Since 2002, the ARTF has helped the Government of Afghanistan deliver the beginnings of a development program to its citizens. As administrator of the fund, the World Bank would like to share some of the gains in a modest newsletter.

Our specially designed logo reads 'Rebuilding Together' in both the Dari and Pashto scripts. We hope this reflects the interwoven spirit of the international community working together with Afghans to build a safer nation.

Seven years after the ARTF was established, it has grown into the main multi-donor funding mechanism for development in Afghanistan. To date, 30 ARTF donors have collectively contributed over US$3 billion. As a sign of strong support for the ARTF, donors agreed in 2008 to extend the lifetime of the mechanism for a further 10 years, through June 2020.

In December 2008, ARTF donors and the Afghan government agreed to the ARTF Incentive Program. This is designed to reduce ARTF support for the government's recurrent expenses in a phased manner. It will also provide incentives for the government to increase revenue-collecting efforts on its path to self-reliance.

Urgent expansion in power supply offers one of the best hopes for growth in Afghanistan. Since January 2009, a newly-commissioned transmission line has started streaming additional power from Uzbekistan into Kabul. The result is a spurt in the sales of TVs and other electrical products in the city. "I sold 30 TVs yesterday and that was a record," said Aziz Azizi, a local shopkeeper. From late 2009 onwards, the full 150 MW of power contracted under the new power purchase agreement will begin to flow into the country from Uzbekistan.

Rural roads are critical for improving the lives of Afghans, the vast majority of whom live in abject poverty in the countryside. Since 2003, the ARTF has supported the government's National Rural Access Program to provide all-weather rural roads in all 34 provinces of the country. Afghan people tell us how their lives have changed.

Nick Krafft, the World Bank's Country Director for Afghanistan, talks about the challenges and opportunities for the ARTF on its mission of promoting development in Afghanistan.

While security is a major concern, another big challenge is that two-thirds of development assistance flows outside the budget, he says.