ADB works with other agencies to curb corruption

ADB works with other agencies to curb corruption

Deutsche Presse-Agentur, Manila

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) said on Wednesday it has teamed
up with other international agencies to find ways to curb
corruption in the delivery of humanitarian assistance and
reconstruction aid in tsunami-affected countries.

The Manila-based ADB said it has organized a meeting in
Indonesia on April 7 to April 8 with the Organization for
Economic Cooperation and Development and Transparency
International to address the risk of corruption in the tsunami
relief efforts.

The three agencies will join senior government officials and
non-government organizations from tsunami-affected countries in
the meeting in Jakarta.

"Experts will identify concrete priority measures to be taken
by all stakeholders ... to prevent and curb corruption in service
delivery and procurement related to the tsunami relief," the ADB
said in a statement.

"The recommendations and findings of this meeting will form
the basis for the development of anti-corruption guidelines for
future disaster relief efforts," it added.

Last week, the ADB 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.

It noted that four of the affected countries -- India, Sri
Lanka, the Maldives and Indonesia -- still need some US$4.2
billion for reconstruction following the December 2004 tsunami.

According to a joint assessment by the ADB, the World Bank,
the United Nations and the Japan Bank for International
Cooperation, an estimated $7.76 billion were needed for the
rehabilitation and reconstruction of India, Indonesia, the
Maldives and Sri Lanka.

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

At least $3.54 billion in aid have already been pledged by
donor countries and agencies such as the ADB, the World Bank and
the U.N. for the tsunami victims.

During the meeting in Manila, the affected countries agreed to
implement a tracking system to "coordinate, monitor and manage"
relief efforts amid concerns by some donors about how and where
funds earmarked for tsunami relief were actually being used.

The ADB said it and the U.N. Development Program will work
together with the governments to consolidate the monitoring
reports from each country to minimize or avoid overlaps,
duplications and corruption in the use of aid.

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.