Less Overseas Aid From United States

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32361, 29 July 1970, Page 17

Less Overseas Aid From United States

(N.Z.P.A. Stag Correspondent)

LONDON, July 28.

The United States gave only 0.49 per cent of her Gross National Product to overseas aid last year.

Figures produced in Paris by the Organistation for Economic Co-operation and Development show that this was the lowest prefonnance achieved by any of 16 “rich” countries surveyed. New Zealand is not among the 16; it is not a full member of the O.E.C.D. The Paris report says that two years ago, at a United Nations conference in New Delhi, the rich nations said that they would try to reach a target of 1 per cent of their G.N.P. for aid. But of the countries surveyed, only the Netherlands, West Germany, France, Belgium, Denmark and Italy had exceeded that figure. Only two countries had reduced their grants: America and Switzerland There had been significant advances by Britain, Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Japan and by the Common Market countries. The chairman of the O.E.C.D.’s development assistance committee, Mr E. Martin, an American said that there had been an unsatisfactory distribution of aid to developing countries, too few people getting the benefit America contributed almost half of all the aid given and if she reduced her aid

other rich countries would soon do likewise. The O.EC.D. owed its formation to the Marshall plan, under which America gave massive aid to war-torn Europe after the Second World War, with the proviso that Europe should set up an organistation (the 0.E.C.D.) to help its own recovery.