AFGHAN RECONSTRUCTION TO COST US 5 BILLION U.S. DOLLARS IN SHORT-TERM

AFGHAN RECONSTRUCTION TO COST US 5 BILLION U.S. DOLLARS IN SHORT-TERM ISLAMABAD, JAN 17 (KUNA) -- RECONSTRUCTION OF WAR-RAVAGED AFGHANISTAN WOULD COST FIVE BILLION U.S. DOLLARS OVER THE NEXT TWO AND HALF YEAR AND 15 BILLION DOLLARS OVER THE NEXT DECADE.
THIS PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT, JOINTLY PREPARED BY THE UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME, THE WORLD BANK AND THE ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK WAS RELEASED ON THURSDAY AHEAD OF THE TOKYO CONFERENCE TO MAKE FORMAL PLEDGES. OVER 60 GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS, COUNTRIES, AND MULTILATERAL AGENCIES WOULD ATTEND THIS MEETING FROM JANUARY 21-22, 2002, TO DISCUSS THE REPORT AND MAKE THEIR COMMITMENTS TO A NEW START FOR WAR-RAVAGED AFGHANISTAN.
AFGHAN INTERIM LEADER HAMID KARZAI, DELEGATIONS FROM PAKISTAN, IRAN AND CHINA WOULD ALSO BE AMONG THE MAJOR STAKEHOLDERS IN TOKYO ROUND.
PAKISTAN HAD ALREADY OFFERED US 100 MILLION DOLLARS FACILITY FOR AFGHAN RECONSTRUCTION, IN ADDITION TO TRANSIT FACILITY FOR 32 ITEMS, WHICH WOULD BE GRADUALLY INCREASED TO 300, AS THE NEED ARISES.
JAPAN HAS FORMED A STEERING GROUP FOR THE RECONSTRUCTION OF AFGHANISTAN ALONG WITH THE EUROPEAN UNION, SAUDI ARABIA AND THE UNITED STATES. JAPAN IS EXPECTED TO CONTRIBUTE WITH 500 MILLION DOLLARS IMMEDIATELY AT THE TOKYO ROUND, WHICH WOULD BE COMPLEMENTED SUBSTANTIALLY BY OTHER DONORS.
THE PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT REPORT SAYS THAT IN THE IMMEDIATE MONTHS AHEAD, THE AFGHAN ADMINISTRATION WILL BE UNDER PRESSURE TO ACHIEVE QUICK RESULTS IN ITS RECONSTRUCTION EFFORTS, MEETING PRESSING NEEDS IN A WAY THAT GIVES THE CITIZENS A STAKE IN PEACE AND STABILITY, AND ENHANCING NATIONAL INTEGRATION.
"THIS UNDERLINES THE URGENT NEED FOR UP FRONT RECONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES AND SUPPORT FROM THE INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE COMMUNITY," THE REPORT STRESSES. IT IS ESTIMATED THAT RECONSTRUCTION WILL COST ABOUT 4.9 TO 6.1 BILLION DOLLARS IN THE FIRST TWO AND A HALF YEARS, THE PERIOD SPANNING THE CURRENT INTERIM AUTHORITY AND THE TRANSITIONAL GOVERNMENT DUE TO FOLLOW THAT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE BONN AGREEMENT. (MORE) MYK.RK KUNA 171646 Jan 02NNNN