MUCH AID HAS NO EFFECT ON CHANGING SOLOMONS: Dr. WOOD
Dr. Terence Wood. Photo credit: crawford.anu.edu.au
A research fellow from an Australian University says there has been no effect in transforming Solomon Islands into a well-governed state, despite having been given so much aid.
Dr Terence Wood made this statement while discussing what the state of politics in Solomon Islands means for aid in a recent blog he posted.
He says aid is a significant slice of Solomon Islands’ GDP, but while so much aid has been given since 2003, it has been ineffective in transforming the country into a well-governed state.
He added while aid may not have set Solomon Islands on the path to development, it has helped it become a vaguely coherent state.
The research fellow says Solomon Islands will continue to depend on aid and big cuts could easily do economic harm which the country does not need right now.
Dr Wood is a research fellow at the Development Policy Centre in the Australia National University, Canberra.
SIBC News understands, Australia has spared serious aid cuts to Solomon Islands and other Pacific Islands but has significantly reduced its aid to Indonesia and countries in Africa.