Some projects of New Zealand-based non-governmental organizations involved in international projects hang in limbo as they wait for the government’s final decision on how the country’s foreign aid budget will be spent, according to NZPA. The majority of the NGOs are not sure if they will receive matching funds from the government for their projects, the news agency adds.
In a letter obtained by Radio New Zealand, Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully wrote that Council for International Development programs are not aligned with the government’s goals of promoting economic growth in the Pacific. McCully also said tender processes are setting back relief efforts.
The minister added that the government is making changes that would be made public soon, NZPA says.