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Wasted aid
Dawn Editorial
Sunday, 31 Jan, 2010
And we wonder why our friends abroad are so hesitant to help Pakistan in its time of need. USAIDs inspector general recently posted audits of two Washington-funded programmes collectively worth $145m that apparently yielded little or no results. One sought to improve governance in Fata while the other was aimed at reforms in the education sector.
In both cases, the auditor found that the money was funnelled into an administrative void where the programmes existence on paper was more important than its implementation. Computers purchased remain boxed to this day and laptops have gone missing. The Obama administrations shift in strategy, which envisages a more prominent role for NGOs rather than government organisations in the disbursement of aid, has only added to the confusion. Instead of fast-tracked implementation, what we have seen is statis. Hundreds of thousands of administrative dollars have gone into pondering over which NGOs and charities should be chosen, often without any tangible result. Lets meet again in Islamabad or Karachi, flying in delegates and putting them up in five-star hotels, to talk some more. Surely well find a way to spend this money before July 30 is the refrain.
It is understandable that the US and other foreign donors want to bypass a government accused of corruption and inefficiency. Pakistans bureaucracy is a quagmire where even the most mundane of tasks are either lost in a log-jam that has been decades in the making or are ignored until palms are greased in keeping with the stature of the beneficiary. But heres the rub. A few reputable organisations aside, Pakistans NGOs have perfected the art of racketeering. A new grant usually means more four-wheel drives for the head honchos whose output is largely limited to paper to raising awareness as opposed to working in the field. Funds received have to be spent within a given framework, even if the final product is redundant. Hundreds of thousands of rupees are paid to inept consultants.
Given this mess in both the public and private sectors, what is the way forward for foreign donors? One, demanding transparency in all interactions with the Pakistani government. Every dollar must be accounted for possibly in bi-annual audits and work on the ground must take precedence over publications or administrative costs. Two, being selective in the choice of NGOs, giving particular emphasis to their ethical mores and capacity to deliver. Its not impossible.
Dawn Editorial
Sunday, 31 Jan, 2010
And we wonder why our friends abroad are so hesitant to help Pakistan in its time of need. USAIDs inspector general recently posted audits of two Washington-funded programmes collectively worth $145m that apparently yielded little or no results. One sought to improve governance in Fata while the other was aimed at reforms in the education sector.
In both cases, the auditor found that the money was funnelled into an administrative void where the programmes existence on paper was more important than its implementation. Computers purchased remain boxed to this day and laptops have gone missing. The Obama administrations shift in strategy, which envisages a more prominent role for NGOs rather than government organisations in the disbursement of aid, has only added to the confusion. Instead of fast-tracked implementation, what we have seen is statis. Hundreds of thousands of administrative dollars have gone into pondering over which NGOs and charities should be chosen, often without any tangible result. Lets meet again in Islamabad or Karachi, flying in delegates and putting them up in five-star hotels, to talk some more. Surely well find a way to spend this money before July 30 is the refrain.
It is understandable that the US and other foreign donors want to bypass a government accused of corruption and inefficiency. Pakistans bureaucracy is a quagmire where even the most mundane of tasks are either lost in a log-jam that has been decades in the making or are ignored until palms are greased in keeping with the stature of the beneficiary. But heres the rub. A few reputable organisations aside, Pakistans NGOs have perfected the art of racketeering. A new grant usually means more four-wheel drives for the head honchos whose output is largely limited to paper to raising awareness as opposed to working in the field. Funds received have to be spent within a given framework, even if the final product is redundant. Hundreds of thousands of rupees are paid to inept consultants.
Given this mess in both the public and private sectors, what is the way forward for foreign donors? One, demanding transparency in all interactions with the Pakistani government. Every dollar must be accounted for possibly in bi-annual audits and work on the ground must take precedence over publications or administrative costs. Two, being selective in the choice of NGOs, giving particular emphasis to their ethical mores and capacity to deliver. Its not impossible.
