Where's the Aid Money?

A large part of the Swedish National Audit's devastating report on irregularities concerning development aid money in certain African countries is being challenged by a new report issued recently by SIDA (Swedish International Development Authority). But the National Audit Authority is not changing its view.

In autumn last year, the Swedish National Audit conducted an investigation of 15 SIDA-financed projects and none was found faultless. Ten were found with serious accounting irregularities; five were fraudulent and two had serious indications of irregularities and errors.

It was discovered in the autumn audit that some aid money disappeared without a trace. The audit investigation was made on SIDA-financed projects in South Africa, Namibia, Kenya and Tanzania - with a total budget of SEK36 million. The money was not properly accounted for in the books, accounting procedure was wrong and certain projects were non-existent, to name a few shortcomings.

SIDA, stung by the criticism conducted its own investigation. " Of the National Audit's 30 suspected irregularities 12 were confirmed", says Sture Eriksson, auditor at Allegretto which did the audit for SIDA. He claims that they have investigated deeper into the supposedly 30 suspected projects, which is why they disclaim errors in about half of them. But the new SIDA audit also found irregularities in the accounting.

Regardless of what the SIDA audit found as mitigating circumstances in the use of aid money, the National Audit stands on its own report. A SIDA-supported NGO, Forum Syd is one one of those whose project was criticized. (Translation made from DN report, 20 March 2008)

Swedish Forces in Afghanistan to get reinforcement

Both the Swedish government and the Ministry of Defence have agreed to increase the military reinforcement in Afghanistan, reported Dagens Nyheter recently. It will consist of an additional 130 to 150 men from today's 300.

Swedish Defense Minister Sten Tolgfors says however that the government has not taken any definite decisions as to the size of reinforcement. He says that, his ambition is to increase the Swedish military presence and he prioritises the sending of three helicopter ambulances to improve the medical chain and insure the safety of the ground troops.

The mandate for the current Swedish troops in Afghanistan runs out in December and it will be up to the government and the parliament to decide on any prolongations. Earlier, there was a controversy on pulling out the troops after six months due to costs and the rainy season.

It is not clear as of today what specific duty the additional soldiers will have. It could mean reinforcement in the Provincial Reconstruction Team, PRT, in Mazar-i-Sharif in north Afghanistan which is headed by Sweden. Tolgfors however assured that no Swedish soldiers will go to the southern part where the security situation is bad. It does not mean however that the same problem does not exist in the north, he adds.

As to where JAS fighter planes will be offered to the forces in Afghanistan remains a question. Tolgfors says that this is a matter for NATO which leads the Isaf-forces in Afghanistan. He reiterates that his priority are ambulance helicopter planes. "There are other EU countries that can supply the fighting planes," he says.

Olofsson's Energy Tale: An Awkward Misunderstanding

Dagens Nyheter's columnist Peter Wolodarski writes about Industry Minister and Deputy Swedish Prime Minister Maud Olofsson's Saturday visit to Washington, to deliver a speech at an international energy conference, on invitation of USA's Foreign Minister Condoleeza Rice. Olofsson's talk is about " A Land's Successful Story - Political Decision for the Promotion of Renewable Energy".

The information that has been made public does not say whether the United States will import the Center Party's energy policy because if they do, it would be good to get some facts straight, writes Wolodarski.

Sweden belongs to a group of countries in the world that emits the least amount of carbon dioxide and this is due to a unique energy mix composed of water, wind and nuclear power plus some other minor sources of heat. Sweden's climate account shows contribution from water and nuclear power. Without these energy sources, Maud Olofsson would have no story to tell Washington, the DN columnist writes.

"It is ironic that Maud Olofsson should teach the world about " the Swedish success story" when decades ago, her Center Party advocated the dismantling of the nuclear power stations. And if that should have happened, Sweden would have depended upon fossil fuel, like Poland, Denmark and Germany. Carbon dioxide emission would have been much higher than it is today".

It is environmentally-huge, economically and morally indefensible that leading Swedish politicians still talk about the dismantling of the nuclear power plants, as did Social Democratic Party leader Mona Sahlim in a recent TV interview. Sahlin appears not to care about the consequences for climate or for the Swedish base industries, which cannot service without cheap source of fuel.

The day Maud Olofsson and Mona Sahlin would seriously implement their energy policy, would be the day they could go to Washington and discuss it. Until then, such trips constitute an embarrassing misunderstanding, says Wolodarski.
( Translation made by Sheilah Ocampo Kälfors from Wolodarski's column, DN March 1, 2008)