Hedayat Arsala
Encyclopedia
Hedayat Amin Arsala is an economist
and a prominent politician
in Afghanistan
. Mr. Arsala was most recently the Vice President of Afghanistan
and subsequently the Senior Minister to President Hamid Karzai
.
, Arsala grew up in Kabul
, Afghanistan, where he attended high school. He completed his BA and MA in Economics
, also focusing on international relations, at Southern Illinois University
(SIU) in the United States of America. He also completed the course work and qualifying exams for a PhD
in Economics
at George Washington University
, in Washington, D.C.
In May 2008, SIU conferred an honorary doctorate on Arsala for his distinguished service to Afghanistan.
(WB) through the Young Professional Program. He served there for 18 years in several economic and senior operational posts. Active in the resistance against the Soviet occupation since 1979, he left the WB in 1987 to participate full-time in the Afghan struggle. He was a founding member of the National Islamic Front of Afghanistan (NIFA), led by Pir Sayed Ahmad Gailani, and a member of the Supreme Council of Mujahideen
Unity (formed in February 1980). He served as the Finance Minister in the Afghan Interim Government (AIG) in exile from 1989 to 1992.
When the Soviets withdrew and there was a subsequent regime change in Afghanistan, Arsala was appointed as the Foreign Minister of the newly formed Mujahideen coalition government in early 1993.
He withdrew from that post in 1995 due to infighting and political disagreement amongst some Mujahideen groups. With the rise of the Taliban, Arsala- with some compatriots- launched a peace campaign which called for a broad-based interim Government through a Loya Jirga
. This peace movement, later known as ‘The Rome Group’, and its key members, including Arsala, were key participants in the Bonn deliberations after 11 September 2001. The Bonn Conference
resulted in the famous Bonn Agreement
and the formation of the Interim Afghan Administration. Mr Hamid Karzai was appointed Chairman and Mr. Arsala was appointed as Vice Chairman and the first Minister of Finance in post-Taliban Afghanistan. The Bonn Conference also provided a roadmap for subsequent political developments. In June 2002, the Transitional Government of Afghanistan was formed. The Emergency Loya Jirga of Afghanistan elected Mr Hamid Karzai as President
, and Mr. Arsala was appointed as Vice President of Afghanistan
.
As Vice-President (VP), Arsala simultaneously headed the Independent Administrative Reform and Civil Service Commission. He also chaired the Economic Coordination Council and the National Census Committee. He was a member of the National Security Council, and at times, in Mr Karzai’s absence, Acting President. After 2.5 years as VP, Arsala was appointed Senior Advisor to the President as well as the Minister for Commerce and Industry. In 2006, he became the Senior Minister of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, and in the latter part of 2008, he simultaneously became the Chairman of the Government Coordination Committee (GCC) and served as the Co-Chair of the Joint Coordination and Monitoring Board.
In early 2002, Arsala also co-chaired the first international Afghanistan aid and development conference in Tokyo and later in the same year, led the first international aid conference in Afghanistan. Arsala has pioneered many innovative civil service initiatives aimed at improving the public sector and effective governance within Afghanistan. He created the first Independent Administration Reform and Civil Service
Commission to reform government institutions and introduced the system of civil service appointments and promotion on the basis of merit, not patronage or nepotism. A champion of public sector reform and private sector growth, as Minister of Commerce and Industry, Arsala also introduced a number of important improvements to remove barriers to the private sector
and champion increased investment:
During Arsala’s tenure, exports increased from US$300 million to US$500 million. He represented Afghanistan at several international conferences including those of Heads of State and Governments.
Economist
An economist is a professional in the social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy...
and a prominent politician
Politics of Afghanistan
The politics of Afghanistan consists of the Council of Ministers and the National Assembly, with a president serving as the head of state and commander-in-chief of the military. The nation is currently led by the Karzai administration under President Hamid Karzai who is backed by two vice...
in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. Mr. Arsala was most recently the Vice President of Afghanistan
Vice President of Afghanistan
The Vice President of Afghanistan is the second highest political position obtainable in Afghanistan. Vice Presidents are elected in the same ticket as the President. The current Vice Presidents are Mohammad Qasim Fahim and Karim Khalili .-External links:** *List of current Vice Presidents...
and subsequently the Senior Minister to President Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai, GCMG is the 12th and current President of Afghanistan, taking office on 7 December 2004. He became a dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001...
.
Education
An ethnic PashtunPashtun people
Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan...
, Arsala grew up in Kabul
Kabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
, Afghanistan, where he attended high school. He completed his BA and MA in Economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
, also focusing on international relations, at Southern Illinois University
Southern Illinois University
Southern Illinois University is a state university system based in Carbondale, Illinois, in the Southern Illinois region of the state, with multiple campuses...
(SIU) in the United States of America. He also completed the course work and qualifying exams for a PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in Economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
at George Washington University
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
, in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
In May 2008, SIU conferred an honorary doctorate on Arsala for his distinguished service to Afghanistan.
Career
In 1969, Hedayat Amin-Arsala was the first Afghan to join the World BankWorld Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
(WB) through the Young Professional Program. He served there for 18 years in several economic and senior operational posts. Active in the resistance against the Soviet occupation since 1979, he left the WB in 1987 to participate full-time in the Afghan struggle. He was a founding member of the National Islamic Front of Afghanistan (NIFA), led by Pir Sayed Ahmad Gailani, and a member of the Supreme Council of Mujahideen
Mujahideen
Mujahideen are Muslims who struggle in the path of God. The word is from the same Arabic triliteral as jihad .Mujahideen is also transliterated from Arabic as mujahedin, mujahedeen, mudžahedin, mudžahidin, mujahidīn, mujaheddīn and more.-Origin of the concept:The beginnings of Jihad are traced...
Unity (formed in February 1980). He served as the Finance Minister in the Afghan Interim Government (AIG) in exile from 1989 to 1992.
When the Soviets withdrew and there was a subsequent regime change in Afghanistan, Arsala was appointed as the Foreign Minister of the newly formed Mujahideen coalition government in early 1993.
He withdrew from that post in 1995 due to infighting and political disagreement amongst some Mujahideen groups. With the rise of the Taliban, Arsala- with some compatriots- launched a peace campaign which called for a broad-based interim Government through a Loya Jirga
Loya jirga
A loya jirga is a type of jirga regarded as "grand assembly," a phrase in the Pashto language meaning "grand council." A loya jirga is a mass meeting usually prepared for major events such as choosing a new king, adopting a constitution, or discussing important national political or emergency...
. This peace movement, later known as ‘The Rome Group’, and its key members, including Arsala, were key participants in the Bonn deliberations after 11 September 2001. The Bonn Conference
Bonn Conference
After Operation Enduring Freedom in which the Taliban government was toppled in Afghanistan, in December 2001, the German city of Bonn hosted a conference of Afghan leaders at Hotel Petersberg, to choose the leader of an Afghan Interim Authority – widely known as the Bonn Conference.The...
resulted in the famous Bonn Agreement
Bonn Agreement
Bonn Agreement could refer to*Bonn Agreement *Bonn Agreement *Bonn Agreement *Bonn Agreement...
and the formation of the Interim Afghan Administration. Mr Hamid Karzai was appointed Chairman and Mr. Arsala was appointed as Vice Chairman and the first Minister of Finance in post-Taliban Afghanistan. The Bonn Conference also provided a roadmap for subsequent political developments. In June 2002, the Transitional Government of Afghanistan was formed. The Emergency Loya Jirga of Afghanistan elected Mr Hamid Karzai as President
President of Afghanistan
Afghanistan has only been a republic between 1973 and 1992 and from 2001 onwards. Before 1973, it was a monarchy that was governed by a variety of kings, emirs or shahs...
, and Mr. Arsala was appointed as Vice President of Afghanistan
Vice President of Afghanistan
The Vice President of Afghanistan is the second highest political position obtainable in Afghanistan. Vice Presidents are elected in the same ticket as the President. The current Vice Presidents are Mohammad Qasim Fahim and Karim Khalili .-External links:** *List of current Vice Presidents...
.
As Vice-President (VP), Arsala simultaneously headed the Independent Administrative Reform and Civil Service Commission. He also chaired the Economic Coordination Council and the National Census Committee. He was a member of the National Security Council, and at times, in Mr Karzai’s absence, Acting President. After 2.5 years as VP, Arsala was appointed Senior Advisor to the President as well as the Minister for Commerce and Industry. In 2006, he became the Senior Minister of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, and in the latter part of 2008, he simultaneously became the Chairman of the Government Coordination Committee (GCC) and served as the Co-Chair of the Joint Coordination and Monitoring Board.
Accomplishments
- As the first Minister of Finance in the post-Taliban regime, Arsala introduced the first Afghan budget after years of war
- To enforce fiscal discipline, Arsala stopped financing government expenditures through Central Bank borrowing
- In his oversight of the Central Bank, Arsala ensured that no currency was printed by any entity other than the Central Bank. Whatever currency was printed and en route to Afghanistan was diverted immediately to the Central Bank; and
- Arsala initiated the first discussions regarding the introduction and management of the new Afghan currencyCurrencyIn economics, currency refers to a generally accepted medium of exchange. These are usually the coins and banknotes of a particular government, which comprise the physical aspects of a nation's money supply...
with the International Monetary FundInternational Monetary FundThe International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...
and currency printing companies. His signature appears on the new Afghan currency.
In early 2002, Arsala also co-chaired the first international Afghanistan aid and development conference in Tokyo and later in the same year, led the first international aid conference in Afghanistan. Arsala has pioneered many innovative civil service initiatives aimed at improving the public sector and effective governance within Afghanistan. He created the first Independent Administration Reform and Civil Service
Civil service
The term civil service has two distinct meanings:* A branch of governmental service in which individuals are employed on the basis of professional merit as proven by competitive examinations....
Commission to reform government institutions and introduced the system of civil service appointments and promotion on the basis of merit, not patronage or nepotism. A champion of public sector reform and private sector growth, as Minister of Commerce and Industry, Arsala also introduced a number of important improvements to remove barriers to the private sector
Private sector
In economics, the private sector is that part of the economy, sometimes referred to as the citizen sector, which is run by private individuals or groups, usually as a means of enterprise for profit, and is not controlled by the state...
and champion increased investment:
- Arsala brought most of the state revenue sources –those under the Ministry’s remit- that had been previously pilfered by officials and political groups, under government control
- He drafted a number of new laws regarding commerce and economic activities and institutions
- Bilateral trade and investment guarantee agreements were signed
- He, together with the Afghanistan Investment Support Agency, convened numerous International investment conferences
- The process of accession to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) was accelerated and subsequently formalised
- The reform of the Chamber of Commerce and Industries was initiated
- An Export Promotion Agency was created.
During Arsala’s tenure, exports increased from US$300 million to US$500 million. He represented Afghanistan at several international conferences including those of Heads of State and Governments.
External links
- http://hedayatamin-arsala.com/images/uploads/FINAL_FINAL_Amin_Arsala_biography_ENG_110709.pdf
- http://www.export.gov/afghanistan/pdf/minister_bios.pdf
- http://www.rpcv.org/pages/sitepage.cfm?id=929
- http://www.rpcv.org/pages/sitepage.cfm?id=1015
- http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2005/10/9b3f9c9e-a057-4a42-ad87-7249e9c6ba92.html
- http://unpan1.un.org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/APCITY/UNPAN022679.pdf
- http://www.icosgroup.net/modules/reports/power_to_the_people/electoral_dynamics