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UN sets up fund for Afghan
interim government

Dharam Shourie at United Nations

The United Nations has set up a fund to set the government machinery in Afghanistan in motion and expects to raise at least $ 20 million immediately.

Money from the Afghan Interim Authority Fund would be channelled towards building infrastructure and administrative expenditure for the interim government.

Assistant administrator of the UN Development Fund Julia Taft said UNDP administrator Mark Malloch Brown organised the fund at the behest of Lakhdar Brahimi, UN special representative for Afghanistan.

She said the fund, which would accept contributions from governments, non-government institutions and the private sector, reflects the intention of global actors to see a strong, sustainable government in place in Kabul.

"It's a bridging approach, an effort on behalf of the international community to say 'we want to help as much as we can to get this process launched,'" she added.

The UN Development Programme would need to spend around $ 600,000 to provide office equipment and other supplies to Afghanistan.

Taft said no solid figures were available, though a budget of around $ 3 million will be set aside for education.

The fund would expire in six months, coinciding with the term of the interim administration led by Hamid Karzai.

It would also finance a loya jirga which former King Zahir Shah is expected to call.

PTI

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