By Editor
23rd May 2015
Email
Print
Editorial cartoon
Just three years back Tanzania’s budget was dependent on foreign aid by
around 30 per cent, a trend that negatively affected implementation of various
development projects as funds from the donor community were either released late
or completely not dished out.
Having realised the consequences of over dependence on foreign financial
aid the government is now planning to cut down donor dependence to only 8.4 per
cent. This is according to the Minister for Finance Saada Mkuya.
The Minister was recently quoted as saying: “It’s important to target being
independent in budget funding to avoid risks in implementing projects. Donor
funds come with conditions and sometimes they are not reliable, a trend that
disrupts our plans.”
When opening the meeting on Open Government Partnership ( OGP) mid this
week in Dar es Saaam President Jakaya Kikwete raised concern on the
conditions tied to the financial aid from the donor community.
Speaking emphatically on the subject the president warned the donor
community that the day is coming when Tanzania would no longer bow to their
conditions as a prerequisite for their financial assistance.
Though the president did not get into the bottom of the matter, most
probably he was making reference to a recent scenario whereby donors refused to
dish out money for budget support after some government officials were
implicated in the Tegeta Escrow Account ( TEA) scandal.
For those with fresh memory would recall that the decision by the donors,
from European Union and US specifically, called for action against the culprits
before they released funds that were earmarked to support the 2014/15 government
budget. As the Parliament today debates on the 2015/16 budget reports say the
2014/15 budget was severely affected as some development projects failed to take
off.
Much as it may be argued the president was right. Foreign aid undermines a
country’s sovereignty and sometimes erodes one’s dignity.
Since the 1990s many foreign aid sources, notably the IMF, have made aid
conditional on market-oriented economic reforms, such as lowering trade barriers
and privatisation. Thus, foreign aid has been used as a tool by some
institutions and countries to encourage the spread of capitalism.
But, sometimes the government must not lament. Corruption is a cancerous
disease that is threatening the fabrics of national cohesion. Institutions that
play a role of watchdog such as Parliament and the Prevention and Combating of
Corruption Bureau (PCCB) have become toothless.
Embezzlement, misappropriation, theft and misuse of public funds by civil
servants are normal practices in a nation whereby children study under trees,
hospitals lack medical equipment, including drugs and with poor water supply
and dilapidated communication and transport infrastructure.
Only three days ago the Controller and Auditor General (CAG) released
various audited government financial reports for 2013/14 financial year,
highlighting shocking embezzlement, theft and misappropriation of public
funds.
As a nation whose president goes out there seeking aid do we think those
who give us money are happy when they hear their taxpayers’ cash ends
up in pockets of few individuals?
As long as we need foreign aid to supplement our budget we, indeed, need
to combat corruption and uphold transparency and accountability. No more no
less.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
No comments:
Post a Comment