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Western aid might be adding to Africa’s problems
2006-05-22 07:17:56
By Correspondent Raymond Farai
African countries including Tanzania receive aid from Western countries and the aid has been coming in for quite sometime now. Is it solving Africa’s problems or it’s creating more problems?
Most western countries believe that the needs of the people of Africa are enormous and urgent, and at the same time they acknowledge that it is a moral outrage that they cannot meet them, even in the most basic ways.
So they keep on giving massive increase in aid and debt relief. The major question is, is this the solution or it’s a problem being created? If aid were a way of meeting development objectives, it would have done so long back.
Aid is, in some ways, part of the problem, and more aid is certain to mean worse Aid. Increasing aid flow is either irrelevant or seriously unwise.
All evidence on past performance suggest that aid flows are not what make the difference between successful developing countries and those which are not very successful. Aid can facilitate development and it has never done more than that.
David Booth a research fellow of the Overseas Development Institute observed that, political scientists are quite clear that aid can be part of the problem, because of the way it takes the pressure off political leaders who might otherwise be forced to perform better by market forces or their own taxpayers.
He added that economists tend to find positive statistical relationship between aid and economic growth, but don’t agree about what it adds up to. Anyway, as the Aid-to-GDP ratio increases, diminishing returns naturally set in.
Fatma Abdalla an Economist based in Dar es Salaam said, ’’there is need to change certain parameters if this aid is to be of any assistance to African countries. From the donor’s side there should be a clear objective of the particular aid and the objective should be precise.’’
’’ Secondly, there should be firmer commitments and more predictable financial flows, so that where countries have clear policies these are able to be planned and implemented,’’ she added.
Fatma pointed out that aid should be able to strengthen the recipient country’s institutions so that the government can be able to make clear policies.
She went on to say that there is also need for donor countries to have a better understanding of the recipient country’s social, political and administrative systems so that few mistakes are made in channelling support.
Hamisi Kikawo a bank teller from Dar es Salaam said, ’’donor funds are very necessary especially to us in Africa.
The only measure which should be put in place is for our leaders to be transparent and use the money for its intended purpose.’’
Many people agree with Hamisi, they believe that most African leaders have corrupt tendencies such that the money from donor countries does not end up at the right place; it normally ends up at the wrong place doing the wrong things all together. In most cases it ends up in someone’s bank account funding personal projects.
James Lymo a Historian from one University in Dar es Salaam had his views about the whole issue, ’’ historically western countries exploited us they made us poor and they keep on exploiting us.
Economic power is in the hands of these developed countries, ironically they made themselves rich through resources plundered from Africa. They should be obliged to return what they stole.’’
He observed that, ’’western countries still exploit Africa through multinational companies involved in mining, agriculture, manufacturing, transport and commerce.
They should then be able to be human enough to give us Aid since they are the ones responsible for our poverty. If it was not because of them I can assure you that Africa was going to be rich and very developed.’’
’’The whole issue is not about whether they should give aid or not, said David Juma working with a Non Governmental Organization in Tanga.
’’The issue at stake is where does this money donated go? Some of the figures donated are so high but still we find ourselves languishing in the jaws of poverty where does the money go? ’’
Donor countries should always work hand in hand with the governments of recipient countries so that the money donated is used for the intended purpose.
The recipient government should make sure that the proposed projects are implemented for the benefit of the citizens.
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