Foreign aid must benefit all

I REALISED that our international development partners are important to the national government’s development aspirations and agenda.
Much of what can be physically achieved in mega-infrastructure projects is a result of development partners’ contributions in significant portions.
To name a few, the European Union, Australian Aid, NZ Aid, USAid, Jica (Japanese Aid), Chinese Aid, and others.
Our appreciation goes out to all the partners in helping to shape the socio-economic landscape of Papua New Guinea since independence.
You (development partners) and your government and its people have contributed in many ways to our development agendas and we are very grateful indeed.
As an ordinary citizen and user of the services you assist to provide, I would like to point out a weakness of development partners.
When you offer help, it must be in the form of the tangible project to benefit the people.
It must never be cash grants because that is mostly likely to be misused and diverted to unintended use.
Furthermore, identify your own contractors to deliver, especially infrastructure projects to last at least next 30 – 60 years.
A case in point is the Chinese Road and Belt Initiative well spread right across the world in which real physical projects are delivered in the host countries using their resources, manpower and logistics.
This is good for the country because we need school buildings, health facilities, roads and bridges, electricity and telecommunication infrastructures.
Other minor development agendas the national government and its agencies can implement and achieve at our own cost and time.
The major infrastructure developments should be delivered by our development partners independently.

Ordinary citizen