Restoring Sweden's lead role as aid country

In Dagens Nyheter's issue of April 3, 2010 two former heads of the Swedish Development Aid Agency (SIDA)criticised Aid Minister Gunilla Carlsson's direction vis-a-vis the country's development aid policy as being nonchalant and lacking in genuine commitment.

Former SIDA heads Go Göransson and Carl Tham of the Social Democratic government stated that " it requires more - not less -of international responsibility-taking, cooperation and solidarity" and that Sweden must retake it leading position in international discussions on development aid. Accordingly, Carlsson along with the Moderate party secretary suggested a cutdown of development aid to 0.7 percent of the GNP.

Carlsson is promoting an "epoch-making reforms" - meaning, going from "passive payment policy" to "active developmental aid policy". She also wants results and auditing with reference to previous policies which she says were without requirements. Göransson and Tham stated that Swedish aid was never without requirements and auditing. But measuring results posed a greater challenge especially if several donors are involved in the same project, not to mention the contributions by the receiving countries themselves.

The basic problem accordingly, lies in the societies that need the most help and it is in this area where Carlsson ought to begin her analysis and discussion. She presumably considers development aid as a political area where the main issue is not what underdeveloped countries need and what form of aid is appropriate but rather what the Moderates can win approval for at home with Swedish voters. Development aid money is being cut down without deeper analyses and discussion with aid donors. In Ms. Carlsson's counting, the recipients should come down from 70 to 33 countries.

Göransson and Tham also stated that SIDA today has around 200 regular employees as a result of its cutdown and that Carlsson was critical of this, discounting the fact that there are around 250 well-qualified local employees who deliver a better performance and expertise in the field.

The issue on Swedish development aid policy needs greater discussion especially in defining what "developmental aid policy" means in actuality, with reference to the impact of the economic and financial crises that affected many poor countries, as well as the current environmental problems that plague both poor and rich nations. The discussion, according to the writers should be based on facts and experiences and not on ideological solutions and media bluffs.#