Poor performance on aid in Budget

A pathetic and poor effort on overseas aid, is how Council for International Development Executive Director Rae Julian describes the 2006 Cullen Budget.

Ms Julian says this Budget has done nothing to move New Zealand towards achieving internationally-agreed aid targets.

“It’s shameful that, along with Japan, we’re now one of just two OECD countries not to have set a timetable for achieving interim targets to meet the internationally-agreed 0.7 percent of gross national income in aid by 2015,” she said.

The latest Cullen Budget has reiterated last year’s announcement that New Zealand aid levels would remain at 0.27 percent this year, rising to 0.28 percent next year.

“We remain near the bottom of the OECD in the amount we contribute to aid compared to national income and well under the OECD average of 0.42 percent.”

“I would have thought the government would have looked across the Tasman to see that even Australia, which has also been criticized for its poor record on aid spending in the past, has just announced a major increase in overseas aid funding.”

“This means that Australia will be spending 0.38 percent of its gross national income on aid by 2010, while New Zealand has set no target for any significant aid increase.”

ENDS

© Scoop Media