COLOMBO PLAN REPORT

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29047, 9 November 1959, Page 15

COLOMBO PLAN REPORT

Record Level In Foreign Aid (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) NEW YORK, November 9. Foreign aid to nations of south and south-east Asia totalled more than 1,000 million dollars last year, according to a report completed by delegates to the Colombo Plan conference. J It was a good year in almost every way, and prospects for the next year look even better, one official said, according to an American Associated Press dispatch from Jogjakarta. The meeting ended technical level talks among 21 non-Com-munist nations and colonies who are members of this plan for co-operation in economic development. Senior officials of member nations will meet on November 11 in Jogjakarta, in central Java, to approve the annual report and issue policy statements. Several records in foreign aid were set last year in this broad area from Pakistan to the Philippines, holding close to a third of the world’s population, American Associated Press said. Officials classified the results as secret pending the ministerial meeting. Eut informed sources indicated these were the broad results: Foreign aid for the year, ending last June reached a total of more than 6000 million dollars since the plan was founded in 1950. Even greater aid is available over the coming year, both from donor countries and international organisations. Economic development in general areas reached new heights. Progress was made at an increasing rate over the last year, when droughts and internal conditions slowed growth. Prospects for the coming year were termed generally good. Private enterprise and foreign investment are finding more acceptance in new nations, with exceptions such as Indonesia. Technical assistance—training of Asians in new skills—reached record levels.