donors are not walking away

A lot has been written and said in the media recently about the role of development partners. There is talk about hidden agendas and hypocrisy. We are told we are looking through our fingers with filth. We are said to be running away. Development aid constitutes close to 40 per cent of the government’s budget in Malawi this financial year, and partners are heavily involved in key areas such as agriculture, health, education and infrastructure. No wonder there is debate. It should be welcomed.
The Norwegian cooperation with Malawi is an expression of our government’s policies for international development. But it is much more than that. These policies are founded on common values, international conventions and agreed goals, such as the Declaration of Human Rights and the Millennium Development Goals. Both Norway and Malawi have signed up to such instruments and goals. We have rights and obligations, and we are all accountable for adhering to these instruments.
All international agreements come with terms and conditions. Norway is not a member of the European Union (EU), but we have a comprehensive agreement with the Union. It gives Norway access to the EU market, but it also obliges us to abide by most of the rules and obligations of the Union. We do not regard ourselves as less independent for that reason. It means we are part of a regional and global development, hopefully towards a more peaceful and just world. In Africa we see a similar development through the Africa Union.
As with all international engagement, we also have our own reasons for engaging in low-income countries. It is in our own interest that African economies grow and that young people in Africa have a future in their own countries. The horror stories of young Africans drowning in the Mediterranean or in the storerooms of airplanes are easy reminders. It is in our interest that diseases are fought in all parts of the world, and it is in our interest that emissions of CO2 are contained. These are common interests between Europe and Africa, they form part of what is called global common goods.
Our obligations to our own citizens and tax-payers also represent common interests. It is in the interest of Malawians as well as Norwegians that we have to account for our spending and report on the results.
Before the elections in 2004 the ruling party prevented others from having meetings and sent its youth to invade newspaper offices, while there was constant overspending in the Office of the President. It was difficult to support the government’s budget in such a situation. As it was in 2011, when the economic policies were self-defeating. In the present situation, different though it may be, the looting of government coffers prevents us from giving budget support.
But it does not mean we take our money and run away, as various cartoons have vividly described. During the most turbulent times under the previous president, we maintained our support, although we used other channels and means to reach Malawians. When the new government came in last year we strongly supported its economic reforms. The reforms were necessary, even if they were harsh on so many Malawians. The results of those economic measures are easy to see today, and the signs of recovery are clear. Just ask the tourism industry. That tax income exceeds planned figures is also a good indication.
The crisis in 2013 is very different from those of the third term issue in 2002/2003 and the tragic events in 2011. Political and civic rights are not at stake, and the economic policies are still sound. But confidence in the government’s budget system and financial management is lost. In this situation there is reason to commend the leadership for its commitment to investigate and get to the bottom of these issues, not least in inviting a considerable number of international auditors and investigators. I trust the momentum thus created will be upheld. Anything else could prove to be disastrous.
Norway practices zero tolerance on corruption. But neither we nor others can relate to mere rumours. When we have evidence or strong suspicion of malpractice, we take action. As soon as the news broke that the government coffers had been looted, our budget support was frozen. This is, as my British colleagues have said, not a punishment. But we need to be sure that our funding is well spent, exactly as with any government expenditure in our own countries.
Norway has in 2013 increased our support for agriculture, food security, and governance considerably. Through Unicef we help provide drugs for hospitals and clinics. We assist the World Food Programme in reaching nearly two million people with food aid. We continue our support to programmes for democracy consolidation, on violence against women and children, and in agriculture and health. We have introduced more control measures. But neither we nor other donors are abandoning Malawi and Malawians.