President Ashraf Ghani through a videoconference with 27 provincial governors discussed an array of issues chiefly measures to curb covid-19 spread, delegating further authorities to governors, and economic stimulus and agricultural productivity in the provinces yesterday.

During the session, Mohammd Yosuf Ghazanfar, the President’s Special Representative on Economic Development, Trade and Poverty Reduction Affairs said the private sector had shown willingness to work with provincial governors in various areas.
Second Vice-President Mohammad Sarwar Danesh said the governors are leading the emergency committees in 34 provinces to fight the spread of coronavirus, underlining that the private sector is willing to offer their properties for free to the Ministry of Public Health.
He said the governors are obliged to implement the provisions of presidential decree on pardoning inmates within ten days, adding that the governors should impose restriction of movement in their provinces in case of necessity.
First Vice-President Amrullah Saleh in his remarks talked over the policy to fight covid-19 and said what differs today from forty years ago is the government is now taking the lead rather than being hidden behind the international organizations.
He said the healthcare staff who lose their lives on duty to fight corona will be granted the death benefit equal to the martyrs of defense and security forces.
The first vice president said it is key to mobilize the clerics and religious scholars of the country to provide awareness on density reduction in Fatiha and funeral ceremonies to prevent the virus spread.
Amruallah Saleh said procurement procedures have been simplified and said the lockdown need to be carried out with planning to prevent shortage of essential items, stressing on delivering assistance to the most vulnerable classes of society.
The first vice-president said, containment of the spread of the disease has direct relation with the peace, where the governors can promote and support the humanitarian ceasefire, offered by the president.
President Ghani said fulfilling the decisions made in the recent two emergency cabinet meetings demonstrates the government’s determination to contain the threat and deal with the consequences.
The president added outlays will be provided to the first and second vice presidents to enable them to respond timely in moment of emergency.
The president said the authority has been delegated to every governor to set their expenditures with consideration to the monitoring mechanism, referring to the need that governors should be fully prepared to deal with possible risks and emergency situations.
The president said he will meet with the private sector this week to set the tariffs, underscoring that the government has put necessary measures in place to ensure importing essential items via transit routes.