20.09.10 10:58

av Bjørn Inge Bergestuen

Foreign aid doesn’t work   

After a nine-day trip in Africa, the Progress Party spokesperson on international development, MP Peter N. Myhre is deeply shocked over how 50 years of Norwegian foreign aid seems to have created little or no development at all. 

 

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- The conditions in Tanzania are still far from satisfactory, despite the fact that the country has received 20 billion Norwegian Kroner the last 50 years. A lot of aid provided by Norway goes straight into the national budgets of the recipient countries, said Myhre. 

He believes that much of the Norwegian funding goes straight back to Europe as bank deposits, and payment for champagne and expensive luxury cars. Myhre thinks that Norway should spend money directly on projects that are known to create growth and prosperity for the recipients. The Progress Party believes that the key to development is the expansion of markets economies, free trade, democracy, and human rights, Myhre points out. 

Rwanda is another country that Myhre has been visiting on his trip.  According to Myhre, Rwanda has already made substantial progress, despite the fact that the country has been through genocide 16 years ago where nearly a million people were killed. – “After the civil war, Rwanda has been able to establish a sound macro economy and important institutions such as the National Bank. Rwanda has also built roads across the country, and it is almost like visiting a European country", says Myhre. 

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-New solutions are necessary. Norway provides assistance, funding and aid to over 100 countries, over half of the countries in the world he says.  That number must be reduced dramatically, maybe down to 10 - 15 countries. Then the development and spending must be closely monitored. Other donor countries can focus on other recipient countries. In that way, we can ensure that the money will bring development and prosperity", Myhre concludes. 



Foreign aid doesn’t work   
After a nine-day trip in Africa, the Progress Party spokesperson on international development, MP Peter N. Myhre is deeply shocked over how 50 years of Norwegian foreign aid seems to have created little or no development at all. 
- The conditions in Tanzania are still far from satisfactory, despite the fact that the country has received 20 billion Norwegian Kroner the last 50 years. A lot of aid provided by Norway goes straight into the national budgets of the recipient countries, said Myhre. 
He believes that much of the Norwegian funding goes straight back to Europe as bank deposits, and payment for champagne and expensive luxury cars. Myhre thinks that Norway should spend money directly on projects that are known to create growth and prosperity for the recipients. The Progress Party believes that the key to development is the expansion of markets economies, free trade, democracy, and human rights, Myhre points out. 
Rwanda is another country that Myhre has been visiting on his trip.  According to Myhre, Rwanda has already made substantial progress, despite the fact that the country has been through genocide 16 years ago where nearly a million people were killed. – “After the civil war, Rwanda has been able to establish a sound macro economy and important institutions such as the National Bank. Rwanda has also built roads across the country, and it is almost like visiting a European country", says Myhre. 
-New solutions are necessary. Norway provides assistance, funding and aid to over 100 countries, over half of the countries in the world he says.  That number must be reduced dramatically, maybe down to 10 - 15 countries. Then the development and spending must be closely monitored. Other donor countries can focus on other recipient countries. In that way, we can ensure that the money will bring development and prosperity", Myhre concludes.