AFGHANISTAN RECONSTRUCTION TRUST FUND:

UNCLAS KABUL 002076 DEPT FOR SRAP, SCA/FO, SCA/RA, AND SCA/A DEPT PASS FOR AID/ASIA SCAA DEPT PASS USTR FOR DELANEY AND DEANGELIS DEPT PASS OPIC DEPT PASS USDA FOR FAS MICHNER DEPT PASS TDA FOR STEIN AND GREENIP NSC FOR JJONES AND GSMITH DASD FOR DSEDNEY TREASURY FOR MHIRSON, ABAUKOL, AWELLER, AND MNUGENT COMMERCE FOR HAMROCK-MANN, DEES, AND FONOVICH E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EINV EFIN ENRG ETRD ECON AF FAS SUBJECT: AFGHANISTAN RECONSTRUCTION TRUST FUND: ACHIEVING ECONOMIC AND POLICY REFORMS This is an action message. See paragraphs 4 and 14. SUMMARY ¶1. On July 20, 2009, the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the donors reached agreement on the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust FundQs (ARTF) Incentive Program for FY 1388 (March 20, 2009 - March 19, 2010),which is intended to support needed economic policy reforms and funding for the ARTF recurrent cost window. A Memorandum of Understanding is planned to be signed between the World Bank and the Ministry of Finance and presented at the upcoming July 29, 2009 ARTF Quarterly Donor meeting. ¶2. Minister of Finance Zakhilwal and Deputy Minister Mastoor led a whole-of-Afghan-government approach in putting forth an ambitious reform agenda in negotiating the ARTF FY 1388 benchmarks with donors. The FY 1388 Incentive Program scheme is $60M (25% of which is tied to a revenue target matching the IMF program and 75% allocated to other structural benchmarks). The new Incentive Program essentially offers additional discretionary funding if the GIRoA meets certain pre-agreed benchmarks on an annual basis. The benchmarks are allocated by three themes: A) Sustaining domestic revenues; B) Improving public sector governance; and C) Enabling private sector development with three benchmarks per theme; thus, a total of nine benchmarks. The GIRoA and ARTF donors agreed on equal weights for all three themes, i.e. $15 million per theme and the expectation that if one benchmark within each theme is not fulfilled the government would forgo the entire resource allocation for that theme. The Incentive Program is funded by the ARTF donors in the same way that the Recurrent Cost Window is funded. If the GIRoA meets all of the benchmarks, the $60M will be included as part of the FY 1389 budget. Where incentive funds are not allocated due to underperformance on revenue or against benchmarks, funds are allocated by the ARTF Management Committee through ARTFQs Investment Window to well-performing national priority programs. ¶3. Embassy staff was closely involved in the formulation of the benchmarks and aligning a USG whole-of-government approach to align technical assistance and programs to support the Afghan-led reform agenda. Embassy staff also worked closely both formally and informally with donors to present common messages. For example, the U.S. and the U.K. prepared a joint statement at the July 20 meeting. The World Bank played a key role in facilitating the working group meetings leading up to the agreement. ¶4. Action request: We ask Washington support to encourage other donors (the U.S. and the UK now provide half of the total ARTF funding) to contribute to the ARTF to support national programs, GIROA-led economic policy reforms, and contribute to aid effectiveness goals as outlined in the Paris Declaration. END SUMMARY AFGHANISTAN RECONSTRUCTION TRUST FUND (ARTF) BACKGROUND ¶5. The Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF) is a partnership between the international community and the Afghan government for the improved effectiveness of the reconstruction effort. Since early 2002, 30 donors have contributed over $3 billion (as of April 20, 2009),making the ARTF the largest contributor to the Afghan budget Q for both operating costs and development programs. ARTFQs support for national priority programs, for operating costs of government operations and for the policy reform agenda is contributing to the achievement of the Afghanistan National Development Strategy goals. ¶6. In addition, the specific objectives of the ARTF are to: 1) position the national budget as the key vehicle to align the reconstruction program with national development objectives; 2) promote transparency and accountability of reconstruction assistance; 3) reduce the burden on limited government capacity while promoting capacity-building over time; and 4) enhance donor coordination for financing and policy dialogue. ¶7. The new Incentive Program essentially offers additional discretionary funding if the GIRoA meets certain pre-agreed benchmarks on an annual basis. The objectives of the Incentive Program are: 1) predictable ARTF Recurrent Cost (RC) funding over the medium-term Q and hence aid effectiveness; 2) support for the governmentQs core policy reforms, including domestic revenue generation; 3) strengthening the ARTF as a platform for policy dialogue between donors and government; and 4) clearer strategic objectives for the ARTF RC Window. The objective is not only to support the reform process, but also to allow for increased allocations towards the financing of the governmentQs core development programs through the ARTF Investment Window. ¶8. Under an earlier reform plan agreed by donors and the GIRoA, guaranteed recurrent cost support to the GIRoA will decline by $25 million per annum from its level of $276 million in FY 1387. This decline is offset by the Incentive Program, which started out at $40 million in FY 2009-10, to reward GIRoA performance against a set of policy benchmarks. The GIRoA met all benchmarks and will receive the full $40 million. REVENUE MATCHING GRANT SCHEME ¶9. The Revenue Matching Grant Scheme is designed to incentivize improved revenue performance, and therefore fiscal sustainability. The scheme will start in SY1389 (March 20, 2010 Q March 20, 2011), based on revenue performance in SY1388 (March 20, 2009 Q March 20, 2010). It is anchored in the annual revenue targeting negotiations between the Ministry of Finance and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The Revenue Matching Grant scheme is capped at 25 percent of the total ARTF Incentive funds available in any year. Thus, in its first year, SY1389, the Revenue Matching Grant will have a pot of $15 million. It is important to recognize that in the event of an adjustment to the IMF revenue target during the fiscal year, the Matching Grant mechanism will adopt the new target to avoid confusion. Theme A: Sustaining Domestic Revenue Generation ¶10. The Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) program supervised by the IMF is the core framework for the GovernmentQs revenue generation program, in addition to broader macro-fiscal stability. In addition, various donor agencies support the Ministry of Finance revenue department through technical assistance. The ARTF Incentive Program can further support the GovernmentQs revenue measures, through strategic strengthening of existing benchmarks and commitments. This policy objective will be complemented by the Revenue Matching Scheme. The three benchmarks for FY 1388 in this theme focus on: 1) customs reforms; 2) Tax and Non-tax revenue transparency; and 3) improving companiesQ compliance with the Business Receipt Tax (BRT). Theme B: Improving Public Sector Governance ¶11. Public administration reform (PAR),public finance management (PFM) and anti-corruption are all critical for the improved delivery of services and the broader state-building program in Afghanistan. Specifically with respect to the ARTF, PAR will be important for developing the sustainable core capacity in Government that will enhance the impact of external assistance through the Core Budget and from a longer-term perspective will reduce AfghanistanQs dependence on expensive and unsustainable technical assistance. As a result, the three benchmarks for FY 1388 in this theme focus on: 1) asset declaration; 2) strengthening GIRoAQs Internal Audit function; and 3) progress in Pay and Grade implementation (including teachers). Theme C: Enabling Private Sector Development ¶12. Private sector development is critical to transition the Afghan economy from one where the public sector plays a large role in the formal economy (and where there is substantial corruption) to a stable, licit, private-sector led growth path. This is crucial for job creation and poverty reduction as well as for increasing the productivity and competitiveness of the Afghan economy. A broad- based economy will also support a broader tax base. The three benchmarks for FY 1388 in this theme focus on: 1) progress in AfghanistanQs Electricity Corporation (DABS) corporatization and governance reforms; 2) roll-out of the Central Business Registry to the provinces; and 3) improvement of the regulatory framework and transparency in the mining sector. NEXT STEPS ¶13. The World Bank is responsible for the annual Technical Review of benchmarks. The date of the Technical Review has been set for November/December. In undertaking the Technical Review the World Bank may draw on the technical competencies of other agencies as necessary. The World Bank will report the results of the Technical Review in early December 2009 to the Donor/Government Working Group, which will make a recommendation to the Quarterly Donor Meeting on whether the benchmarks have been met. ¶14. Action request: At the field level, we will continue to support the ARTF with the GIRoA and donors, to track progress, align technical assistance to meet the economic reform benchmarks, and to develop the ARTF Financing Strategy. A key ARTF goal is to reduce the burden on limited government capacity while promoting capacity-building and fiscal sustainability over time. We ask Washington to press a broader diplomatic effort among other donors (the U.S. and the UK now provide half of the total ARTF funding) to contribute to the ARTF to support national programs, and to contribute to aid effectiveness goals as outlined in the Paris Declaration. With the incentive scheme in place, the objective is not only to support the reform process, but also to allow for increased allocations towards the financing of governmentQs core development programs through the ARTF Investment Window. EIKENBERRY