ANPDF
Introduction
The Afghanistan National Peace and Development Framework (ANPDF) is a five-year strategic plan for achieving self-reliance. The sustainable development that will help Afghanistan meet its many challenges, bring an end to poverty, and ensure security and stability for our country will take longer than a single generation to realize. We must plan to move our country beyond its history of war and poverty and begin the long journey to prosperity.
The Framework presents a long-term development narrative for Afghanistan by providing consistent high-level guidance to government, and other, stakeholders. It articulates our immediate and long term development priorities, highlights key reforms, and outlines priority investments needed to achieve development goals in these critical areas. It sets the economic, political and security context for our approach to development, which is built around agriculture, extractive industries and trade This context leads to a fiscal strategy that will guide budgetary allocations to support policy goals and ensure the sustainable management of public investment.
A credible national budget with the ability to improve government performance is the key mechanism for turning policy into tangible outcomes. Making the budget a driver for reform requires complementary improvements not only in governance and citizen engagement, but also significant advances in the rule of law. Finally, the ANPDF provides a framework for our international partners to have confidence that more flexible support to the budget will be matched by increased accountability and improved performance.
Afghanistan’s economic and development forecast is informed by the prospects for achieving peace and reconciliation. The government is deeply invested in the peace process and stands firm on the need to find political solutions to the conflict.
While we remain committed to peace, continued expenditures are required to maintain national security, strengthen government control over territory, and combat the spread of terrorism. As part of our national security strategy, we will continue to invest in professionalizing and increasing the effectiveness of the armed services.
Building the people’s trust that their government can provide a better future for them and their families is central to our national development plan. Our people must have confidence in a state that is well-governed through laws and institutions, provides a voice for the people to hold their government accountable, and delivers quality services. Our government is aware that we must secure the nation’s future by conscientiously stewarding natural resources and investing in our children’s health and education.
The ANPDF will help overcome the legacy of fragmentation and distortion that has stunted institutional development in
Afghanistan. Improved governance, anti-corruption, and organizational reforms are woven into every section of this document.
We will increase accountability and make sure that the fruits of our economic strategy are shared equitably. We believe that with focused and sustained commitments, our approach to policy formulation and management can deliver
results. But we also draw attention to the risks associated with overly rapid reductions in external support for the reform
agenda. It will take time for the reforms and investments that will put Afghanistan on the path to sustainable growth to produce results. Carefully calibrated bridge support is needed to make the transition to sustainability a smooth glide rather than a series
of fitful and disruptive shocks. Sustaining partnerships to embed reforms and follow them through to fruition are pre-conditions for success.
The overarching goals of our government are to reduce poverty and improve the welfare of our people. In an underdeveloped country, compromises must be made between short-term and long-term investments. This strategy highlights the means for making those trade-offs. It will allow our elected representatives to set priorities, make choices, devise appropriate programs and deliver concrete outcomes. It details standards on inclusion, gender equity, regional balance, and other development goals that provide a basis for making decisions and assessing results.
Our aim is to be transparent about the challenges ahead. There are no low-hanging fruit that could trigger rapid growth and foster self-sustaining development. As a political community, we should be clear about our choices. We must build a national consensus in support of the reforms presented in this framework. Afghanistan is a nation that understands hardship.
But we are confident that hope, handwork, and staying true to our values will make our country succeed.
The ANPDF was developed through consultations between the government and our partners, including civil society, private 0sector, and international partners. Our aim is to continue this national dialogue. This document will be available in Dari and Pashto. for more...