ADB works with other agencies to curb corruption in tsunami

ADB works with other agencies to curb corruption in tsunami relief

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.