Reforming fiscal and economic management in Afghanistan - Michael Carnahan

Althogh each post-conflict country and reform experience is unique, there is much that can be learned from each case. Although raised in the context of Afghanistan, the questions raised in these papers have broad relevance for other countries seeking to restart economic and fiscal management, following conflict. The papers provide insights into the more general questions of how to revitalize a Ministry of Finance or equivalent, and focus it on priority tasks, in a turbulent environment with limited human capacity. This edited volume builds on papers prepared for a [World Bank workshop in Washington DC, 7/8 April 2003. The workshop originated with a request from the Afghan Minister for Finance, H.E. Dr Ashraf Ghani, who posed key questions for the workshop to consider: At a time of limited resources - financial and human - what should a Finance Ministry do, and more importantly not do?; and are there successful examples of reform of Finance Ministries that could be used as a model for the reform of the Finance Ministry in Afghanistan?