"We don't know where
our £5bn foreign aid goes: Huge sum is paid out with almost no checks on how it
is spent"
- Ministers urged to do more to safeguard billions a year given to agencies
- Officials make only two visits to inspect countries where UK does not have its own aid programme
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2377087/We-dont-know-5bn-foreign-aid-goes-Huge-sum-paid-checks-spent.html
D.M.
article based on this info:-
Multilateral Aid Review - International Development Committee Contents
Isn’t it
terrible?
A
shocking headline, a worrying situation but, now that this disturbing
information has been identified and is being addressed, the situation should
improve in the future. The civil
servants concerned will get their knuckles rapped and have to pull their socks
up. Surely this is actually good news,
isn’t it? A possible wastage of
tax-payers’ money has been identified, MPs and civil servants will now be on
the case and, hopefully, this area of funding will become more accountable,
efficient and economical in the future.
How often
these days though, are criticisms of mistakes, incompetence or neglect of duty,
within Gov. Depts. or local authorities, used as an excuse to close down the
Gov. Department concerned? Followed by an announcement that this task is now
going to be placed in the hands of a trusty third sector set-up for the sake of
efficiency and/or to save money!
I wonder if a third sector NGO is being moulded by Common Purpose or
something like it, to take over the DoFI’s
work, and the responsibility for this huge sum?
No, this situation, like all the others in the past such as the
education, the MoD or NHS, is presented to the public as bad, the civil
servants concerned, as hopeless and incompetent, all laced with hints at how
“change” may be needed!
When will
we realise that it is much more difficult, if not impossible, to keep tabs on
massive sums of money, or to moderate them, once the public sector is booted
out and a third sector organisation takes over its responsibilities?
How much harder will it be to track down this cash once the DoFI gets
the quangoes? Will it possible at
all? I doubt it!
Criticise
the public sector if you must, but please be aware that the public sector is,
at least, accountable under the Freedom of Info. Act 2000 (only been law since
Jan. 2005) whereas the trendy solution, and popular alternative, of giving
third sector NGOs huge responsibility like this is to put in charge a bunch of
people who will NOT accountable under this Act!
By the way, to whom are third sector organisations, charities, community
projects, etc. accountable, and how?
Any ideas? Seriously, how is the 3rd sector monitored, where is
the public's right to know?