Categories: Potter Gold

Afghanistan stat of the day (UPDATED)

“More declared cash flies out of Kabul each year than the Afghan government collects…

by Andrew Potter on Monday, June 28, 2010 10:13am - 11 Comments

“More declared cash flies out of Kabul each year than the Afghan government collects in tax and customs revenue nationwide.”

link.

UPDATE: Or not. Read Scott’s blog.

Tags:

Bookmark and Share
  • http://twitter.com/Scott_Gilmore @Scott_Gilmore

    There is a problem with that figure of $3.18 billion flowing out in cash through KIA. Several detailed analyses of donor and NATO spending patterns (http://www.peacedividendtrust.org/en/Spending_the_Development_Dollar_Twice.html) show that the total amount spent on Afghan contractors is far less than this. So, assuming that Afghan companies don't have 120% profit margins, this money must come largely from other sources such as drug revenues and/or government graft.

    • Thwim

      The problem with your analyses, that I can see, is that they don't include military spending.

      Which of course doesn't negate your point.. especially with respect to gov't graft.

      • http://twitter.com/Scott_Gilmore @Scott_Gilmore

        You're right, that particular report only looked at ODA spending. But looking at NATO and US military spending produces even lower ratios. The fact is money spent ON Afghanistan, is not the same as money spent IN Afghanistan.

  • Mike T.

    Yeah, but that was only because one guy who was fleeing into Pakistan found a $20 bill an American GI had dropped on the ground.

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/bergkamp bergkamp

    That's a terrible stat of the day, I am sorry to hear it. We are trying to get Afghans to form their own society/country and corruption is major factor in hampering development of society/country.

    I wonder why Americans are letting it happen – of course it is drug/aid/ngo/military money being siphoned off into warlords' swiss bank accounts – why aren't the Americans doing more to stop it? Specially since it is so obvious – crates of crash being flown out of country? wtf?

    • http://intensedebate.com/people/PolJunkie PolJunkie

      "We are trying to get Afghans to form their own society/country and corruption is major factor in hampering development of society/country. "

      Perhaps that the problem. This is Afghanistan. Why does the West insist on thinking that it can "democratize" it? How many times are we going to try until we realize that it cannot be done? I believe in democracy but I also believe that such a system cannot be imposed. It has to come from within.

  • Emily

    Source: Wired

    9 Years In, U.S. Finally Tries to Get a Grip on Warzone Contractors
    # By Spencer Ackerman Email Author
    # June 28, 2010 |

    http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2010/06/9-years-i….

    More good news from Afghanistan: the U.S. military has no idea where the billions it’s spending on warzone contractors is actually ending up. And nine years into the war, the Pentagon has barely started the long, laborious process of figuring it out.

  • bergkamp

    If you google foreign aid and Afghan you will see plenty articles from the past few years talking about the corruption. WSJ article does not seem that alarmist if you do a bit of research.

    I think Gilmore needs to read WSJ article more closely.

    "Rosenberg states that $3.6b is …. flown out every year " Scott Gilmore

    "More than $3 billion in cash ……. in the past three years" WSJ

    • Wallace Cleaver

      A billion here…

      A billion there….

      Pretty soon, you've got enough for a few fences and a lake.

  • BGLong

    Point of interest ….

    http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/…

    We'll see.

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/tobyornotoby tobyornotoby

    Obviously we need to send more money.

Previous

Next

From Macleans