KABUL (SW): Following an investigative report by Salam Watandar, funds worth $ 1.6 million have been paid back to the provincial directorate of health in Takhar.
Hafeezullah Safi, head of the directorate of health in Takhar, has said that this amount was kept at the Azizi Bank as assurance for the uplift project of the regional hospital. He added this amount together with an additional AFN 16 million have been refunded by the Azizi Bank back to the directorate of health.
A letter by KfW Bankengruppe, a German government-owned development bank, based in Frankfurt, dated 03.12.2015 had stated: “We herewith refer to our previous correspondence regarding your claim amounting to US$ 1,649,916.53 under the advance payment guarantee provided by the Afghan AZIZI Bank within the context of above mentioned projects”.
These funds for the project have been provided by the German Federal Foreign Office. In order to ensure a continued project implementation i.e. finalization of construction of the Provincial hospital in Taloqan, it was urgently required that the Afghan Ministry of Public Health recover the outstanding amount from AZIZI Bank, latest by March 2016.
Dr. Kareemullah Rahem Bakhsh, head of the public hospital in Takhar, has welcomed the move. He expressed hope this amount would help lift the public hospital and healthcare system in the province.
ENDS
