N.Z.’s aid share drops

Press, 19 November 1981, Page 5

N.Z.’s aid share drops

NZPA Paris The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (0.E.C.D.) has expressed regret at a fall in New Zealand's aid contributions to developing countries. The O.E.C.D.'s Development Assistance Committee, which met last week to review New Zealand's aid programme, said that New Zealand had given proportionately less aid to developing countries than most other O.E.C.D. countries since 1978. Last year New Zealand’s , contributions fell to 0.32 per cent of its gross national product compared with an . average 0.37 per cent given by other O.E.C.D. countries.

In 1978 and 1979 New Zealand’s aid totalled 0.34 per cent of its G.N.P. compared with an O.E.C.D. average of 0.35 per cent. The official O.E.C.D. target for aid contributions is 0.7 per cent of G.N.P. . The Development Assistance Committee urged New Zealand to give’development aid a more important place in its public expenditure programme and to increase allocations at least in line with the growth of nominal G.N.P. Of the 24 O.E.C.D. member countries, only the Netherlands and Denmark have reached the O.E.C.D. target, contributing 0.99 per cent and 0.72 per cent of G.N.P.