Malta inflating aid figures - AidWatch report

Malta is inflating its figures on aid to developing countries by including repatriation expenses, the running of refugee centres, and student costs, Maltese non-governmental organisations have told Concord, the European Confederation of Development NGOs.

In its 2009 AidWatch report, Concord reported that Maltese aid was characterised by insignificant progress ever since it joined the EU and committed to the aid targets.

However, it said NGOs had welcomed a Maltese government promise of an Overseas Development Aid budget increase of 43 percent this year but remained concerned about the government’s reporting practices.

“The Maltese government does not provide a breakdown of ODA figures, making public analysis and scrutiny of aid extremely difficult,” the report said.

It said:

“Maltese aid is deeply politicised. The focus countries for Maltese aid are Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Palestine. Apart from the latter, all these countries constitute the origins of a large number of immigrants arriving in Malta.

“The government also counts as ODA, money spent in detention centres for immigrants, where standards do not even meet the minimum requirements necessary for meeting international human rights agreements.

“In addition, Maltese NGOs are concerned about the government’s practice of counting as ODA, money allocated for voluntary repatriation.

“It is notable that since the Government does not currently provide a clear breakdown of figures, they cannot confirm or deny whether money is spent on this,” the Maltese NGOs told Concord.

They called on the government to:

• Improve transparency by providing a clear breakdown of ODA figures.

• Abandon the idea of introducing conditions linking aid disbursements to migrants’ repatriation.

• Stop counting as ODA, money spent in detention centres.

• Support the role of CSOs, especially in the South, by expanding consultation processes and increasing financial support.

• Develop clear criteria and processes with regards to project selection, expenditure and evaluation.

• Devise a development strategy with poverty reduction goals as the main criterion for the allocation of aid and a specific focus on gender-related issues; and

• Continue building up development structures and capacity in order to improve efficiency and transparency.

Concord represents 1,600 European NGOs across Europe, including Skop, the National Platform of Maltese non-governmental development organisations’s working in international development and humanitarian aid.