dr. ghani has been describing the mineral wealth.mentioned a couple of days ago at the state department that sometimes in the not too distant future when afghanistan can stand on its own feet financially. 400,000 troops of of various kinds will be essential. >> if we keep going at the current speed of revenue collection, is the minister of of finance around? this year, we had a 22% increase in our revenue collection. yesterday, used a 22%. [laughter] >> it was a good day. >> 22% of gdp growth. if we move at this speed, within three years, afghanistan will be able to pay for the existing members of our security forces. that is within three years. we will pay military and police from our own pocket. that will be a tremendous achievement. it is a benchmark that i hope our ministers will keep strongly in mind so we can come back later to the united states and show you we have done it and we will not be asking for salaries but we will ask for investment and f-16s. [laughter] >> there is an afghan journalist i would like to call on. >> i a

we heard a description at lunch with the president yesterday by dr. ghani about how we are going to be teeing up a lot of skgs decisions. it is going to be the afghan government that does it but we are going to be in support of that. then there will be an implementation schedule following kabul conference. the parliamentary elections will be very important in september and i met with the women ministers who are here just a little while ago and there is a great number of you know, women, who are putting themselves forward as candidates. the story about what's happening below the surface doesn't get told often enough and the ministers and the president and we on our side are determined to do so. and also, it is critical that we go into this with our eyes open. even though we have extremely professional counterparts that we are working with on both sides, there are very serious problems and challenges. and that's why as president karzai said, the first step in his process of moving toward some peace effort will be this peace jarga on may 28, 29. which will bri

dr. ghani has been describing the mineral wealth of afghanistan. and you mentioned a couple days ago at the state department sometime in the near future, not too distant future, where afghanistan would be able to stand on its own feet i think you said financially. 400,000 troops of various kinds will be expensive. >> yes. if we keep going at the current speed of revenue collection, this year -- and correct me, this year we had 22% increase in our revenue collection. 58%? yesterday you said 22%! [laughter] >> yesterday was a good day! [laughter] >> d.p.d. growth. sorry. that was g. -- g.d.p. growth. and 20 something the revenues this year. now, if we move at this speed within three years afghanistan will be able to pay for the existing numbers of our security force. within three years afghanistan will be paying total services, military and police services, from its own pocket. now, that will be a tremendous achievement. and it is a benchmark that i hope our ministers will keep very, very strongly in mind so we can come back later to the united state