And the amount is expected to nearly double to 18.1 billion dollars (15.8 billion US), or about 1,500 dollars (1,309 US) per Canadian household, by the mission's end in 2011, parliamentary budget officer Kevin Page said in a report.

"This is the first comprehensive costing of Canada's Afghanistan mission covering military operations, development aid and reconstruction costs, and the long-term costs of taking care of Canada's veterans," he told reporters.

Military operations accounted for much of the costs, at up to 7.42 billion dollars (6.47 billion US), followed by veterans' benefits at 2.08 billion dollars (1.81 billion US), and 0.97 billion dollars (0.85 billion US) in aid for Afghanistan.

The study does not include the cost of diplomatic efforts, nor does it presume to "put a monetary value on the heroic efforts of brave Canadian soldiers who have given up their life in service to Canada," said the report.

Accelerated procurement of military equipment and danger pay for soldiers was also excluded from the final amount "due to lack of reliable data," it said.

"This suggests that the estimates provided may understate the costs of Canada's mission in Afghanistan," Page said in his report.

At a press conference, he underscored his use of incremental costs in the study, not full costs. "If we were to provide an estimate on a full cost basis, it would be a much larger number," he said.

Incremental costs are costs that would not have been incurred except for the operation, such as equipment maintenance due to an increased operational tempo in war, reservists' pay, and more death and disability benefits for soldiers and their families.

Full costs are those incurred by the Department of National Defence regardless of war or peace, such as soldiers' regular salaries.

To date, the Canadian government has cited a lower cost estimate for the war in Afghanistan of eight billion dollars (seven billion US).

Prime Minister Stephen Harper Thursday took issue with the parliamentary budget officer's inclusion of certain costs in his report.

"Clearly, it's an expensive mission," said Harper. "We're not hiding the fact that these things are expensive."

But, "the parliamentary budget officer has included some very long-term costs that don't relate in our judgment to the day to day of the mission," he said.

All of the monies for the mission were set aside in past budgets, he added.

Page meanwhile urged federal departments to agree on a common, transparent costing methodology, and the next parliament to adopt an accrual-based appropriation system from the current cash-based system.

"When compared with international experience, Canada appears to lag behind the best practices of other jurisdictions in terms of the quality and frequency of war cost reporting to their respective legislatures," he commented.

"Although Canada is in the seventh year of the mission, parliament has not (until now) been provided with estimates by successive governments on the fiscal costs incurred by all relevant departments," Page said in his report.

Liberal leader Stephane Dion responded to the report by accusing Harper of "false transparency."

"We don't know year in and year out what were the problems, how much we've gone over the budgetary framework, and I think Canadians are entitled to that information, and they'll get it with me," he said, amid an election campaign.

Canada maintains 2,500 soldiers in Afghanistan's southern Kandahar province as part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

Since they first deployed in 2002, 97 Canadian troops have died in roadside blasts and in melees with Taliban insurgents. Two Canadian aid workers and a senior diplomat have also been killed.

In March, the House of Commons approved prolonging Canada's presence in Afghanistan to 2011, and at the start of the election campaign last month Harper ruled out any extension beyond that date.

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