IMF praises Afghanistan's progress in reforms, pursuit of self-reliance

KABUL, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- The International Monetary Fund (IMF) praised the Afghan government's steps in structural reforms and pursuit of self-reliance despite persist challenges, Afghan finance ministry reported on its website Tuesday.

"The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) successfully completed the second review of the arrangement under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) for Afghanistan," the ministry said in a statement.

The IMF has appreciated "the commitments and performance of Afghan government in the areas of maintaining financial stability, economic growth, macroeconomic stability, and implementation of reforms in financial sector, increased anti-corruption steps and providing job opportunities for Afghans."

In an IMF assessment report released Friday, the IMF executive directors commended Afghan authorities' commitment to economic transformation in pursuit of their objective of raising inclusive growth, boosting job opportunities for the rapidly rising population, and reducing aid dependency.

IMF directors have also welcomed the progress with financial sector reforms for Afghan banking system stability, financial inclusion, and economic development.

They also commanded the progress in anti-corruption measures, particularly by criminalizing corruption in line with the United Nations Convention Against Corruption and requiring asset declarations by Afghan officials. Enditem