US to return $ 100 mn aid for Afghanistan to Treasury: Pompeo

The United States will return around USD 100 million which was sanctioned for an Afghan energy project to the Treasury and withhold another USD 60 million in aid after concluding that Kabul is mismanaging resources, as per the US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo.

"Due to identified Afghan Government corruption and financial mismanagement, the US Government is returning approximately $100 million to the US Treasury that was intended for a large energy infrastructure project," Pompeo said on Thursday, Sputnik reported.

Pompeo also expressed great concern over a "lack of transparency" in the Afghan National Procurement Authority's decisions, and said the US would withhold USD 60 million in planned assistance over its "failure to meet benchmarks for transparency and accountability".

The United States will also cease all funding for the Afghan government's Monitoring and Evaluation Committee by the end of the year after determining that it is "incapable of being a partner in the international effort to build a better future for the Afghan people," Pompeo said.