It’s not time for the United Kingdom to end its aid to India, U.K. Secretary of State for International Development Andrew Mitchell said in speech about the country’s engagement with emerging economies.
In remarks delivered before the Chatham House research center in London, Mitchell addressed the issue that more and more people in the United Kingdom and India are asking whether the time has come to end British aid to the Asian country.
“In my view, we are not there yet,” Mitchell said, adding that he has discussed the matter with the Indian government and he believes it is in both countries’ interest to continue “our highly successful collaboration on development, not least so we can support the government of India’s own successful programs in the poorest priority areas.”
Mitchell recently announced that the U.K. will provide £1 billion (US$1.6 billion) in aid to the Asian country over the next four years.
>> Despite Austerity Measures, UK Plans USD1.6B Aid for India
In his speech, Mitchell said the U.K. government plans to partner with emerging economies to “galvanize our efforts to achieve the millennium development goals and to drive yet harder the eradication of global poverty.”
The government has started working with emerging countries to create more programs in Africa, the secretary shared. He explained that the government is now working with Brazil to develop a program in Kenya that is similar to the Latin American country’s Bolsa Familia cash transfer initiative.
Meantime, Mitchell confirmed that the United Kingdom would wind down its aid to China beginning next month.
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