A New British Foreign and International Aid Policy:
All about to Change at DFID
Abdul R Thomas
Editor - The Sierra Leone Telegraph
13 May 2010
Sierra Leone like most developing nations has
enjoyed and benefitted from thirteen years of
stable and predictable international donor Aid
giving environment, largely driven by thirteen
years of Britain’s Labour government
stewardship, based on the ideals of moral
benevolence. But now, all that is about to
change.
Britain has a new coalition government led by
the Conservative Party that has made no secret
of its disdain for the poor and inefficient use
of international Aid by developing countries.
What effect will this change of government have
on the amount of Aid Sierra Leone receives and
the manner in which that Aid is being managed
and accounted for?
Britain’s new Secretary of State for
International Development - Andrew Mitchell has
until now been the Conservative Party’s Shadow
Minister for International Development. Mr.
Mitchell was responsible for formulating the
Conservative Party’s Foreign Aid Policy, which
is underpinned by the belief that although
international Aid is largely a good thing, too
much of it is being wasted through corruption,
poor management and inefficiencies.
Corruption in Sierra Leone’s government
ministries and institutions is a menace that
accounts for 99.9% of poverty suffered by its
people. President Koroma professes to have a
zero tolerance for corruption. There are many in
the international community who are doubtful of
the sincerity of his efforts to eradicate
institutional corruption.
The country’s young, dynamic and professional
Anti-Corruption Czar – Mr. Abdul Tejan Cole, has
just walked out of the job, living a very
fragile skeleton of an Anti-Corruption
Commision, to continue the tortuous and
dangerous task of pursuing outstanding cases of
Corruption that have been charged to Court,
including that of the former Fisheries Minister.
Since President Koroma took
office, three government Ministers and the Chief
of the Revenue Department have been sacked; two
of whom were prosecuted and only one so far has
been convicted and fined. The trial involving
the Fisheries Minister is adjourned, while there
is a deafening silence surrounding the case
involving the National Revenue Authority's
Chief.
Not much is known either,
about the investigation of the country's Social
Security Chief - a relative of the President,
who stands accused of misappropriating funds
meant for the purchasing of new and sea worthy
ferries for the nation's use.
President Koroma is now
being accused of enforcing a policy of selective
justice, as opposed to the much avowed zero
tolerance mantra. Indeed, media reports are
speculating that the resignation of the
Anti-Corruption Czar was due to political
interference, intimidation and Judicial
‘pussyfooting’. There is disquiet in Sierra
Leone, regarding DFID's seeming indifference to
the sudden resignation of the Anti-Corruption
Chief.
It is widely believed that the £50 Million
annual British government contribution towards a
$300 Million multi-lateral financial aid
package, aimed at propping up Sierra Leone’s
ailing economy, infrastructure and public
institutions, was secured and guaranteed based
on the ‘special relationship’ that former
British Prime Minister – Tony Blair has with
President Koroma.
But critics say that this
‘special relationship’ between Blair and Koroma,
smells too much of symbiosis, and as such has
compromised the standards of due diligence,
probity and accountability normally required by
the British Department for Foreign and
International Development (DFID) in managing
British Foreign Aid.
Tony Blair’s Africa Governance Initiative has
been accused by Sierra Leone’s media of not
being able to account for $2 Million donated by
the Bill Gates Foundation to help tackle poverty
in Sierra Leone. The Windrush Group of companies
used by Blair to front his international work
has been targeted for closer scrutiny by members
of the British Houses of Parliament and the
British media.
With a Conservative government now in power,
changes are in sight for Tony Blair and his
philanthropic work in Africa. Gordon Brown has
expressed a wish to pursue similar international
charitable work as Tony Blair. But he is highly
unlikely to adopt Tony Blair’s direct hands-on
approach in micro-managing the affairs of
countries like Sierra Leone and Rwanda. Gordon
Brown will not be seeking ‘special
relationships’ with African Heads of State.
Twenty-Three percent of
British aid to Sierra Leone totalling £15
Million a year is meant to pursue economic
reforms, take appropriate measures in ensuring
that British Aid is more effective in addressing
poverty, private sector development and economic
growth.
But there is plenty of
evidence to suggest that too much Aid is being
wasted, due to the lack of organisational
capacity, lack of suitably trained and
experienced personnel at programme management
levels, corruption and poor governance.
The Conservatives have
always argued whilst in opposition, that ‘more
should be achieved for British tax payers’
money’. It is for this reason that a statement
made recently at the Houses of Parliament by the
Labour government MP - Denis MacShane, accusing
Ministers of the government of Sierra Leone of
pocketing British Tax Payers cash Aid, provided
much fodder to the then opposition Conservative
Shadow Minister for International Development,
who now oversees the work of DFID.
Although DFID argued that
they were not aware of British Aid being
pocketed by Ministers in Sierra Leone, there is
little doubt that the ignorance which prompted
Denis MacShane MP in uttering such damaging
accusations, can be attributed to the poor
communication between DFID, the Audit Office and
the British Parliament.
Denis MacShane MP told the Sierra Leone
Telegraph; “I think there is a major problem and
while I would never make any suggestion about
any DfID official, I am of the view that we now
need a major debate and investigation as to
whether UK Aid to many poorer countries does
help them become less poor; or whether powerful
politicians are able to divert funds to their
own ends.”
Denis MacShane and his
Labour government are no longer in control of
the British public purse, nor are they
responsible for DFID. What is now certain is
that the new Conservative led coalition has a
new Foreign Aid Policy, driven by a politician
that agrees with much of what Denis MacShane
thinks of the management and utilisation of
British Aid in Sierra Leone.
Although the Liberal
Democrats - Conservative Coalition government is
not talking about cutting overseas aid, they are
all too aware of the need to make savings across
all government departments, drive efficiencies,
reduce waste, and get more for less.
The new Conservative
government has to cut structural deficit by over
£6 Billion this year alone. Thus there are
doubts as to whether British foreign aid
spending will rise to 0.7% of GDP by 2013, as
previously forecasted.
Taking a closer look at the
Conservative government’s Foreign and
International Aid Policy, there are serious
implications for the government of Sierra Leone,
Local Service Delivery Providers, and Partners.
Public Procurement Contract processes and
Service Level Agreements will focus strongly on
economy savings, efficiencies and
value-for-money.
The pressure will be to
genuinely award service delivery contracts for
health, education, and social programmes to
bidders with the lowest cost base. NGOs bidding
for DFID funding will have to prove that they
are the cheapest, but without sacrificing
quality of service and outputs.
NGOs and governmental
bodies receiving DFID funding will have to prove
that they are also achieving efficiency savings.
For every One British Pound spent, UK government
will want to see an increasing number of
children in Africa successfully completing their
secondary education - ‘greater outputs for every
One British Pound’ received.
In addition, greater
emphasis will now be placed on the effectiveness
of Programme and Service Delivery, and the
impact on the lives of local people and their
communities. The Prime Minister - David Cameron,
will be hoping to introduce his controversial
proposal, to issue vouchers to poor
communities for spending on services, in an effort
to "empower" them and encourage competition
between aid providers.
Although this new reality
and challenge may appear burdensome for local
partners and local programme delivery agencies,
it should be regarded as an opportunity for
President Koroma’s government to align his
ministerial performance contracts with this new,
more ‘business-like approach’ to service
delivery.
British media reports that;
“With scores of rival international aid agencies
and multilateral bodies, such as the UN's relief
agencies and the World Bank, competing to
receive government money, the Conservatives say
they would introduce an element of
‘performance-based funding’, cutting off funds
from bodies that have failed to prove that they
can spend money effectively and deliver
results.”
A senior Liberal Democrats
politician told the Sierra Leone Telegraph
today, that there will be significant changes in
the management structure and personnel at DFID.
Gareth Thomas has gone, so too will senior
management staff working on the ground in Sierra
Leone. The Conservatives would encourage more
recruitment to the department from the world of
business and finance.
The senior politician also
mentioned that the recommendation of the Audit
Commission into the management of British Aid in
Sierra Leone, which calls for major improvement
in accountability and transparency, will be
given the utmost priority.
When questioned about the
vacuum created by the resignation of the Chief
of Sierra Leone’s Anti-Corruption Commission,
she said that the British government may suspend
some of its funding until a new Head of the
Anti-Corruption Commission is appointed.
She mentioned that she will
be working closely with the new DFID Minister –
Andrew Mitchell to ensure that there is no
political interference and intimidation in the
investigation of government Ministers charged
with corruption.
The US Embassy in Freetown
has expressed its concern following what appears
to be an ‘extempore’ resignation by the
Anti-Corruption Commissioner. The US government
is calling for President Koroma’s government to
ensure that steps are taken to fill the vacuum,
saying that “Mr. Tejan-Cole’s efforts at
combating corruption in the country were truly
exceptional.
The US Embassy press
statement says; “We are confident the Government
of Sierra Leone is committed to selecting a new
Commissioner who demonstrates the same level of
integrity, dedication, and professionalism
exemplified by Mr. Tejan-Cole.”
“The battle against
corruption in Sierra Leone is nothing less than
a battle for stability—economic, democratic, and
political—and the United States Embassy looks
forward to working with the next Anti-Corruption
Commissioner to follow Mr. Tejan-Cole’s example
to fight tirelessly in the face of tremendous
challenges, for the good of the nation.”
The Liberal Democrats
Conservative Coalition marks the beginning of a
new style of politics in Britain, based on
co-operation, partnership, fairness and justice.
The new International Development Minister –
Andrew Mitchell is putting together a new team
at DFID that will be responsible for
implementing the government’s international Aid
Policy.
There is even talk now, in
the all new look Whitehall, of the possibility
of a new British-US joint policy approach to
development in Africa. The US Embassy in
Freetown, recently announced that they will for
the first time have an Economic Development
Officer based in the Embassy to help Sierra
Leone's industrial development.
The special relationship
brokered between Tony Blair and President
Koroma, which has shaped the country’s image
both at home and abroad, will no longer have a
part to play in the delivery and management of
this new British government Foreign Aid Policy
in Sierra Leone.
The fight against
corruption and efforts aimed at supporting the
development of Sierra Leone, are about to take a
new direction for the best.
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