The United Kingdom has received new advice on its foreign aid strategy: Help boost tax collection in developing countries.
The suggestion comes from the Commons International Development Committee members, who said a more reliable tax revenue could help developing countries graduate from poverty — instead of relying on foreign aid.
The U.K. government has been planning to increase its aid spending to 0.7 percent of gross national income by 2015. The target, however, has yet to be put into law.
“The aim of development work is to enable developing countries to escape from over-reliance on aid,” BBC quotes Committee Chairman Malcolm Bruce, adding that the measure “represents excellent value for money, both for the countries concerned and for UK taxpayers.”
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About the author
Jenny Lei Ravelo@JennyLeiRavelo
Jenny Lei Ravelo is a Devex Senior Reporter based in Manila. She covers global health, with a particular focus on the World Health Organization, and other development and humanitarian aid trends in Asia Pacific. Prior to Devex, she wrote for ABS-CBN, one of the largest broadcasting networks in the Philippines, and was a copy editor for various international scientific journals. She received her journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas.
