The room is a little dark and every few seconds Mozhgan pulls out contracts to scan and save them on her computer’s hard drive. She saves the scanned documents using a special software and uploads them on the website of the National Procurement Authority (NPA). The scanner’s green light bounces off the floor while her colleague files other documents in a filing cabinet.
Mozhgan and her colleagues are digitizing procurement contracts to ensure transparency in the procurement system in Afghanistan. According to Transparency International, Afghanistan was the second most corrupt country in the world in 2015. However, things seem to be changing. “NPA is a very different office, we work enthusiastically to bring transparency and combat corruption,” states Mozhgan, 27, a technical officer in the archives section. “I never wanted to work with the government, but now when I see what NPA can do, I am proud to be working for the government.”