP). (ii) MCCGs are to serve as quick-disbursing ance are having a strong impact. WEE-RDP will engage in 76 districts and emergency grants for work/labor-intensive 5,000 villages in all 34 provinces across Country Update/ ongoing operations 28/  results community grain bank staves off hunger in food insecure households • Food insecure households in a district in Kabul Province have found relief in community grain banks, which are being set up across the country. • About 60 percent of the district’s population have benefited from the grain banks, philanthropic community food reserves, which have been set up to fight seasonal hunger. • Over 4,000 grain banks have been set up across Afghanistan under the Citizens’ Charter Afghanistan Project. F armer Wazir Gul, 43, from Tolat village exa- mines the nicked and shriveled grape vines da- maged by hail in the spring and drought in the summer. He looks doubtful that he will have enough good grapes to sell to support his family. But Wazir Gul does not despair; from previous expe- rience, he knows first-hand how helpful the commu- nity grain bank is. On an earlier occasion, the commu- nity grain bank in his village, a philanthropic community food reserve initiated under the Citizens’ Charter Afgha- nistan Project (Citizens’ Charter), had distributed food and other basic necessities to Gul and other food inse- cure families like his. “When I found out our family’s name was with the grain bank, I was so relieved and happy because they brought food to our home and I could buy medicine for my sick wife,” says Wazir Gul. Villagers with small farms, like Wazir Gul, are particu- improving social inclusion and protecting the ultra-poor larly vulnerable to natural disasters. “Even a small shock “ and vulnerable. can adversely affect their livelihood," says Saleh Moham- The initiative has strengthened significantly since it mad Samit, head of the vulnerable groups division of the started in June 2017. Grain banks have been established Citizens’ Charter. “The grain bank is designed and set up in over 4,000 villages in 114 districts across Afghanistan. When I found out our family’s name was particularly for such situations—to assist people in dire In Guldara district, 42 out of 45 villages have community need of help.” grain banks, with plans to cover the remaining three vil- with the grain bank, I was so relieved Fighting Seasonal Hunger lages soon. So far, an estimated 60 percent of Guldara district’s population have benefited from the project’s and happy because they brought food to our The community grain bank is set up by the village efforts. Community Development Council (CDC), with support Yet, asking for help is not always so simple, and be- from the Citizens’ Charter, to fight seasonal hunger by cause hunger is a silent threat, identifying those who ” home and I could buy medicine assisting the most vulnerable households in the com- munity, including internally displaced persons and retur- need help can also be difficult, especially households headed by women. This was evident in the case of Hafiza for my sick wife. nees. The CDC assesses and identifies the households Samadi, 20, and her widowed sister, Firozah Samadi, most in need. 22, from Deh Naw village, who did not know where or The Citizens’ Charter is implemented by the Ministry of how to ask for help when their earnings came up short Rural Rehabilitation and Development in rural areas. The one month. But the village CDC was able to identify the –Wazir Gul, resident, Tolat village, Guldara district, Kabul province. community grain bank initiative is part of the Citizens’ Samadi family as needing assistance and brought food Charter Emergency Regional Displacement Response, to their home. “It was like they gave us the world”, says which supports collective community action aimed at Hafiza. Country Update/ongoing operations 30/  / The World Bank Group in Afghanistan/31 Afghanistan and will work in close collabo- total number created for women before the ration with several other rural development start of the project. programs in the country, including the Citi- Overall, 78 percent of SHG members be- zens’ Charter, Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation long to the “poor” and “poorest” categories, and Development projects, National Horticul- according to the Well-Being Analysis carried ture and Livestock Project, Access to Finance out by the Citizens' Charter, which WEE-RDP Project, and microfinance institutions. The uses to identify target beneficiaries. The project has begun mobilization through new SHGs have cumulatively saved over $125,000 Community Development Councils in the and have issued over 4,500 loans to their provinces previously covered under AREDP. members amounting to 6.1 million afghanis WEE-RDP will provide support to commu- ($76,250). nity-level women’s institutions through seed capital and technical assistance and link them to formal financial institutions and Trans-Hindukush markets to enable economic empowerment. The project has three components: Road Connectivity Component 1: Community Mobilization Project and Institution Development. It comprises c IDA Grant $250 million (i) providing technical assistance to support community mobilization for establishing self- The project aims to support the government’s help groups (SHGs) and federating them into efforts to improve road transport links across Village Loan and Savings Associations (VLSAs), the Hindukush mountain range, including and Enterprise Groups (EGs) and federating the rehabilitation of the Salang road and tun- them into Producer Associations (PAs); and nel. It will develop existing mountain cross- (ii) carrying out a program of activities to ings into dependable, all-season roads that strengthen capacity, quality, and financial will allow the vital transport of passengers performance of SHGs, VSLAs, EGs, and PAs. and goods to cross the Hindukush mountain Component 2: Access to Finance. It com- range throughout the year. prises (i) providing seed grants to eligible There are currently only two road cross- SHGs and VSLAs to establish long-term re- ings over the mountain range, with the volving funds; and (ii) facilitating access to The Trans-Hindukush Road Salang highway carrying most of the cross- financial services for rural women through Connectivity Project is Hindukush traffic and an unpaved second- making good progress to partnerships with microfinance institutions improve road transport ary crossing between Baghlan and Bamiyan. and commercial banks to promote financial links across the Hindukush The project will carry out civil works for the inclusion of women groups; developing rel- neurs to access markets and manage their mountain range. Work upgrading of the Baghlan to Bamiyan (B2B) is well underway to evant financial products and services with businesses; (ii) providing catalytic funds to develop existing mountain road (152 km) into a paved road as well as the commercial banks and microfinance institu- eligible EGs and PAs; and (iii) supporting EGs, crossings into dependable, rehabilitation of the Salang road and tunnel tions; eliminating institutional constraints on PAs, and/or individual women entrepreneurs all-season roads that will (87 km). allow the vital transport of women’s access to formal financial services; through facilitating their partnerships with passengers and goods to Two out of the six segments along the B2B exploring feasibility of piloting a system, ena- business enterprises to improve the supply of cross the mountain range road are under construction, namely seg- bled by information technology, for delivery business development services and access to throughout the year. ments 1 and 6. The procurement process of of financial products; and financial capacity markets. segments 2, 3, and 5 are well advanced. The building. The pace of social mobilization under WEE- procurement for segment 4 is under process Component 3: Enterprise Development RDP has been remarkably high and more by the Ministry of Transport. The Construction and Market Linkages. It comprises (i) provid- than 4,000 self-help groups (SHGs) have been Supervision Unit of the Ministry of Transport ing technical assistance and supporting pro- created as of July 2019, over 3,200 of which is supervising the implementation of the seg- motional activities to strengthen the capacity were created over an eight-month period. The ments under construction. of EGs, PAs, and individual women entrepre- number of new SHGs already exceeds the Country Update/ ongoing operations 32/  / The World Bank Group in Afghanistan/33 / service delivery ties, improve market enabling infrastructure, and support investor-friendly regulatory Afghanistan Land Ad- reforms. The project has five components: ministration System 1. Regional and national integration of dis- Project (ALASP) placed persons. 2. Short-term employment opportunities, c IDA Grant $25 million reforms, and market-enabling infrastruc- c ARTF Grant $10 million ture under the Independent Directorate of ALASP supports the development of the Local Governance. Afghanistan land administration system and 3. Prioritized urban investments in four provides the population in selected areas provincial capital cities (Herat, Jalalabad, with improved land registration services. Kandahar, and Khost). The project aims to (i) establish an effective 4. Market-enabling infrastructure and re- land administration system in Afghanistan forms for Kabul Municipality. that provides transparent land services, con- 5. Red carpet and program coordination un- tributing to stability and growth; (ii) help der the Ministry of Economy. close the gaps and further develop the policy, legal and institutional framework for land ad- Tackling Afghanistan’s ministration; (iii) provide the building blocks for a modern land administration system in Government HRM Afghanistan; and (iv) support building capac- [Human Resource ity of the Ministry of Urban Development and Land and improving its governance structure Management] and to enhance institutional effectiveness and Institutional Reforms accountability. The project also focuses on women’s (TAGHIR) economic empowerment through policy c IDA Grant $25 million development to enhance ownership and in- c ARTF Grant $50 million heritance of land and other family assets. TAGHIR is a follow-on to the Capacity Government ministries will ALASP is in its early implementation stage Building for Results (CBR) Facility. It assists be supported by TAGHIR and key activities, such as support to the is- to deliver on key priorities the Government of Afghanistan deliver its key suance of occupancy certificates for informal by having more qualified policy priorities by having more qualified and and competent civil land occupants, will start soon. competent civil servants in key positions and servants in key positions administrative reforms in 16 line ministries. Eshteghal Zaiee – as well as administrative The design consultancy for the Salang reforms. The project will The project supports up to a total of Tunnel rehabilitation has advanced as per Karmondena Project support up to 1,500 civil 1,500 civil service positions to enable the schedule but early findings suggest that work service positions to enable ministries to meet objectives and deliver (EZ-Kar) the ministries to meet on B2B should be completed before rehabili- objectives and deliver on on their priorities. The 1,500 positions in- tation work on Salang tunnel starts. This may their priorities. clude around 600 legacy positions from CBR. c IDA Grant $150 million have implication on the overall implementa- The Independent Administrative and Civil c ARTF Grant $50 million tion schedule of the project. Service Reform Commission leads the project The grievance redress mechanism is opera- EZ-Kar aims to strengthen the enabling en- implementation. tional at various levels. Mid-term review of vironment for economic opportunities in cit- The line ministries have identified 400 new the project was completed on June 20, 2019. ies where there is a high influx of displaced key strategic positions in the key priority min- The outcome of the review suggests that pro- people. The project will support actions to istries to be filled through TAGHIR. ject restructuring should take place soon, ten- increase returnees' access to civil documents, TAGHIR will also help the government tatively by December 2019. provide short-term employment opportuni- establish and operationalize a functional Country Update/ ongoing operations 34/  / The World Bank Group in Afghanistan/35 Human Resources Management Information The project consists of the following System for over 400,000 civil servants in the components: Afghan Civil Service. Component 1: Urban Information: Building an Urban Management Information System. Technical assistance to create a database / urban development and web architecture for key statistics, maps, and geographic information system data to Cities Investment facilitate better urban planning and results monitoring. Program (CIP) Component 2: Urban Institutions: c IDA Grant $25 million Institutional and Capacity Development. cARTF Grant $25 million Undertaking a functional review of current planning functions, practices, and capacities CIP aims to improve the sustainability and liv- at MUDH and the five PCCs, and develop- ability of nine provincial capital cities (PCCs) ing an action plan to address deficiencies in by strengthening municipal capacity, man- legal/regulatory issues, processes, and staff- agement, and infrastructure. ing. Support for four “work streams” to pro- The program will support the government vide diagnosis and recommendations on key and the PCCs to build municipal capacity to policy areas, including urban planning and improve revenue collection and design a sys- land use management; affordable housing; tem for performance-based fiscal allocations. urban regeneration; and municipal finance. It will also provide support to strength- Component 3: Urban Integration: en municipal planning and management Strengthening Urban Planning at National through technical assistance, training, and and Local Levels. Financing the completion of supply of equipment and software. Strategic Development Plans (SDPs) for each CIP will provide financing to five PCCs of the PCCs that will identify medium-term (Herat, Jalalabad, Kandahar, Khost, and development goals, based on a consultative Mazar-e-Sharif) to rehabilitate urgently need- stakeholder engagement process. The SDPs ed basic municipal infrastructure to improve will draw from data inputs in component service delivery and livability. This would con- 1, identify key challenges and development sist of localized and small-scale interventions goals, and propose activity and investment Nine provincial capital with limited and mitigatable environmental plans to achieve them. The component will cities will receive support and social impacts. also build a culture of planning through de- under CIP to improve sustainability and velopment of curriculum for urban planning livability by strengthening Urban Development practitioners. municipal capacity, management, and Component 4: Urban Investments: Support Project Feasibility and Design Studies for Urban infrastructure. The project will provide financing c IDA Grant $20 million Infrastructure. Preparation of multi-year to five of the cities to rehabilitate urgently capital investment plans (CIPs) linked to the The project will support the Ministry of Urban needed basic municipal SDPs for PCCs to undertake priority projects infrastructure to improve Development and Housing (MUDH) to create (no regret, quick-win projects) and catalytic service delivery and an enabling policy framework and enhance investments (identified under SDPs, economi- livability. urban policymaking capacity in relevant agen- cally transformative projects). The CIPs would cies at the national level, as well as strength- also be used to develop a pipeline of bankable en city planning, management, and service projects for financing under a future perfor- delivery capacity in five selected provincial mance-based finance project. capital cities. These cities are Herat, Jalalabad, Kandahar, Khost, and Mazar-e-Sharif. 36/  Country Update/ / The World Bank Group in Afghanistan/37 INTERNATIONAL FINANCE CORPORATION The International Finance Corporation’s key ing. IFC also assisted DAB with the establish- gram aimed at increasing access to clean, af- prong of engagement has been through ment of a leasing licensing and supervision fordable off-grid energy in rural Afghanistan advisory support focused on improving the department to be the regulator of licensing through the private sector by accelerating the investment climate and building capacity, and supervision of leasing companies to development of a sustainable commercial while supporting selective investments in pave the way for developing leasing opera- market for high-quality solar products. The sectors with high development impact and tions under the conducive completed legal program works with international and local job creation. IFC’s current strategy is alig- framework. The project activities are focused firms to remove market entry barriers, pro- ned with the ongoing World Bank Group’s on raising awareness and building capacity vide market intelligence, foster B2B linkages, Country Partnership Framework, 2017 to FY to increase knowledge among stakeholders and raise consumer awareness on modern 2020 (extended to FY 2022). (both government and private sector) on energy options. Investment Portfolio the benefits of leasing, thus improving ac- IFC provides a mix of investments services in cess to finance for micro, small, and medium Strengthening Afghanistan Horticulture Afghanistan, with a focus on financial inclu- enterprises. Exports sion, telecommunications, agribusiness, and IFC is working to develop Afghanistan’s hor- infrastructure. IFC’s current cumulative com- Afghanistan Raisins Supply Chain ticultural exports by helping agriculturists mitted portfolio stands at over $238 million, Development enhance efficiency and supporting the exten- including investment in Roshan Telecom, The project aims to support the develop- sion of market opportunities, both nationally First Microfinance Bank, Afghanistan ment of raisin supply chains in Afghanistan and internationally. This project aims to im- International Bank, and Afghan Processing by building the capacity of a raisin process- prove the livelihood of horticulture farmers Plant (Rikweda). ing firm, implementing and managing food by linking them to fruit processing compa- safety systems, financial management, and nies through contract farming and support- private sector growth through the invest- IFC investments have had a transforma- supply chain development, thus, creating a ing processing companies to expand their ment climate program’s sub-projects: (i) tional impact in access to finance and out- best practice example for the rest of the in- export markets. Business Licensing Reform Project: Phase II; reach, particularly in the microfinance and dustry in the country. (ii) Business Enabling Environment Project; telecommunication sectors. IFC will con- and (iii) Agribusiness Export Competitiveness tinue to seek new investment opportunities and engage with local players to support the Corporate Governance (CG) / advisory projects with goira Project. development of Afghanistan’s private sector. The CG project aims to address foundational market failures in Afghanistan’s banking sec- Investment Climate Scaling Solar The investment pipeline looks promising tor. Through scoping activities, a combination The program is designed to tackle business Scaling Solar is a “one stop shop” program and includes investments in the power, edu- of market failures has been identified at all and investment climate challenges of the for governments to rapidly mobilize privately cation, and agribusiness sectors. levels, i.e., individual bank, regulatory, and country. The overarching goal of the program funded grid connected solar projects at com- sector. is to support improvements in the business petitive tariffs. The program brings together / advisory projects with IFC is working with banks to help them environment and help the government fa- a suite of World Bank Group services under the private sector improve firm performance (improved deci- cilitate investment and trade. a single engagement based on a template sion-making, risk management, operating The program aims to improve the quality approach to create viable markets for solar Access to Finance efficiency, profit, and valuations) and increase of business regulations, strengthen mech- power in each client country. IFC provided assistance to DAB, the central access to finance (reduced costs of capital, anisms for trade facilitation and export IFC’s transaction advisory team is support- bank, in collaboration with the World Bank’s improved loan terms, and increased access to promotion, and enhance mechanisms for in- ing GoIRA to attract private sector partici- Financial Sector Strengthening Program to investors) by promoting better CG practices vestment attraction and retention to reduce pation in the development of a solar power support the establishment of the first elec- among the banks in Afghanistan. private sector’s cost of compliance (cost sav- plant of up to 40 MW under the Public Private tronic Movable Collateral Registry and the ings) in Afghanistan. Partnership model. Public Credit Registry. Lighting Afghanistan (LA) IFC is currently working to support the IFC has helped DAB establish the leasing LA is an integral part of IFC’s “Lighting Global” government in promoting an investment law and the regulatory framework for leas- program. It is a market transformation pro- and business climate that is conducive to 38/  Country Update/ / The World Bank Group in Afghanistan/39 AFGHANISTAN RECONSTRUCTION TRUST FUND AFGHANISTAN RECONSTRUCTION The Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund Implementation Support, Technical TRUST FUND (ARTF) was established in 2002 to provide Assistance Facility (ASIST); and (iv) Anti- a coordinated financing mechanism for Corruption and Results Monitoring Action GoIRA’s budget and national investment Plan (ACReMAP). The objectives of the ARTF are to: projects. Since its inception, 34 donors The Recurrent Cost Window reimburses • Position the national budget have contributed over $11.4 billion to the the government for a certain portion of eligible and non-security related operat- as the key vehicle to align the ARTF, making it the largest single source of on-budget financing for Afghanistan’s ing expenditure every year. The Investment reconstruction program with development. Window provides grant financing for na- national development tional development programs in the develop- ment budget. objectives. Management The ARTF has a three-tier governance frame- ASIST was developed in answer to GOIRA’s • Promote transparency and work (Steering Committee, Management request to the World Bank to provide more accountability of reconstruction Committee and Administrator) and three direct hands-on advisory services, imple- assistance. working groups. This sound framework has mentation support, and technical assistance enabled the ARTF to adapt to changing cir- to ensure more effective implementation of • Reduce the burden on limited cumstances and development priorities with ARTF programs and strengthening of govern- government capacity while consistency and consensus. The World Bank ment institutions and capacity in the devel- promoting capacity building is the administrator of the trust fund. opment and execution of national priority The Management Committee consists programs. over time. of the World Bank, Islamic Development The “window” to fund ARCReMAP is a re- • Enhance donor coordination for Bank, Asian Development Bank, United doubling of the World Bank’s commitment financing and policy dialogue. Nations Development Programme, Ministry to further ramp up its efforts on anti-corrup- of Finance, and United Nations Assistance tion and results monitoring in Afghanistan, erating budget. Domestic revenues continue The Recurrent Cost Window (RCW) Mission in Afghanistan as an observer. The where the Bank had already applied a more The ARTF’s support of the to be insufficient to cover the costs of gov- stringent set of oversight mechanisms than Grant $5.057 billion Management Committee meets regularly in government’s priority programs, ernment. The ARTF RCW has therefore en- Kabul to review ARTF finances and approve elsewhere. The World Bank, as a trustee and The objective of the Recurrent Cost Window sured the basic functioning of government, funding proposals. administrator of the ARTF, is committed to policy reform agenda, and the is to provide a coordinated and incentive- including the delivery of services such as The ARTF Strategy Group, consisting of do- strengthening its fiduciary oversight of ARTF- non-security operating costs of driven financing mechanism, enabling the health care and education. Given that around nors and MoF, meets monthly to review the financed projects both to minimize risks of Afghan government to make predictable, 60 percent of the non-uniformed Afghan government operations contri- implementation of the ARTF program and to fraud, corruption, and misuse of funds and timely, and accurate payments for approved civil service is accounted for by teachers, the discuss strategic issues. to maximize the fund’s development impact. butes to the achievement of recurrent costs—related to salaries and wag- Ministry of Education has in general received Afghanistan’s national strategic es of civil servants, and non-security related about 40 percent of total ARTF resources. The How the ARTF works Donor Contributions goals. government operating and maintenance Ministries of Public Health, Foreign Affairs, Donors contribute funds into a single ac- Donor contributions have increased year expenditures. Labor and Social Affairs, and Higher Education count held by the World Bank in the USA. The after year, with both old and new donors The Recurrent Cost Window was set up in have also been major recipients. ARTF Management Committee makes deci- contributing to the ARTF. Over the last few 2002 to help the Afghan government meet It should also be highlighted that the RCW sions on proposed allocations at its regular years the “preferenced” portion of donor con- its recurrent (operating) budget needs. The resources are national in scope, ensuring the meetings, and those decisions are translated tributions has been the main factor driving RCW has been restructured several times, payment of salaries of around 62 percent of into funds through Grant Agreements signed growth. The agreed ARTF rule is that donors most recently in 2018. For the first time, RCW non-uniformed civil servants in all 34 prov- between the World Bank as administrator may not “preference” more than half of their support is being provided through standard inces of the country. Steady year-on-year in- of the trust fund and the Government of annual contributions. This rule is to ensure World Bank instruments, including an annual creases in operating costs across government Afghanistan. that the ARTF has sufficient funding to fi- $300 million Development Policy Grant sup- mean the RCW accounts for a declining share ARTF allocations are made through four nance the Recurrent Cost Window and that porting key structural and policy reforms. of the overall budget. Nevertheless, the RCW “windows”: (i) Recurrent Cost Window; (ii) it retains some flexibility in the approval of To date, the ARTF has disbursed $5 billion still finances around 16 to 20 percent of the Investment Window; (iii) Advisory Services, projects in support of government priorities. through the government’s non-security op- government’s non-security operating budget. Country Update/artf 40/  results rehabilitated seed farm enables farmers in northern Afghanistan to grow healthy crops • Years of war ruined a government farm that produced improved wheat seeds to benefit Afghanistan’s agricultural production. • Technical and financial support from the Afghanistan Agricultural Inputs Project helped the farm recover its output of high quality seeds that produce climate-adapted, high-yielding crops resistant to disease and pest. • The seed sector is a vital pillar in Afghanistan’s agricultural development. With the development of these improved seeds, farmers can expect to grow healthy crops. O n a hot sunny day in Dehdadi district, west of Mazar-e-Sharif city in northern Balkh pro- vince, work was ongoing to produce foun- dation seeds at Khasa-Paz, a 973-jerib (194 hectares) inter-ministerial farm managed by the Mi- nistry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL). The foundation seeds, primarily wheat, produced at Khasa-Paz play an important role in producing high-yiel- ding and disease- and pest-resistant crops adapted to the local climate. Foundation seeds are used to produce certified seeds that can eventually be used by farmers to grow healthy crops. Although Khasa-Paz farm, which falls under one of the country’s six Improved Seed Enterprises, has been running since 1987, the years of war had destroyed the farm. “The Khasa-Paz farmland was ruined during the war, but it has slowly become better since 2003,” said Kateb Shams, general manager of administration and “ finance for the Directorate of Agriculture, Irrigation and Significant Improvements Livestock in Balkh province, which oversees the farm. AAIP began its support in 2013 and significantly impro- With support from MAIL’s Afghanistan Agricultural ved conditions at Khasa-Paz farm. The farm bought We had the human resources Inputs Project (AAIP), Shams said the farm was reha- bilitated to improve production capacity. “We had the modern farm machinery and made major infrastructu- ral improvements, including constructing a six-kilome- to produce improved seeds, human resources to run the farm, but not technical and ter long boundary wall around the farmland to protect financial support,” he said. “We appreciate that AAIP it from animals and people. “Our crops are not being provided us the technical and financial support.” He said trampled on anymore as the land is protected from any the project, which closed on June 30, 2019, generated but not technical and financial support. We appreciate that disruptions,” said Khan Mohammad Noori, 56, a supervi- results at the farm, which “is functioning well now and sor at the farm. “We hope this means we will have better ” AAIP provided us the technical we hope it will become even better.” yields in the future.” The farm is set to produce about AAIP provided technical and financial support to MAIL 160 tons of foundation wheat seeds from 55 hectares to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of seed pro- this year. and financial support. duction farms, like Khasa-Paz, through capacity building and infrastructural improvement. The seed sector is a Other infrastructural improvements included building four irrigation wells. Mohammad Ghani, 42, a lead far- vital pillar in Afghanistan’s agricultural development; mer who has worked more than 10 years on the farm, –Kateb Shams, General Manager of Administration and Finance, investment in agricultural research stations and seed said that his daily irrigation work was easier. “The water Directorate of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, Balkh province. enterprises benefits thousands of farmers across the wells began operating and now we have enough water country. to irrigate the crops,” he said. Country Update/ artf 42/  / The World Bank Group in Afghanistan/43 / ongoing projects with advanced equipment and fully opera- tionalized. With additional resources and efforts, the government could quickly make Afghanistan these facilities fully functional to address Agricultural Inputs the most important challenges of the agri- cultural sector. Project (AAIP) The facilities, knowledge, and tools pro- vided by AAIP allowed MAIL to issue over Grant $67.25 million 1,300 improved phytosanitary certificates closed on june 30, 2019 against the cumulative set target of 1,000 to AAIP aimed to increase adoption of improved facilitate export of Afghan products to higher crop production technologies. The agriculture paying markets, largely through the recently sector is central to Afghanistan’s economy, established air corridor. employing 60 percent of the nation’s work- Component C: The planned voucher force. As such, strengthening the institu- scheme was piloted successfully, reaching tional capacity of the Ministry of Agriculture, 27,000 farmers cumulatively in 40 districts Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL), and increas- of seven provinces. The project team learned ing investments for the safety and reliabil- good lessons from the pilot scheme, which ity of agricultural inputs were invaluable to were shared with MAIL for improving future support continued increase of agriculture programming. Before project closure, the productivity. team ensured that their skills and knowledge Firstly, the project sought to improve the on the voucher system were fully transferred technical and economic efficiency of the val- to MAIL to enable the ministry to rollout the ue chain of certified wheat seed. system in more districts with potential na- Secondly, the project developed the neces- tional coverage within 3–5 years. sary accredited facilities for plant quarantine networks and quality control of agro-chem- icals, building on the legal and regulatory Afghanistan On-Farm framework that it helped build during the Water Management preparation phase. Thirdly, the project designed and piloted a Project (OFWMP) demand-led action plan to improve and de- Grant $70 million velop market-based input delivery systems The project objective is to improve agricultur- AAIP, closed in June, was for seeds, guided by the results of field surveys successful in creating al productivity in project areas by enhancing carried out during the preparation phase. The seven new varieties of the efficiency of water used. sustainability of these interventions was sup- remained undeveloped at project closure. wheat seed that are climate adapted and high OFWMP has sustained good progress in ported by capacity building programs involv- Under ISE, five farms were considered for yielding. Farmers across achieving the agreed targets and disbursing ing civil servants, farmers, and traders. land development, with four completed by Afghanistan will benefit grant proceeds. The cumulative disbursement Component A: Seven new varieties of project closure. from these new varieties rate has reached 91 percent, while almost all of improved seeds that will wheat seed against the target of five were Component B: The draft report on Quaran- result in healthier crops. the grant proceeds have been committed. released and multiplied with plots of breeder tine Pest and Diseases was completed and To date, over 600 km of canals against the seed being grown for harvest in 2019. being reviewed by a technical committee. cumulative target of 186 km, serving around A total of 621 staff members from the The bio-efficacy trial target also exceeded the 64,800 hectares of land, have been rehabilitat- Agriculture Research Institute of Afghanistan target stipulated in the project’s framework. ed, while 621 Irrigation Associations against (ARIA) and Improved Seed Enterprise (ISE) The pesticides tested in the bio-efficacy tri- the target of 500 have been established. took part in training courses on various top- als included six botanical and 27 chemical The project-supported Farmer Call Center ics, including 35 receiving a master’s degree pesticides. continues to receive calls from both male and or PhD. Out of 14 target quarantine stations and female farmers and herders around the coun- For the land development target for ARIA, laboratories planned under this component, try and provides technical advice via a cadre 10 research stations were considered for land 12 were constructed and provided with furni- of experts. development under AAIP, with work on nine ture and basic equipment. However, the main The land laser leveling services under the farms largely completed and only one farm laboratory complex has yet to be equipped project have started charging fees, generating Country Update/artf 44/  / The World Bank Group in Afghanistan/45 good commercial demand in project areas. While 36 land laser levelers, which were dis- DABS Planning tributed earlier, are now being operated to and Capacity serve farmers on a commercial basis, an ad- ditional 86 land laser levelers have been pro- Support Project cured and are being distributed to private Grant $6 million operators. The project aims to improve Da Afghanistan The project team continues to showcase Breshna Sherkat (DABS) capacity in distribu- high efficiency irrigation technologies at tion investment planning, implementation, 51 demonstration sites and to support 122 and operation and maintenance. Farmer Field Schools, covering over 3,600 This project has two components: farmers. Component 1: Staff capacity building, In addition, OFWMP has provided support which aims to support DABS capacity to plan to MAIL in various areas, including surveying and implement new investments in distribu- and designing several irrigation canals to be tion systems and to operate and maintain the financed by the ministry and other donor- investments properly. funded projects. This support among others Component 2: Development of a train- includes a feasibility study of the Qush Tepa, ing center in Kabul. DABS does not have any Andkhoy, and Hairatan irrigation canal, which training facility for its staff, and this has been flows through Faryab, Jowzian, and Balkh identified as a critical gap in its overall capac- provinces in northern Afghanistan; 60 gabion ity building efforts. protection wall sub-projects; five irrigation The project is supporting the preparation schemes in the Nahr-e-Shahi canal of Balkh and implementation of annual O&M plans province; and 34 pipe irrigation schemes. for six major load centers using new proce- dures based on good international practice Central Asia South adjusted for local conditions. The project- supported training and a new training center Asia-1000 are expected to improve skills of 90 percent of Community Support DABS planning and O&M staff. The project provided internship opportuni- Program (CASA-CSP) ty for new women engineering graduates to Grant $40 million work in DABS. Twelve female engineers were hired as interns in DABS and assigned to dif- CASA-CSP supports communities along the ferent departments. Over 600 km of canals, CASA transmission line in Afghanistan. The serving around 64,800 A contract with a consultancy firm for staff project was restructured last year and is now mobilizers within 2–3 months to start the hectares of farmland, capacity building was signed in May 2019 social process to form CDCs in the selected have been rehabilitated being implemented in alignment with the and training has started. The contract for under OFWMP, which aims Citizens’ Charter Afghanistan Project and in communities. to improve agricultural construction of the training center was also close collaboration with CASA-1000. As of September 2019, recruitment productivity by enhancing awarded in June 2019, with construction ac- for District Social Organizers and District efficiency of water usage. The implementation has been a challenge tivities already started. Procurement of equip- The project continues to because the route still has not been finalized Engineers has been completed and work has showcase high efficiency ment for the training center is delayed due to and there are more route alignment changes started in over 145 communities. To raise the irrigation technologies at an unsuccessful bidding process. However, awareness of the communities along the COI 51 demonstration sites proposed for the transmission line, while the DABS is currently working on alternative op- and to support 122 Farmer agreement is that CSP will cover communi- of the transmission line, a comprehensive Field Schools. tions for the procurement of the equipment. ties within the four-km “corridor of influence” communication strategy has been developed, (COI) along the transmission line. which aims to promote cooperation and It is estimated that there will be more support for the CASA-1000 project among than 480 communities in the seven selected these communities. The strategy also targets provinces along the most recent transmis- the wider stakeholders of the CASA-1000 in sion line route. It was agreed that work will Afghanistan and will supplement the overall begin shortly in the communities that have regional communication strategy, currently been confirmed and MRRD will hire social being devised by the CASA-1000 Secretariat. Country Update/artf 46/  results afghan farmers find solutions a phone call away • Farmers across Afghanistan have improved access to agricultural extension services by dialing a toll-free number to a call center set up by the On-Farm Water Management Project. • The Farmers’ Call Center is staffed by experts, who advise callers on farming and livestock issues. More importantly, the center is able to track serious issues like disease outbreaks through information from the calls. • Thousands of farmers have received help from the center, which was set up in June 2018 in response to the worsening security situation in Afghanistan that has prevented extension workers from making field visits. E xperts of the Farmers’ Call Center (FCC) are busy attending to callers, searching their computers as they respond to questions. The computers are linked to a database on agri- cultural issues, which support the 15 On-Farm Water Management Project (OFWMP) experts who operate the center on the west side of Kabul city. The FCC team is made up of specialists in a wide range of fields, including agriculture, agronomy, animal science, and irrigation. Each team member has passed theoretical and practical exams on farming and lives- tock and received training on how to use the online database to better assist callers. The experts field about 250–300 calls a day, covering a wide range of topics. “About 40–50 percent of queries are about crop disease and the rest covers irrigation, livestock disease, planting, and fertilizing,” says Mohi- bullah Raza, 26, one of the experts. By dialing “150”, farmers from across Afghanistan “ connect toll free with the FCC. “We want all farmers to call ‘150’ for issues that they have with their land and livestock,” says Ishaq Sahebzada, OFWMP Project Mana- however, plans to expand the call center hours to better We called the Farmers’ Call Center ger at the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Lives- accommodate early-morning and late-night calls when tock, which implements the project. farmers are most likely to encounter an issue at the The FCC was created in response to the deteriora- start or end of their working day. and described the problem. ting security situation in Afghanistan, which prevents extension workers from making field trips to address Since its inception in June 2018, the call center has re- gistered calls from over 10,000 farmers across all 34 pro- They told us how to treat the disease farming problems. “The security situation is not good,” vinces using a software that records the name, village, ” says Sahebzada. “Before the setup of the Farmers’ Call district, and query of the caller. According to Sahebzada, Center, we sent extension workers to meet the farmers this information can help track disease outbreaks and and solved our problem…When we call in person and teach them new farming methods. Now that this is no longer feasible, OFWMP together with the the spread of infestations as well as identify key areas of improvement to better target OFWMP projects in speci- “150”, we know the problem will be solved. General Directorate of Extension and Agriculture Deve- fic areas. lopment initiated this call center to fill the gap.” Bahram Shams, 52, a greenhouse farmer, has used the call center several times. “We called the FCC and descri- Vital Advice to Farmers –Bahram Shams, 52, farmer, Kabul city bed the problem. They told us how to treat the disease Call center lines are open daily during government and solved our problem,” he says. “When we call ‘150’, working hours from Saturday to Thursday. There are, we know the problem will be solved.” Country Update/ artf 48/  / The World Bank Group in Afghanistan/49 Higher Education of blended learning toward program credits. In the pilot phase, a select number of on- Development Project line courses have been uploaded on AfghanEx (HEDP) and supplement courses taught at public universities. AfghanEx has been developed Grant $55 million based on the EdEx platform for online teach- ing and learning. Promotion of e-learning in HEDP aims to increase access to higher higher education to improve access and qual- education in Afghanistan, as well as im- ity has become one of the key priorities of prove its quality and relevance. HEDP uses MoHE. an Investment Project Financing instru- The project received additional financing ment based on the Results-based Financing of $5 million, mainly to expand the following modality. successful project interventions to scale up Under component one, project funds project impact and development effective- are being disbursed against selected line ness: (i) provision of faculty scholarships (150 items in the annual budget of the Ministry postgraduate scholarships to public univer- of Higher Education (MoHE) up to capped sity academics in priority disciplines with one amounts, and on condition that the agreed third allocated to female academics); (ii) sup- set of disbursement-linked indicators (DLIs) port to public universities to prepare and im- are achieved. plement Strategic Institutional Development The DLIs reflect the priorities for develop- Plans; (iii) training of teaching faculty in out- ment. These include intermediate outcomes come-based education and student-centered that build cumulatively over the lifespan learning; and (iv) grants to support individual of HEDP to improve access to the higher and group research projects at universities. education system and raise its quality and The additional financing has been incor- relevance. This component supports the re- porated into the project and the project clos- forms initiated through the National Higher ing date has been extended from December Education Strategic Plan II and focuses on 31, 2020, to December 21, 2022, to allow outcomes and results rather than inputs. sufficient time for completion of the addi- The project started in September 2015 and tional activities and achievement of the final MoHE is on track to meet the fourth round targets. of the DLIs, which include increased female enrollment in the first year of priority disci- plines, establishment of functional ICT cent- Kabul Municipal Enrollment in key priority ers at four universities for ICT-based higher education, and establishment of Internal Development Program disciplines in higher education that contribute Quality Assurance Units functioning to inter- (KMDP) to economic and social development has national standards at six universities. Grant $110 million increased substantially project also supported development of a plan people has been generated through the exe- Enrollment in key priority disciplines (those under HEDP. The special to improve the municipality’s financial man- cution of contracts with labor intensive work that contribute to economic and social de- Kabul Municipality is responsible for imple- focus on increasing agement and planning capacity to deliver im- at an investment of $223/person per month. enrollment of women velopment) has increased substantially menting the project. The project objectives proved services. The implementation of the Durable infrastructure will generate second- has paid off with female from 64,200 at the project baseline to about are to (i) increase access to basic munici- enrollment increasing plan is underway, which will enhance Kabul ary employment in the years ahead. 81,900 to date. The special focus on increas- pal services in selected residential areas of from 11,400 to about Municipality’s institutional capacity. Importantly, KMDP has established a strong 16,900. ing female enrollment has also paid sub- Kabul city; (ii) redesign Kabul Municipality’s To date $73.24 million has been disbursed. foundation for gender inclusive community stantial dividends with female enrollment Financial Management System to support Over 1.36 million people (about 73 percent participation in decision-making over public increasing from 11,400 to about 16,900. better service delivery; and (iii) enable early re- women and children) have benefited from expenditures in Guzars (neighborhoods). MoHE has developed a policy and by- sponse in the event of an eligible emergency. the construction of about 513 kilometers of law for the practice of e-learning. This will KMDP is expected to deliver welfare neighborhood roads, 670 kilometers of com- support gradual introduction of blended and human development benefits to over munity drains, and 36 kilometers trunk roads. learning, incorporating e-learning into the 700,000 people through services provided Temporary employment of some 2.9 million university curriculum, as well as recognition in some 2,400 hectares of private land. The Country Update/ artf 50/  / The World Bank Group in Afghanistan/51 opened to traffic. Implementation of the re- firm to carry out a dam safety and hydro- maining four civil works contracts started mechanical audit have been finalized and early this year and all the contracts are ex- the tenders advertised in March 2019. The pected to be completed by December 2019. expressions of interest of firms are under evaluation. Naghlu Hydropower The contract for the associated procure- ment of a consultancy firm for conduct- Rehabilitation Project ing the Environmental and Social Impact (NHRP) Assessment (ESIA) of Naghlu dam is expect- ed to be signed in October 2019. As the ESIA Grant $83 million audit results for proper management of sedi- NHRP aims to improve dam safety and sus- ment will be available only later, DABS will tainability of hydropower and to increase perform an internal interim sediment assess- the supply of electricity at the Naghlu ment and prepare a limited environmental Hydropower Plant (NHPP). NHPP is of strate- assessment report. The result of the interim gic importance to Afghanistan's power gen- sediment assessment is expected to be avail- eration portfolio as it provides more than half able by October 2019. Based on this result, of Kabul's electricity. the bidding document for sediment assess- The project came into effect in January ment and selective removal, including unex- 2016. In November 2018, NHPP started op- ploded ordnance, will be finalized. erating at full capacity (100 MW) after the NHRP also has a benefit-sharing program rehabilitation of turbine units 1 and 3. Unit for the local population, which includes elec- 2 also requires overhauling as it has oper- trification of villages in surrounding districts. ated continuously without any major over- Construction of the Sorobi 20 MW substa- haul for more than 40,000 hours. The bidding tion was completed in April 2019, supplying document for overhauling this unit has been power to some Sorobi villages. Extension of drafted and will be advertised in the last the distribution system by DABS personnel in quarter of 2019. 18 villages in Sorobi district is underway and The terms of reference for NHPP staff train- expected to be completed by October 2019. ing and supply of spare parts for five years of Villages in Tagab district have been surveyed operation and maintenance of the power and the distribution system is at design stage. The roadworks undertaken The project also included vocational train- plant will be finalized and advertised shortly. by the Kabul Urban Transport Efficiency Work on dam safety enhancement is also ing for villagers. However, during consulta- Improvement Project are underway. Submersible water pumps have tion with the villagers, it was agreed that Kabul Urban implementing agency by adopting best in- ternational practice. Kabul Municipality among several to improve been installed inside the dam’s drainage gal- instead of vocational training, the project road conditions and traffic Transport Efficiency will be responsible for project implementa- flow on selected corridors lery to release upward water pressure. Two will facilitate extension of services of the of the capital city. The additional pumps, required to completely National Horticulture and Livestock Project. Improvement Project tion, including procurement and financial management. reconstruction project will drain both galleries, will be purchased and Under the first phase that started in January result in asphalted roads, (KUTEI) Project objectives will be measured against sidewalks, and a drainage installed by end-2019. 2019, poultry and training of its upkeep will the following indicators: (i) traffic capacity system, among other A bathymetric survey of the Naghlu dam be provided to 13 villages in Sorobi district. Grant $90.5 million benefits to residents and reservoir will be performed by DABS person- Further, the project supports preparation improvements, measured by average vehi- local businesses. “Having KUTEI aims to improve road conditions and cle speed during off-peak hours; (ii) people a good road is a blessing nel with support from the Ministry of Energy work of the Kajaki dam addition. The project traffic flow on select corridors of Kabul city. (within a 500-meter range) in urban areas for our health,” says a local and Water (MEW) and Food and Agriculture management team is under recruitment at resident. The project will focus on improving road in- provided access to all-season roads; and (iii) Organization (FAO) team. DABS had under- MEW. The national environmental specialist frastructure and providing technical assis- percentage of Kabul city’s trunk road network taken market research and, with the advice of has been hired, while national social experts tance to Kabul Municipality in specific areas. in at least “fair” condition. the FAO expert, has identified a suitable eco- and two international social and environ- Investments in key road infrastructure Project implementation is progressing sounder. The procurement of an eco-sounder mental consultants are under procurement. will improve connectivity and make Kabul well and all planned civil works contracts is expected to be completed by November The terms of reference for a consultancy more inclusive, while technical and knowl- have been awarded. To date, nine civil works 2019 and the bathymetric survey results service firm to conduct ESIA and Research edge support will gradually transform Kabul contracts, totaling 32 kilometers of road- available in December 2019. and Analysis Program studies have been pre- Municipality into a modern planning and way, have been completed and the roads are Terms of reference for hiring a consultancy pared and advertised. Country Update/ artf 52/  / The World Bank Group in Afghanistan/53 Raisin producers in Kandahar province are National Horticulture female, have been trained on harvesting and post-harvest practices for horticultural seeing a jump in their annual income after and Livestock Project crops. They have also been provided with a adopting a modern method of drying grapes. (NHLP) large number of essential tools (e.g., pruning shears, ladders, bags) for proper harvesting of The new raisin drying Grant $190 million their products. houses, built with NHLP support, reduce wastage Afghan Farmers’ Contribution Farmers are encouraged to work together and result in better quality $28.2 million through the establishment of Producers raisins compared to drying Marketing Organizations (PMOs) with 70 in traditional facilities. NHLP aims to promote the adoption of im- "We expect our raisin PMOs set up so far, having a membership of proved production and post-harvest practices production to get even 300–400 farmers per group. This structure better," says a satisfied and technologies by target farmers in the hor- helps farmers with outsourced inputs and ac- producer. ticultural sector and to support the livestock cess to markets. sector, with gradual rollout of farmer-centric Over 1,600 raisin drying houses have been agricultural services systems and investment constructed on a cost-sharing basis to reduce support. post-harvest losses of grapes and improve the The project has three components: (i) hor- quality of raisins produced. ticultural production; (ii) animal production Regarding livestock activities, NHLP con- and health; and (iii) implementation manage- tinues to focus on key activities, including ment and technical assistance support. These poultry production and animal health and ex- activities were initially implemented in 120 tension services, while expanding work pro- focus districts in 23 target provinces. grams to other areas such as fishery and dairy. The original budget of the project was Under the National Brucellosis Control $100 million, but based on the high demand Program in 360 districts, more than 2.5 mil- for NHLP services, the project received an ad- lion young female calves and over 13.5 mil- ditional financing of $90 million to allow ex- lion young female sheep and goats have been pansion of its work programs to more farmers vaccinated. To ensure sustainability, the pro- and add new activities. ject is gradually handing over this activity to The project covers 291 districts in all the General Directorate of Animal Health un- 34 provinces, and, so far, has reached over der the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and 570,000 farmers/beneficiaries, including Livestock. around 242,000 women. To date, the project has supported 205,360 To date, NHLP has financed the establish- livestock farmers (136,088 women and ment of almost 32,520 hectares (ha) of new 69,272 men), clustering them into producers’ Following a formal request from MoF, the RESULTS EXPECTED UNDER THE NHRP pistachio and fruit orchards in 34 provinces. In addition, over 32,000 ha of existing or- groups, including poultry producer groups, to project was restructured to include the re- benefit from animal production and health habilitation and renovation of the Darunta • Revived 50 MW of previously nonoperational capacity of Naghlu Hydropower chards have been rehabilitated and more services. It has also extended its activities to Hydropower Plant. Three units will be re- than 143,000 kitchen gardening schemes Plant by rehabilitating Unit 1 and overhauling Unit 3. new geographical areas under sanitary man- newed, and an administrative building and established. • Improved routine operation and maintenance of the power plant for five years. date activities and is supporting MAIL’s rel- warehouse will be constructed inside the The project has supported construction of evant directorate to implement them. power plant. The bidding document of this • Enhanced staff capacity to operate and maintain the power plant. about 1,900 small water harvesting struc- NHLP activities are based on cost sharing, activity has been completed and social and • Residents living near NHPP connected to electricity and facilitated NHLP tures, improving farmers’ resilience to weath- accordingly it is expected that farmers will environmental impact documents have been er change by allowing harvest and storage of extension services, i.e., poultry farming, kitchen gardening, and establishment contribute $28.2 million to the cost of ser- prepared and cleared by the World Bank. water during the rainy season and gradual of orchards. vices and inputs received. The tender for design, supply, installation, release in the growing period based on crop and commissioning of Darunta power plant • Enhanced security and safety measures of the NHPP. needs. This has been implemented in partner- was advertised in July 2019. The submission • Renovate and revive full capacity of Darunta Hydropower Plant. ship with Community Development Councils. deadline for bids was August 28, 2019. To strengthen market supply, a large num- ber of the targeted farmers, both male and Country Update/ artf 54/  for line ministries carrying out WEE activities and conduct relevant analytic work; and (iii) establish and operate an Innovation Fund to support women’s economic activities. Despite a slow start, implementation pro- gress of the WEE-NPP Coordination Support PPG has improved considerably. The WEE- NPP Secretariat is functioning well and al- most all of its key positions have been filled. WEE-NPP action plans and targets that have been agreed on by the majority of the imple- menting line ministries (LMs) are in place. Furthermore, the Monitoring and Results Framework for the program has been de- veloped but has yet to be approved by the WEE-NPP Steering Committee. The Steering Committee and technical working group Under WEE-NPP, many meet regularly. women across Afghanistan Based on the recommendation of the will be socially and economically empowered Country Portfolio Performance Review for through training in literacy, business management, Women’s Economic Afghanistan held in February 2019 and the request from GoIRA, the WEE-NPP will be and labor skills, and access to finance and markets. Empowerment transitioned from MoLSA to MoF. National Priority The rationale for the transition is three- fold: (i) GoIRA, World Bank, and other devel- Program (WEE-NPP) opment partners seek to ensure that the Grant $5 million WEE-NPP remains a core part of the country’s development agenda and therefore it needs The objective of the WEE-NPP is to advance to be integrated into MoF’s core budget sys- women’s agency, autonomy, and well-being tem; (ii) WEE-NPP stands to achieve greater by expanding women’s access to economic operational impacts under MoF, where there resources. is an institutional mandate to coordinate The WEE-NPP is led by a Project Coordi- outcome-oriented planning across LMs with nation Office (PCO) in the Ministry of Labor budgeting processes; (iii) an NPP Coordination and Social Affairs (MoLSA). The PCO is re- Directorate has been established within MoF sponsible for overseeing WEE-NPP activities (financed through FSP), thus creating a clear across six pillars: (i) increasing the availability institutional home for the PCO that did not of gender statistics; (ii) removing legal barri- exist at the time of WEE-NPP inception. It is ers to participation; (iii) training in literacy, expected that the transition will be complet- business management, and labor skills; (iv) ed by end of October 2019. inclusive access to finance; (v) access to ag- ricultural inputs, extension services, and markets; and (vi) access to creative economy markets. The three-year Project Preparation Grant (PPG) has three components: (i) coordina- Note: All dollar figures are in US dollar equivalents. tion and program management; (ii) provide IDA, the International Development Association, is the technical assistance and capacity building World Bank’s concessionary lending arm. The World Bank Group in Afghanistan www.worldbank.org.af Abdul Raouf Zia http://facebook.com/WorldBankAfghanistan phone +93 701 133 328 http://twitter.com/WorldBankSAsia infoafghanistan@worldbank.org photos and cover photo © Rumi Consultancy/World Bank/2019. House 238, Street 15, Wazir Akbar Khan, Kabul, afghanistan ©World Bank, OCTOBER 2019.