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Editorial: Keep tabs on money sent to allies

The problems related to Taiwan's aid to its diplomatic allies occur every so often. For example, accusations are frequent that the aid we send to our allies is a form of political donation, or that the funds are diverted from their intended target. Because of domestic political considerations, our diplomatic allies sometimes push the responsibility of monitoring the use of these funds back on Taiwan, and even demand that we investigate possible corruption in the allocation of foreign aid.

Due to the nation's less-than-desirable international status, Taiwan's diplomatic allies are mainly developing countries. Taiwan's economic development is far more advanced, so providing foreign aid to help these countries is a way for Taipei to make a contribution to the international community. The foreign aid budget is heavily concentrated on our allies, and if aid enables us to advance diplomatic relations, the government generally accepts the domestic social and political realities of the recipient countries.

Not too long ago Costa Rica used funds donated by Taiwan to pay the salaries of its Ministry of Foreign Affairs workers. The money was originally intended to be used for a tourism and trade development project run by the Association for the Development of Foreign Policy of Costa Rica. However, not even Taiwanese diplomatic officials knew what the money had been used for, as funding for the project was funneled through a variety of different channels. Costa Rica was only required to report the outcome of the program to the Central America Integration System, and Taiwan had no way of controlling where the funds went.

Our diplomatic allies in Central America often establish private foundations, and Taiwan will occasionally donate funds to them. It is, however, difficult to keep track of where exactly these funds end up. The Nicaraguan Democratic Foundation established by former Nicaraguan president Arnoldo Aleman was investigated for money laundering, and recently it has also been revealed that Taiwanese funds in excess of NT$300,000 donated to the Mar del Sur (Southern Sea) Foundation, set up by the former Panamanian president Mireya Moscoso, found their way into the bank accounts of certain individuals. There are many other examples, such as the situation leading to the impeachment of Nicaraguan President Enrique Bolanos.

The questionable use of foreign aid by recipient countries is hardly a new problem. But as a provider of this aid, Taiwan should not passively accept the misuse of the funds. It is not sufficient to simply avoid the implications of making political donations and pay no heed to how the money is used or where it ends up. The actions of some political parties and individual politicians which lead to the misuse of foreign aid can transform a domestic issue in an allied nation into a diplomatic problem, damaging Taiwan's image in the international community.

In fulfilling obligations to our allies, we should establish a more transparent process of implementation and distribution to avoid the appropriation of these funds by corrupt individuals, political parties or other organizations. We should consider giving our support to specific public works projects that meet the needs of the people of the country, ensuring that these projects benefit those people. The progress of such projects should serve as a precondition for receiving aid money in the future.

We must not allow well-meaning aid money to become a turbulent issue in the domestic affairs of our allies. To do so means that our diplomatic efforts are fruitless.
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