MINISTRY OF RURAL REHABILITATION AND EVELOPMENT   History   Vision, Goal & Objectives   Mandate   Organization Structure   Donors   Partners   Photo Gallery     JICA Pledges Assistance to Develop Three Afghan Provinces   The government of Afghanistan through the Minister for MRRD, H.E. Mohammad Haneef Atmar, signed an Agreement of Cooperation with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) on 11 th September 2005. The agreement is a US$ 7 million package to fund the Inter – Communal Rural Development (IRD) Project to support the development of Balkh, Bamyan and Kandahar provinces which will complement NSP in three provinces. One of MRRD’s programs, the NSP is funded by World Bank which enables communities to develop, plan and implement projects with assistance from implementing partners. The IRD Project will further strengthen Community Councils through the establishment of cluster Community Development Councils (CDCs).   HE  Atmar emphasized the necessity to link community-level interventions with overall development framework at district, provincial, and national levels, and noted that IRDP will offer an opportunity in so doing. He stressed that Japanese experts who will be dispatched under the Project will help build capacity of the Afghan people, on a day-to-day basis as well as training courses in Japan and/or third countries.   H.E. Atmar also added that MRRD would start the second phase of NSP in all 34 provinces, covering 10,000 villages and 178 districts , and that capacity building of the CDCs will be reinforced so as to strengthen their project implementation and management capacity. He explained that although NSP Year 1 didn’t prioritize much on larger scale projects due to budget limitations, Year 2 would start looking at funding projects that benefit multiple communities. IRDP, in this regard, will serve as a good precedent.  Mr. Matsushima, the Resident representative of JICA Afghanistan Office, mentioned that it was a great pleasure for me to attend today’s ceremony. He then congratulated the Afghan government on the significant achievement thus far, and noted that upon completion of the Parliamentary