Michael Hughes

Michael Hughes: The U.S. state-building watchdog reported on July 29 that despite Washington investing $3 billion in Afghanistan’s power sector the country still suffers from one of the worst electrification rates in the world. The report, issued by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), beat around the bush citing issues like “poor project management” and “technical issues” as contributing factors. However, the real culprits are systemic contractor fraud, corruption and avarice and the government agencies responsible for vetting these criminal enterprises and preventing them from preying on poverty-stricken countries like Afghanistan in the first place. Click here to read more.