Kabul, June 01: Afghan President Hamid Karzai has made his boldest bid yet to assert authority beyond the capital, wresting governors and warlords into a deal to hand over millions of dollars in customs duties to Kabul's near-empty treasury. But enforcing the new orders won't be easy in a fractious country where local rulers keep a tight hold on their money and militias to run their private fiefdoms.

Karzai sent top-level Finance Ministry officials to four key border provinces last week to ensure that the revenues start flowing.


So important was the first and biggest target, the wealthy western province of Herat that Finance Minister Ashraf Ghani flew there personally to make sure Governor Ismail Khan pays up. Herat straddles lucrative trade routes along a largely peaceful border with neighbouring Iran that rake in over a US$1 million a day. Ghani is staying a week.

Karzai has warned he'll fire those who fail to comply with the accord, signed two weeks ago by 12 governors and two warlords. And if all else fails, he's threatened to take a more serious step: dissolve the government and resign. Bureau Report