KABUL (SW): Before existing provisions of the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) take full effect Sept.1 that would also impact the U.S. Department of Defense and the NATO coalition contractors working in Afghanistan, Office of the U.S.’s Legal Advisor gave update on BSA implementation this week.
A NATO communiqué has quoted Capt. Alexis Carter, U.S. Forces Afghanistan Civil Affairs Legal Advisor, saying the pertinent provisions, which include visa requirements and business licenses, are designed to ensure everyone is in compliance with the agreement negotiated between the United States and Afghanistan.
“The BSA is similar to Status of Forces Agreements (SOFA) and covers military members serving overseas and applies to personnel working in the country as part of the U.S. military forces. This includes military, contractors or U.S. government employees supporting U.S. forces in Afghanistan,” he said.
“It includes not only entry and exit requirements, but also procedures for obtaining business licenses, permits for personnel authorized to be armed in performance of official duties, boarding and use of aircraft for travel”, he added.
The agreement became effective in January 2015, but Carter said there was a grace period applied to some provisions that gave personnel and companies time to ensure they were in compliance.
On June 1, the initial grace period ended and contractors were required to have visas and business licenses. On June 16, a second grace period was granted by the Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani allowing contractors more time to obtain visas and business licenses.
“The grace period and extension to get into compliance will expire on Aug. 31,” Carter said.
There are approximately 35,000 contractors currently working in Afghanistan, and ensuring they’re in compliance is the responsibility of their companies. Fines imposed for non-compliance could be applied against both the individual and the company they work for, he said.
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