The Swedish government unveiled Monday (April 4) a new website that tracks the flow of Swedish development funding, a move that is expected to bolster the donor country’s aid transparency.
According to Swedish news outlet The Local, the OpenAid.se website contains aid information dating from 2007 to 2010, with data divided into three areas: destination of aid, use of aid and development aid actor.
“This is my vision of an open aid, so that whomsoever is able to gain access to information over how Swedish development aid is used,” Swedish Minister for International Development Cooperation Gunilla Carlsson told journalists at the launch of the website. “Transparency is the new key word for development aid.”
Public documents concerning donors, recipient partners, amounts and results will be published on the website.
“In short, it is about opening up aid for scrutiny, and soliciting ideas from more people,” Carlsson said.
Sweden has allotted some 35.2 billion Swedish kronor ($5.5 billion), or 1 percent of the country’s gross national income, in aid funding for this year.
>> Sweden Hikes Aid for 2011, Promises More Transparency
The U.S., U.K. and World Bank have launched similar initiatives.
>> DfID Takes Lead in Aid Transparency Campaign
>> World Bank’s Transparency Efforts Get Noted
Read more development aid news.
