BAMYAN - Government departments in Afghanistan’s central Bamyan province highlighted their achievements and challenges faced while delivering services to the people, during a four-day United Nations-supported conference that concluded today.

“The Annual Reporting Conference was organized with the aim to exercise accountability and bring transparency – these are very important elements of good governance,” said the Deputy Governor of Bamyan Province, Asif Mubaligh.

The provincial line departments and district administrators presented their yearly plans, annual budget, accomplishments and the challenges they faced during implementation of these plans.

Representatives from the Provincial Council, community and religious elders, media, civil society organizations and international aid organizations were invited to listen to and give feedback to the work of government departments.

“We are sharing information and consulting with community elders to encourage public participation in public administration,” said Mr. Mubaligh.

Capacity building of Government line departments in reporting was the other objective of the conference, for which the Afghanistan Sub-national Governance Programme (ASGP) of the UN Development Programme (UNDP) provided financial and technical assistance.

A UNDP governance specialist, Abdul Habib Bahar, said the UN agency has encouraged and supported provincial Government in Bamyan to organize this reporting conference with the aim that “it will bring about more transparency and accountability in public administration.”

“Government officials must be aware that they will be held responsible for the work they do. This conference is an encouragement for those departments that have performed well during the year,” added Mr. Mubaligh.

The Bamyan reporting conference is organized every year and this was the ninth Conference in a row.

The head of the Bamyan Provincial Council, Maulawi Mohammad Yousuf, said the conference was helpful for the people to find out “departments were strong and which ones performed weakly.”

“It gives confidence to people and persuade the feeling that the Government is accountable to the people,” said Mr. Yousuf.