KABUL (SW): The Independent Joint Anti-Corruption Monitoring & Evaluation Committee (MEC) revealed on Wednesday that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA)was marred by nepotism and patronage that prevailed over merit and competency.
The watchdog released the findings during a press conference here. MEC also found interference by senior officials in various aspects of hiring and promotion, as well as personal relationships seemingly dominating the recruitment and staff management processes. These practices clearly violate the Civil Service Law (CSL), which explicitly forbids discriminatory hiring practices by government institutions, it said.
"Ministry of Foreign Affairs has attracted senior government officials and powerful individuals … with everyone trying to appoint their near ones at the ministry", Rashed Behroz, the Cheif Executive Officer of the MEC said.
Currently, MOFA employs at least 12 close relatives of current or former parliamentarians, 4 siblings of former ministers, and 7 other relatives of current or former senior officials, the watchdog claimed, adding that among MOFAs current corps of diplomats many only hold high school diplomas, or are otherwise unqualified under the merit-based hiring policy.
The report said that of the approximately 1,300 candidates who took MoFA’s entrance examination last summer, 48 passed but almost none were hired. Instead, 40 other individuals were hired outside of regular channels during the former minister’s last days in office, it added.
In addition to irregular hiring practices, MoFA employees confirmed that some employees’ salaries and overseas postings are based neither on the Law on Diplomatic and Consular Affairs (“Law”) nor on MoFA’s internal regulations, but rather on their connections to influential individuals, MEC noted.
“Similar inconsistencies prevail in the issuance and retention of diplomatic passports, which are used for personal travel by some MoFA employees even after their overseas assignments have ended”.
Furthermore, many diplomatic passports were illegally issued to unqualified individuals purely based on their personal ties, the group said.
To enhance transparency in MoFA s recruitment process and to ensure the hiring of qualified staff, MECs recommendations include that MoFA enact a specific internal policy banning nepotism; the Law be amended to require diplomatic and consular staff to hold a graduate degree; the Independent Administrative Reform and Civil Service Commission clarify that the CSL applies to MOFA; and the Supreme Audit Office, or another competent oversight body, review all of MoFA’s hiring decisions since 2005.
The watchdog added that the Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, Martyrs and Disabled (MoLSAMD) have systematically embezzled about $8 million a year during the past few years.
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