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The waste of development aid continues

Book review written by Gro Skaaren-Fystro
The fact that presidents in poor countries buy exclusive private aircraft has become the very symbol of waste of aid money and loans. Now it has happened again – in Zambia.

"Raising a loan of 400 million to buy a private plane is completely out of the question, especially in a country like [Zambia]," Development Minister Nikolai Astrup told Aftenposten on 14 October. We can all agree on that. This latest aircraft purchase joins the ranks of such examples from countries where people are starving. 400 million is four times as much as the Norwegian aid to Zambia in 2017. That is a lot of money. . .

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Gro Skaaren-Fystro
Skaaren-Fystro is a special advisor in Transparency International Norway.

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