Accountability, Reforms, and National Trust: Speech at 100-Day Government Plans

Keypoints:

• Cabinet Launch & Unified Vision: The cabinet begins work to expand welfare, fulfill citizens’ aspirations, and maintain a clear, united direction.
• 100-Day Plans & Accountability: Ministries have actionable plans, with progress reviewed every 25 days by media, civil society, and citizens.
• Trust & Ministerial Responsibility: Short-term goals restore public trust, while ministries reform and deliver results effectively.
• Governors & Nationwide Delivery: Provincial governors will play a stronger role to ensure services reach all regions.
• Judicial & Legal Reform: Courts and legal institutions will be reviewed and strengthened.
• Private Sector & Anti-Corruption: Market organization, pending projects, and transparent procurement are prioritized.
• Bridging Divides & Islamic Identity: Efforts connect government, religious institutions, and citizens, beginning with the Ministry of Hajj to reflect Afghanistan’s Islamic character.
• National Commitment: The government pledges to serve Afghanistan and ensure progress and prosperity.

It is a great honor for me today to mark the formal beginning of our cabinet’s work, dedicated to expanding the welfare of our people and fulfilling their aspirations.

Each ministry has prepared a 100-day plan, which clearly sets out specific commitments to the people of Afghanistan.

Every 25 days, we expect our work to be reviewed by the esteemed media, civil society, religious scholars, and our fellow citizens, so that we can be evaluated and held accountable.

Why 100-day plans? The people of Afghanistan do not believe in promises that extend over five years; they say, “By the time you move, five years pass, yet we see no results.”

To build trust between the government and the people, it is essential to separate short-term objectives from medium- and long-term goals.

These 100-day plans serve several purposes:

First, they are direct commitments by each ministry to deliver on its responsibilities to its constituencies and stakeholders.

Second, ministries must reform themselves to build credibility and fulfill both secondary and tertiary duties.

Third, the Afghan cabinet, as a collective body, is accountable.

The fundamental point is that the cabinet is united, responsible, and accountable first to the people of Afghanistan.

Every minister and the President serve the people; together, we are servants of this land, and the true owners of Afghanistan, after God, are its citizens.

The people of Afghanistan have shown tremendous courage, participating in elections for the first time in our history and transferring power peacefully from one elected president to another.

It is now time for the cabinet to gradually repay this trust.

The National Unity Government is the result of the free and direct will of the people.

This responsibility cannot be discharged all at once, but in stages, very clearly.

The 100-day plans provide a practical framework for all of us—the government, the state, and the people—to learn from successes and mistakes alike.

After each 100-day period, one month will be dedicated to review, lessons learned, and preparation of the next plan.

One significant difference between the first and second 100-day plans is the role of provincial governors.

In the first plan, the focus is on ministries, enabling ministers to play a decisive role.

Governors will take on a more substantial role in the second plan, working closely with ministries to ensure nationwide service delivery.

As I have mentioned before, our responsibility in the first stage is first to God, then to the noble and courageous people of Afghanistan, and third to the National Assembly.

These 100-day plans provide a clear mechanism for parliament to monitor promises, assess progress, and foster trust.

Another important difference between the first and subsequent 100-day plans will be the reform of our judicial and legal institutions.

In the coming 100 days, we will complete a comprehensive review of these institutions.

Having personally observed cases in 34 provincial courts, I will ensure that the prosecutorial and judicial machinery functions effectively.

We have also consulted extensively with the private sector, although some projects remain incomplete.

In this 100-day period, we will deepen consultations with the private sector to create a lawful and organized market environment, and we will initiate major pending projects.

Procurement is another critical area.

You have seen that the fight against corruption is a core principle of the National Unity Government.

Every Saturday, I meet personally with key ministers—Finance, Economy, Justice, Public Health, and others—to review projects and track results.

Within this 100-day framework, you, the media, civil society, and citizens will hold us accountable, assess our successes, and provide constructive criticism where we fall short.

One of our overarching goals, which I have emphasized repeatedly, is to reduce the gap between the mosque and the palace, the government and schools, religious scholars, and political, economic, and administrative leaders.

I am grateful to the religious scholars, spiritual leaders, and Sufi elders who have sincerely supported Afghanistan’s security forces.

Accordingly, we begin this program with the Ministry of Hajj and Religious Affairs, reflecting our identity as a faithful nation governed by a constitution grounded in Islamic law.

I will take no more of your time.

I thank Minister Usmani and want to emphasize that I have personally met with every minister several times, and the cabinet has collectively discussed and aligned its vision to ensure clarity and unity.

May God grant us success in fulfilling the aspirations of the Afghan people and witnessing progress every day, every week, every month, and especially during these 100 days.

Long live Afghanistan! May Afghanistan prosper!