Donors’ accountability stressed
May 10, 2010
Mutual accountability of the government and donors was the bone of contention at a discussion on Sunday.
Speakers deliberated upon this aspect of the Joint Cooperation Strategy (JCS), which was agreed upon at a policy-making two-day meeting between the government and development partners in February this year.
The Bangladesh Development Forum had decided that this cooperation strategy would coordinate development initiatives.
Sunday’s session, chaired by finance minister A M A Muhith, was meant to gather feedback of the draft framework from representatives of the civil society including economists, NGO leaders and former bureaucrats.
But the discussion revolved around the ins and outs of mutual accountability.
Issues like unemployment, underemployment and education had been overlooked in the draft JCS, according to Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad, head of the Palli Karma Shahayak Fund, also on several high-powered committees on education policy and climate change.
He said that the agencies publish growth projections now and then, often contradicting the government’s forecasts, whereas the JCS aims to harmonise these things.
“I don’t believe this is desirable from the development partners.”
The JCS draft says much on improving “mutual accountability” to overcome the challenges of aid effectiveness.
However, the draft did not indicate how this would be measured, former caretaker government advisor A B Mirza Azizul Islam pointed out.
“I don’t see any quantifiable or measurable indicators to evaluate the performance of the JCS,” he added.
Several other discussants echoed the former advisor.
On the issue of aid conditionality, Islam said that the development partners imposed certain conditions that were irrelevant.
Turning upon the government’s problems, he said: “The government should prepare project portfolios so that the development partners can pick specific ones for financing.”
Mustafizur Rahman, executive director of a Dhaka-based research organisation Centre for Policy Dialogue, raised the developed nations’ commitment of giving 0.7 percent of their national income in aid to poor countries.
“What has happened to the accountability of that commitment?”
Senior Awami League leader Suranjit Sengupta stressed parliament discussions on the JCS draft.
“After all, the framework is meant for people’s welfare and the parliament represents those people,” said the chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on law, justice and parliamentary affairs ministry.
The prime minister’s economic advisor Mashiur Rahman suggested formation of a body, comprising representatives from the government and development partners, which would ensure mutual accountability by monitoring outcome and efficiency of the projects.
The finance minister, wrapping up the session, said that the draft had missed out vital areas of migration, land utilisation plan and Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
“There should be a land use plan which is very important for the country’s planned growth,” he said.
Terming ICT a “very useful tool for development” Muhith said, “It also helps to ensure transparency and prevent corruption.”
Source: bdnews24.com
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