ISLAMABAD, Dec 20: The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has established a $20-million fund to support the administrative and structural recovery of Afghanistan.

The fund, to be known as the Afghan Interim Authority Fund (AIAF), is in addition to the $25 billion proposed reconstruction fund to be established by international financial institutions with the support of the international community.

United Nations officials said the fund would be operational for six months and limited only to short-term government support.

According to the officials, the AIAF, presently estimated to require about $20 million, would help the interim authority cover the general managing of administrative affairs for a six-month prior to the convening of the emergency Loya Jirga scheduled for next spring.

The fund will also help the interim authority cover core administrative costs for each of the country’s 29 ministers and its new head of government, Hamid Karzai.

Enough funds would be provided up front so that each minister could hire a small staff of up to 10 people, the officials said, adding that payments from the fund would be made by the UNDP in Kabul under Mr Brahimi’s guidance.

The fund, to be established in Kabul on Dec 22, will not be used for general reconstruction activities, but would help the interim authority cover administrative costs, including salaries and acquisition of vehicles and office space, supplies and equipment.

It will also support the establishment of civil service, judicial and human rights commissions as outlined by the Bonn Accord. In addition, the fund will pay for teachers’ salaries ensuring that schools open in March next year.

The UNDP has also included a request for the payment of police salaries from the fund when such a force is established. The AIAF would accept contributions from governments, non-governmental institutions and the private sector.

The fund to be managed by the UNDP was established at the behest of Lakhdar Brahimi, special envoy of the UN secretary-general for Afghanistan.

The Afghan Support Group of donors and international agencies, which met in Berlin earlier this month, agreed upon the establishment of the fund.

At the meeting, a number of priority responsibilities for the interim authority were outlined in the Bonn Accord, including the establishment of a central bank and a commission on human rights, besides the rehabilitation of the civil service community.