The new Conservative-Liberal government in Britain is set to cut off up to 3 billion pounds of aid to international agencies like the United Nations and World Bank unless they can prove it is spent wisely.
The new International Development Secretary (udviklingsminister) Andrew Mitchell has launched a review of the spending, which made up 2,3 billion of its 5,5 billion pound aid budget last year, as part of the Governments cuts.
More than 30 international and foreign agencies will be subjected to the same tough tests facing Whitehall departments. Those that fail to get cash to the front-line or deliver recognisable benefits to the poor or needy will see their handouts slashed or axed.
The international development secretary was speaking ahead of a speech outlining plans for a new aid watchdog.
He said that British-backed aid was “vital” but taxpayers must see they are getting value for money. Aid funding is being protected but ministers say it must be refocused on priorities like preventing disease.
The Multilateral Aid Review is to start immediately. It signals a change of direction for the Department for International Development (DfID), which looks set to move away from funding the UN and the World Bank in favour of funding projects more directly.
The Government is committed to spending 0,7 per cent of GDP on aid by 2013. A review of the large slice of DfID’s 5,5 billion pund budget handed to charities (NGOer) is also not far off.
– We want to make sure that there are results on the ground, rather than wasting money on people sitting in headquarters, said a Whitehall source.
Around 2,27 billion pound was handed to multilateral institutions last year, including 574 million to the World Bank and 252 million to the UN. That looks set to rise to 3 billion pound this year.[
Richard Miller, UK director of ActionAid, backed Mr Mitchell’s commitment to greater transparency:
– It will hopefully establish a new standard of openness and encourage scrutiny by citizens in countries receiving UK aid, as well as assuring UK taxpayers that aid is reaching the poorest, he said.
Barbara Stocking, chief executive of Oxfam, said: – The new watchdog must be truly independent of Government if it is to achieve the best results for the British taxpayer and poor people alike.
Strengthening transparency and accountability were “important” but needed to be “pieces in a larger jigsaw”, she said.
– Ensuring aid is poverty-focused not politically driven and strengthens the public services poor people rely on are all vital to ensuring that it makes the biggest possible difference to the lives of the world’s poorest, noted she.
Kilde: www.worldbank.org
