No Aid Cut, Says Ireland
Jul 24, 2003
THE Irish government has clarified that it has not cut aid to Uganda as reported by the media.
By Felix Osike
THE Irish government has clarified that it has not cut aid to Uganda as reported by the media.
The report, which appeared in the Irish Times, said the Irish state minister for overseas cooperation, Tom Kitt, took the decision to end the 10m euro annual funding after a fact-finding visit to Uganda last month.
The charge d’affaires at the Irish Embassy, Mairtin O’Fainin, said the funding had been switched from budget support to poverty eradication following a decision by the Uganda government to increase the defence expenditure beyond the agreed 2% of its GDP.
“There has not been any aid cut and there was no decision taken to cut support. What was done was to redirect our annual aid of Euro 12.7m from budget support to Poverty Action Fund (PAF).â€
He said the decision was taken in 2002 and became effective this month.
“We were unhappy with the increase in defence expenditure and we felt that by putting money in PAF we would get more protection,†said O’Fainin.
Kitt was quoted as saying he stood over, “every penny,†of Irish money spent in Uganda, but had decided to “strengthen existing safeguards†on spending.
The spending of Irish taxpayer’s money, particularly on government projects, has been a subject of criticism from some quarters, particularly by John O’Shea, the Irish Aid Agency (GOAL) boss.
Ends
THE Irish government has clarified that it has not cut aid to Uganda as reported by the media.
The report, which appeared in the Irish Times, said the Irish state minister for overseas cooperation, Tom Kitt, took the decision to end the 10m euro annual funding after a fact-finding visit to Uganda last month.
The charge d’affaires at the Irish Embassy, Mairtin O’Fainin, said the funding had been switched from budget support to poverty eradication following a decision by the Uganda government to increase the defence expenditure beyond the agreed 2% of its GDP.
“There has not been any aid cut and there was no decision taken to cut support. What was done was to redirect our annual aid of Euro 12.7m from budget support to Poverty Action Fund (PAF).â€
He said the decision was taken in 2002 and became effective this month.
“We were unhappy with the increase in defence expenditure and we felt that by putting money in PAF we would get more protection,†said O’Fainin.
Kitt was quoted as saying he stood over, “every penny,†of Irish money spent in Uganda, but had decided to “strengthen existing safeguards†on spending.
The spending of Irish taxpayer’s money, particularly on government projects, has been a subject of criticism from some quarters, particularly by John O’Shea, the Irish Aid Agency (GOAL) boss.
Ends