Japan must increase aid budget, efforts for Africa: Experts
Japan should allocate more funds for foreign aid to maintain its diplomatic clout and increase efforts for comprehensive assistance especially in Africa, an expert panel said here in its interim report draft on Japan's aid policy.
By Agencies |
TOKYO: Japan should allocate more funds for foreign aid to maintain its diplomatic clout and increase efforts for comprehensive assistance especially in Africa, an expert panel said here in its interim report draft on Japan's aid policy.
"In Africa, where there is active aid coordination, Japan's presence in terms of personnel and structure is poor when compared to other donor nations," said the draft here on Friday.
"Japan's aid to Africa is a condensed reflection of the problems in our official development assistance programs."
The expert panel, which is aiming to submit the interim report to Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura in January, warned that continued cuts in ODA budgets have made it "difficult for Japan to flex its diplomatic muscle".
"The draft pointed out that while Japan had proudly been the world's largest donor in the early 1990s, Japan's ODA budget fell by 38 per cent between 1997 and 2007, which was double the rate of reduction in the nation's budget for public works.
"We must tackle this issue with a view to our national interests in the long term," the draft said.
International expectations are high for Japan to play a key role in the provision of aid for Africa and assistance for developing nations to tackle climate change as it will host the Tokyo International Conference on African Development next May and the Group of Eight nations' summit in July.
In contrast to the United States and European Union member nations, which have expanded their ODA budgets since the Sep 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Japan has been trimming its aid budget due to tight state finances.
"In Africa, where there is active aid coordination, Japan's presence in terms of personnel and structure is poor when compared to other donor nations," said the draft here on Friday.
"Japan's aid to Africa is a condensed reflection of the problems in our official development assistance programs."
The expert panel, which is aiming to submit the interim report to Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura in January, warned that continued cuts in ODA budgets have made it "difficult for Japan to flex its diplomatic muscle".
"The draft pointed out that while Japan had proudly been the world's largest donor in the early 1990s, Japan's ODA budget fell by 38 per cent between 1997 and 2007, which was double the rate of reduction in the nation's budget for public works.
"We must tackle this issue with a view to our national interests in the long term," the draft said.
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International expectations are high for Japan to play a key role in the provision of aid for Africa and assistance for developing nations to tackle climate change as it will host the Tokyo International Conference on African Development next May and the Group of Eight nations' summit in July.
In contrast to the United States and European Union member nations, which have expanded their ODA budgets since the Sep 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Japan has been trimming its aid budget due to tight state finances.
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