Effective Aid

Bosco Hitimana (East African Business Week)—Although Africa receives inadequate aid, the recipients want it used effectively without donor pressure on how to spend it. This call was made last week in Kigali during a consultative workshop in preparation for the Accra, Ghana High Level Forum on aid effectiveness, to be held from September 2-4.

The two day workshop held in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda was jointly sponsored by the governments of Rwanda and Ghana, the World Bank and the African Development Bank.

Opening the workshop, Rwanda’s Finance minister, Mr. James Musoni said it was necessary to streamline aid effectiveness in Africa. He said donors should commit themselves to give aid according to national priorities.

In 2005 ministers from developed and undeveloped countries signed the Paris Declaration on aid effectiveness, however, the research conducted in 2006 to check on its implementation, showed clearly that important efforts are still needed to achieve the commitments agreed in the Declaration.

It is in that regard that African countries seek to have one negotiating position to firmly abide with during the upcoming Ghana aid effectiveness summit. The poor countries seek to pressurize the rich countries to deliver on their commitments in aid effectiveness and quality.

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