In Myanmar, the aid industry is booming. Since elections in 2010 heralded political reforms and tentative steps toward democracy, international donors and organizations have been quick to commit money and resources. In a country still ranked as one of Southeast Asia’s poorest, this holds exciting potential to help millions out of poverty. Yet if assistance is rushed and poorly managed, this also poses serious dangers — something government officials seem keen to avoid.
As part of a drive toward greater aid effectiveness, Myanmar became a signatory to the International Aid Transparency Initiative in September 2014 and is now pioneering a new aid tracking database.
The “aid information management system” requires all donors to share data on development assistance provided to Myanmar, broken down by sector, location and volume. Once finalized, the system will be online and freely available to the public. Anyone will be able to export the information and combine with other data sets — a powerful tool for those wanting to better understand flows of money into Myanmar.