Foreign aid down in FY '08
S M Jahangir | Saturday, 26 July 2008
The country received US$ 1127 million worth of foreign aid in fiscal 2007-08, which is nearly 31 per cent less than the amount in the previous year, official sources said.
According to the Economic Relations Division (ERD) figures, the country received $ 1630.58 million as assistance in 2006-07. It was $1567.64 million in FY 2005-06.
Official sources said the volume of financial supports from the major donor agencies declined in the last fiscal pushing the country's overall external support significantly down.
Besides, non-availability of aid from some donor countries was also responsible for the decline in the country's total external assistance in the last fiscal.
Citing the official figures, the ERD sources said some countries like Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Norway, France and Islamic Development Bank (IDB) did not offer any aid to Bangladesh in the last fiscal.
An ERD source also said: "Such a significant fall in the country's total availability of foreign aid was due mainly to lower than the expected flow of assistance in last fiscal."
The amount of assistance received by Bangladesh from the International Development Association (IDA) of the World Bank, declined to $ 407.17 million in the last fiscal from $ 680.10 million in 2006-07, said the sources.
The availability of aid from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) also fell to $ 320.62 million in 2007-08 from the previous year's $ 342.46 million while that of Japan also slightly came down to $ 30.27 million from $ 31.62 million, they mentioned.
Among other important donors, the volume of aid from the USA significantly fell to $ 7.53 million from the previous year's amount of $ 76.15 million while that of Canada also went down to $ 7.57 million from $ 17.7 million.
On the other hand, Bangladesh's total availability of aid from the United Nations (UN) agencies marked a significant fall to $ 19.44 million in the last fiscal compared to $ 76.15 million in the 2006-07. Only UNICEF did not give any aid in the year.
On the contrary, the volume of assistance received in the last fiscal from Denmark rose significantly to $ 116.11 million from $ 50 million in 2006-07, official figures showed.
However, Australia provided Bangladesh a $13.90 million worth of assistance in the last fiscal while it did not offer any in the previous fiscal, the ERD sources added.
According to the Economic Relations Division (ERD) figures, the country received $ 1630.58 million as assistance in 2006-07. It was $1567.64 million in FY 2005-06.
Official sources said the volume of financial supports from the major donor agencies declined in the last fiscal pushing the country's overall external support significantly down.
Besides, non-availability of aid from some donor countries was also responsible for the decline in the country's total external assistance in the last fiscal.
Citing the official figures, the ERD sources said some countries like Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Norway, France and Islamic Development Bank (IDB) did not offer any aid to Bangladesh in the last fiscal.
An ERD source also said: "Such a significant fall in the country's total availability of foreign aid was due mainly to lower than the expected flow of assistance in last fiscal."
The amount of assistance received by Bangladesh from the International Development Association (IDA) of the World Bank, declined to $ 407.17 million in the last fiscal from $ 680.10 million in 2006-07, said the sources.
The availability of aid from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) also fell to $ 320.62 million in 2007-08 from the previous year's $ 342.46 million while that of Japan also slightly came down to $ 30.27 million from $ 31.62 million, they mentioned.
Among other important donors, the volume of aid from the USA significantly fell to $ 7.53 million from the previous year's amount of $ 76.15 million while that of Canada also went down to $ 7.57 million from $ 17.7 million.
On the other hand, Bangladesh's total availability of aid from the United Nations (UN) agencies marked a significant fall to $ 19.44 million in the last fiscal compared to $ 76.15 million in the 2006-07. Only UNICEF did not give any aid in the year.
On the contrary, the volume of assistance received in the last fiscal from Denmark rose significantly to $ 116.11 million from $ 50 million in 2006-07, official figures showed.
However, Australia provided Bangladesh a $13.90 million worth of assistance in the last fiscal while it did not offer any in the previous fiscal, the ERD sources added.