Civil society to hold own forum on ODA projects
03/19/2008 | 06:22 PM
MANILA, Philippines - Various civil society organizations are set to conduct a separate discussion alongside government-initiated forum on projects funded by Official Development Assistance (ODA).
Government economic managers will hold the Philippines Development Forum (PDF) next week to discuss the country’s development agenda.
Civil society’s “People’s Development Forum" was organized amid scandals clouding foreign-assisted projects like the infamous national broadband network (NBN).
“There is the urgency for the People’s Development Forum because of the crisis in ODA projects, whhich was brought to light by the NBN-ZTE scandal," said Rene Nachura, co-convener of ODA Watch.
“We firmly believed that ODA projects that are tainted with corruption and are not likely to benefit the people should not be paid by the government," he said.
He said, the “Citizen’s Report on ODA in the Philippines" will sound a pressing call for reform in the foreign aid system in the country.
According to him, the uncovering of “unconscionable anomalies" connected with ODA-funded projects like the foiled NBN-ZTE deal raised general public outrage and created confusion within the government.
He said that government officials and representatives of donor-agencies attending the PDF must address “squarely and candidly" the issues and questions arising from scandals in some ODA projects, including misuse funds.
“The PDF will be less than honest and credible if it skirts these questions buzzing in the public mind," he noted.
Nachura said that the PDF must address the following issues: Efficiency and transparency of government procurement and public financial management systems; compliance with and short-circuiting by the Executive of government rules and regulations; abandonment by the National Economic Development Authority of its role to carefully analyze, evaluate, and oversee ODA-funded projects; effective oversight on transactions and program implementation and measures to prevent corruption and prosecute those who break the rules.
Civil society organizations have reiterated their call to address what they consider as “ODA’s long-standing (structural) inadequacies and failings."
They said the inadequacies negate ODA’s avowed purpose and effectiveness, which was to help government’s social development projects to wipe out poverty in fulfillment of the Philippine commitment to the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals.
The civil society’s parallel forum will be held at that the UP Bahay ng Alumni on March 25, a day ahead of the two-day PDF set on March 26 to 27 at Clark, Pampanga. - GMANews.TV
Government economic managers will hold the Philippines Development Forum (PDF) next week to discuss the country’s development agenda.
Civil society’s “People’s Development Forum" was organized amid scandals clouding foreign-assisted projects like the infamous national broadband network (NBN).
“There is the urgency for the People’s Development Forum because of the crisis in ODA projects, whhich was brought to light by the NBN-ZTE scandal," said Rene Nachura, co-convener of ODA Watch.
“We firmly believed that ODA projects that are tainted with corruption and are not likely to benefit the people should not be paid by the government," he said.
He said, the “Citizen’s Report on ODA in the Philippines" will sound a pressing call for reform in the foreign aid system in the country.
According to him, the uncovering of “unconscionable anomalies" connected with ODA-funded projects like the foiled NBN-ZTE deal raised general public outrage and created confusion within the government.
He said that government officials and representatives of donor-agencies attending the PDF must address “squarely and candidly" the issues and questions arising from scandals in some ODA projects, including misuse funds.
“The PDF will be less than honest and credible if it skirts these questions buzzing in the public mind," he noted.
Nachura said that the PDF must address the following issues: Efficiency and transparency of government procurement and public financial management systems; compliance with and short-circuiting by the Executive of government rules and regulations; abandonment by the National Economic Development Authority of its role to carefully analyze, evaluate, and oversee ODA-funded projects; effective oversight on transactions and program implementation and measures to prevent corruption and prosecute those who break the rules.
Civil society organizations have reiterated their call to address what they consider as “ODA’s long-standing (structural) inadequacies and failings."
They said the inadequacies negate ODA’s avowed purpose and effectiveness, which was to help government’s social development projects to wipe out poverty in fulfillment of the Philippine commitment to the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals.
The civil society’s parallel forum will be held at that the UP Bahay ng Alumni on March 25, a day ahead of the two-day PDF set on March 26 to 27 at Clark, Pampanga. - GMANews.TV
