ADB calls for transparent, wise use of tsunami aid =

ADB calls for transparent, wise use of tsunami aid =

Deutsche Presse-Agentur
Manila

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Friday stressed the need
for tsunami-devastated countries to be transparent and wise in
using billions of dollars in aid for reconstruction to ensure
more funding help.

The Manila-based ADB was hosting a one-day meeting of
officials from five countries worst hit by the December 2004
tsunami, donor countries and such international agencies as the
World Bank and the United Nations.

"It is essential to keep the world's attention focused on
continued support and ensure that donor confidence in our efforts
remain high," ADB President Haruhiko Kuroda said at the start of
the high-level coordination meeting.

"The distribution of funds for rehabilitation and
reconstruction must be predictable, transparent, strategic and
effective," he added.

According to a joint needs assessment by the ADB, the World
Bank, the U.N. and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation,
an estimated US$7.76 billion were need for the rehabilitation and
reconstruction of India, Indonesia, Maldives and Sri Lanka.

Thailand, which was also badly hit by the tsunami, has not
sought international aid for its rehabilitation.

At least $2.512 billion in aid have already been committed by
the ADB, the World Bank and the U.N. for the tsunami victims.
More funds have also been pledged by foreign governments.

Kuroda said the size and complexity of the reconstruction and
recovery efforts, the amount of funds coming in an the large
number of agencies involved in the reconstruction efforts make
the task challenging.

"Given the scale of the recovery, even with our best efforts
at coordination, the potential for gaps, overlaps and
duplications is significant," he said. "We need to develop tools
that can assist us in identifying gaps and avoiding
duplications."

During the meeting, the ADB is proposing a tracking system to
"coordinate, monitor and manage the overall rebuilding effort"
amid concerns by some donors about how and where funds earmarked
for tsunami relief were actually being used.

Kuroda said the ADB's proposal would provide "a regional
window on the rebuilding process" and not replace country-
specific monitoring tools.

"Monitoring our progress will be critical to maintaining the
momentum of reconstruction, the confidence of donors and the good
will of the people in affected communities," he said.

More than 170,000 people were confirmed killed and some
100,000 others missing in the tsunamis, which were triggered by a
9.0-magnitude earthquake on the Indian Ocean floor off the
Indonesian island of Sumatra.