The Ministry of Foreign Affairs plans to experiment with a new model for foreign aid programs, starting in Burkina Faso. That country plans to undertake a US$37 million irrigation and development project covering 1,500 hectares that will be funded by loans from the Saudi Arabia-based Islamic Development Bank. The project consists of four parts -- village relocation, town-building, the establishment of agricultural schools and farm land development.
Disseminating agricultural knowledge and improving agricultural technologies have long been the focus of Taipei's foreign aid programs. Taiwan stands a good chance of winning the above-mentioned project, in light of the kudos its has won for its previous agricultural missions to Burkina Faso and other African nations.
If Taiwan wins the project, it will only need to provide agricultural knowhow and help establish agricultural schools. This will not require massive funding as was the case with most previous foreign aid projects. Burkina Faso will provide the land and manpower.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Eugene Chien (
Taipei has sent 20 agricultural missions to Africa, beginning with the first one in November 1961 in Liberia. There were also two veterinarian missions, one aquaculture mission and two handicraft missions. Under the leadership of diplomat Yang Hsi-kun (
Such early relations between Taiwan and Africa also reminds us of some regrettable defects. For example, Taiwan's massive loans often encouraged corruption and sometimes even civil war in recipient nations. Such outcomes run counter to the objectives of foreign aid programs.
If, however, we can conduct foreign aid according to the new model, the government may be able to establish a new type of strategic alliance with its allies. This model will be based on each side providing resources according to its own capacity, instead of Taiwan providing a large sum of money to be used at will by government leaders. In Africa, Taiwan will also be able to control key upstream technologies and provide international market channels. Such a mode of cooperation will significantly increase the chances for success and create a win-win outcome for both donor and recipient.
The foreign ministry's new aid model is not only sustainable in the long run, but can also be expanded to other countries. The Burkina Faso project will be an ideal experiment for the transformation of Taiwan's foreign aid programs.
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