Looking a Gift Horse in the Mouth: Analysing Donors’ Aid Statistics

Abstract

Claiming that its definition of Official Development Assistance (ODA) has remained unchanged, the OECD concedes changes in interpretation broadening the concept’s scope. Discontinuities, inconsistencies in recording, items openly doubted to be ODA by the OECD, even expenditures officially declared not to satisfy the OECD’s own criteria have boosted ODA volumes considerably. In 1994 by nearly 50 per cent, as OECD sources show. Shares of ‘broadened’ ODA roughly doubled between 1989 and 1994 - a disturbing trend concealing decreases of proper aid to development. Independent auditing of aid statistics and some fundamental changes of aid practices are proposed.

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