Canada aids 'governance reform'

JAKARTA: Chairman of National Development Planning Board (Bappenas) Boediono and Canadian Ambassador Kenneth Sunquist signed on Tuesday two development assistance programs, including one on "governance reform", worth C$5 million (US$3.3 million).

The aid was for technical support for the Indonesian government's campaign to overcome the economic crisis and launch reform.

At the signing of the two Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs), Sunquist said Canada hoped, through the assistance comanaged by Bappenas and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), to soon establish cooperation with various ministries and agencies.

The first memorandum was on "the governance reform support project in Indonesia" worth C$4 million, which will be disbursed over a period of four years. "The project is meant to facilitate Indonesia's reform agenda in governance and participatory development," the Canadian Embassy's statement said.

The project would respond to requests for technical assistance from ministries and state agencies in formulating, planning, implementing and supervising social, economic and administrative policies in line with the government's agenda.

The second memorandum was an amendment on the "development planning assistance project" which provided an additional fund of C$1 million. The fund for the project is now C$4.99 million.

The project began one and a half years ago. It is meant to improve Bappenas' "capability in planning policies for the next five-year development plan." (swe)