Inquiry Letter: ANP Mobile Money Pilot Program Response
Abstract
Thank you for your response regarding the current status of an Afghan Ministry of Interior pilot program using mobile money technology1 to pay salaries to the Afghan National Police (ANP). While the vast majority of the ANP are paid through Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) to individual bank accounts, the mobile money system also appears to be an effective way to pay the salaries of the ANP who live in remote areas and therefore do not have easy access to banks. However, after reviewing the information you provided in response to my inquiry, I remain concerned about the potential for theft from police salaries through the so-called trusted agent payment process, which is used to pay 18 percent of the ANP.2 Your response indicated that as much as half of the ANP salaries paid through that trusted agent system are diverted or otherwise siphoned off from rightful recipients by corrupt pay agents or other illicit means. Based on those figures, SIGAR analysts conclude that up to $45.5 million dollars may be at risk of diversion through the trusted agent payment option in Fiscal Year 2014 alone. That figure represents roughly 9 percent of all Law and Order Trust Fund Afghanistan (LOTFA) salary payments to the ANP in Fiscal Year 2014.3
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 28, 2014
- Accession Number
- AD1140256
Entities
People
- John Sopko
Organizations
- Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction