N.Z.’s aid exceeds $4m for first time

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32661, 17 July 1971, Page 1

N.Z.’s aid exceeds $4m for first time

(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, July 16. New Zealand’s spending on aid for Asia and the Pacific had for the first time exceeded S4m a year, said the Prime Minister (Sir Keith Holyoake) today. The expenditure of $4,622,000 for the year ended March 31, 1971, was an increase of almost slm over the previous year for the bilateral aid programme, formerly known as the Colombo Plan. The Government, after its decision in 1969 to double Colombo Plan spending from 's2m to s4m a year, had in-

creased the appropriation for 1971-72 12j per cent, to $4.5m., said the Prime Minister. NEW PLANS Announcing new projects and the extension of others, Sir Keith Holyoake said the Government ■ had approved the appointment of the Engineering Export Association of New Zealand (Enex) to design six major bridges as part of a big highway to be built across northern Malaysia. The estimated cost was $540,000, to be spent over three years; and exploratory drilling at the bridge sites would begin almost immediately by Long Year (N.Z.), Ltd, under contract to Enex. The construction of the feed road in Thailand with

the help of New Zealand Army engineers should be finished by the end of the year, and Enex was working on link roads in Thailand and southern Sumatra. The estimate for these two projects exceeded $500,000. MEDICAL HELP Sir Keith Holyoake said that humanitarian projects in the area included work on a veterans’ rehabiliation centre in Saigon, the work of the New Zealand surgical team in Qui Nhon, and the delivery to Cambodia of a further supply of Hartmann’s intravenous solution—a New Zealand made artificial substitute for human blood plasma. “In forestry,” he said, “Malaysia has sought assistance from New Zealand in establishing a logging and sawmilling industry at Rom-

pin, on the east coast of west Malaysia. “This project is considered by the Malaysian Government to be of vital importance. The development of the east coast, which has a large rural population ■ and limited employment opportunities, has high priority in the Government’s five-year development plan.” J. G. Groome and Associates, of Taupo, had been engaged for the project under the Colombo Plan. BEEF STUDY Sir Keith Holyoake said New Zealand had continued with agricultural assistance in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Korea and the Philippines. This included two beef feasibility studies

being made in Indonesia and Malaysia by the New Zealand consulting firm, Anzdec; services being contributed to’the Singapore horticulture research project; and work oh the joint New Zealand-Korea dairy demonstration farm at Pyong Taek. After plenty of spring growth, said the Prime Minister, this farm was now “a showpiece of New Zealand dairy farming techniques,” its 300 acres of good pasture, carrying a milking herd of 88 cows and 172 other stock. Since a World Bank-F.A.O. feasibility study, two New Zealanders, were being employed to help the Korean Dairy Beef Company in its use of a World Bank loan of about s7m for dairy expansion in Korea.

■ Educational assistance, too, was being maintained, largely in vocational education, with projects in Bunha, Malaysia and the Philippines.

“Now that our bilateral aid programme has been extended to the Pacific,” Sir Keith Holyoake said, "it has been decided to send a twoman mission to Tonga, Western Samoa and Fiji.- Its purpose is to build our aid programme in the Pacific by identifying and formulating projects which New Zealand is equipped to assist. In this way we hope to promote economic development of our South Pacific neighbours.” It was appropriate, the Prime Minister said, that the first mission of this type should take place during South Pacific Year.