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Afghans Aware of Reconstruction Progress and Germany’s Role
Reconstruction in Afghanistan is moving forward. This is reflected not only in economic growth statistics and health service developments. In opinion polls, Afghans themselves have expressed quite positive views on their own Government and international support. Work to rebuild the country has progressed significantly since the fall of the Taliban. Afghanistan has a constitution, a freely elected President and, since September 2005, the first parliament to be chosen in free general elections. A diverse and free press is important for a thriving democracy. Almost 30 private and state radio stations now broadcast entertainment and information programs throughout the country. The economy is growing consistently. Afghans are setting up businesses and creating jobs. GDP is seeing two-figure annual growth. Exports increased by 20 percent over each of the last three years. Medical care is more efficient, with 80 percent of the population now having access at least to basic medical treatment. Police reconstruction is advancing – around 19,000 middle- and higher-ranking police officers have undergone initial and further training. The situation in the education sector has also improved. The number of pupils has risen fivefold to 6 million, while 3,500 schools have been built throughout the country since 2001. Afghans award good marks for reconstruction Opinion polls show that Afghans are certainly mindful of the progress being made in their own country. Several thousand people recently expressed their views on reconstruction in national surveys. On the whole, those questioned feel they are more prosperous than they were under the Taliban and during the 1980s. The vast majority attribute so called "security-related incidents" to general rather than politically motivated crime. The international presence in the country is welcomed by considerably more than half of the people polled. The international personnel receive high marks not only for reconstruction, but also for their training of security forces. Incidentally, the contribution in this area made by Germany, which has played a leading role in police reconstruction since 2002, is better known than that of all other partners. Germany's commitment Germany itself is providing a wide range of support for the reconstruction process. Specifically, this involves helping the Afghan people to improve their living conditions. The Federal Government recently decided to boost its civilian engagement still further. The 2008 federal budget provides for a significant increase in civilian support for Afghanistan, taking it to a total of around 140 million euro. Concrete and visible projects designed to drive forward state and social reconstruction are also planned for 2008. Key examples of this approach include work to rebuild a destroyed hospital and additional police training and equipment. The overall amount earmarked for German civilian commitment from 2002 to 2010 is more than 900 million euro (i.e. more than $1.3 billion). January 8, 2008 Links
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