Maravi

Evaluations key for accountability - DFID

COMMENT - Well Kelvin, here is what works - collecting $1.3 billion in taxes from the mining industry, through the Windfall Tax. And reinvesting it in things people can see and use - like infrastructure, agriculture, manufacturing. Including irrigation to prevent flooding and stabilize agricultural production year to year.

Evaluations key for accountability - DFID
By Kabanda Chulu
Mon 30 Jan. 2012, 13:00 CAT

THE turbulent economic situation prevailing in donor countries has intensified the need to justify that aid resources are improving the lives of poor people, says DFID representative Kelvin Quinlan.

During the evaluation meeting of the poverty reduction budget support synthesis report in Lusaka on Friday, Quinlan said Zambia had recorded a decade of economic growth with average income ranging from US$300 in 2000 to US$1,070 in 2010.

"Despite this fantastic achievement, Zambia is ranked 164 out of 187 countries on the 2011 UN human development index and 60 per cent of Zambians are still living in poverty," he noted.

"As donors we collectively provide poverty reduction budget support but to end poverty, we need to know what works and what doesn't. So we need to learn lessons around our works and evaluations are so important for accountability to demonstrate what was achieved with money invested because there will be more scrutiny given the economic situation in donor countries."

And Secretary to the Treasury Fredson Yamba said the objective of the evaluation was to try and provide empirical evidence that budget support does realise its objectives in terms of development results, including governance, institutional strengthening, economic development, poverty reduction and improved service delivery.

"The report portrays a good picture for Zambia by concluding that budget support in Zambia has helped to realise a number of objectives," said Yamba.

Labels: DEVELOPMENT, DFID

posted by MrK @ 4:49 PM