No Overnight Solution

Pacific Magazine: We have seen a more than doubling in Australian ODA to the Pacific Islands region in 2004-05. Will these levels to be maintained and what impact will the support to tsunami affected countries have on funds available for the Pacific?

Alexander Dower: Australia's development cooperation program remains focused on developing countries in the Asia-Pacific region and Australia will continue to work closely with Pacific Island partners on all development activities. Australia's support for tsunami affected countries will not impact on other programs.

PM: The Pacific Regional Aid Strategy refers to the fact that there can be unrealistic expectations about what Australian aid can or should deliver. How does the government seek to deal with this problem?

Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer Photo: AP WideWorld Photo

Downer: Australia's Pacific Regional Aid Strategy reflects the understanding that development challenges in the region will not be solved overnight. Australia's development assistance is tailored to country specific circumstances in full consultation with partner governments. In PNG, Solomon Islands and Nauru this has included Australian officials working in corresponding departments. To date this has been successful.

Improving governance and service delivery, and the promotion of economic growth are a key focus of Australia's long-term assistance in the region. Australia will continue to assist Pacific Island governments to identify the drivers of governance reform and provide appropriate incentives to promote reform.

PM: The recently removed Solomons Finance Minister, Francis Zama, has suggested Australia might have had something to do with his sacking, because of his criticisms of RAMSI. What is your response to his statements?

Downer: There is no truth in the assertion that Australia had anything to do with the removal of Francis Zama. These decisions are a matter for the Solomon Islands Government.

PM: Bishop Terry Brown has been reported in the Solomon Star as saying while RAMSI has seen some successes, there have also been some "fatal weaknesses" and that the country is slipping back into lawlessness.

Downer: There remains overwhelming support from ordinary Solomon Islanders for the regional assistance mission. RAMSI interacts with ordinary Solomon Islanders in many areas. Police are posted to every province and work closely with their local counterparts in community policing. Advisers in the public service work closely with their Solomon Islands counterparts.

RAMSI consults widely with Solomon Islanders at all levels as part of its regular work in building assistance in the law and justice, machinery of government and economic governance sectors. RAMSI also works closely with civil society and through the 'Talking Truth' radio program regularly visits provincial areas to hold information and discussion sessions with Solomon Islanders that are then broadcast nationally on the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation.

PM: What is your assessment of the early progress of the ECP?

Downer: Most ECP deployees (125 police and 30 officials as of 14 February) have only been in place for the past five months. However, they have already assisted the Papua New Guinea Government to implement its macro-economic, law and justice and public sector reform policies and are playing a valuable role in border management.

The Assisting Australian Police have assisted in improving the operating conditions of the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary so that it is better equipped to meet the country's law and order challenges. The Assisting Australian Police deployment to Bougainville of 19 Australian police has contributed to further progress in the peace process on that island.

The challenges ahead for PNG are significant and continued close collaboration between the Australian and PNG governments is vital. Australia hopes that the ECP, which is currently funded until 2008, will help to improve the law and order situation in PNG, improve economic governance and expenditure controls, and improve PNG's border management and transport security.

PM: The non government organization, AID/WATCH maintains its claims that much of the money allocated to PNG flows back to Australia through Australian contractors and companies. What is the response of the government to these allegations?

Downer: Claims that Australian companies benefit unduly from our aid program to Papua New Guinea are misplaced. The main benefit to developing countries such as Papua New Guinea from Australia's aid is through improved services such as heath and education and better roads.

While some Australian companies benefit from working with the aid program, clearly the overwhelming beneficiaries are the people of Papua New Guinea. Papua New Guinea citizens account for over 70 percent of personnel employed directly by the aid program.

Over 40 percent of goods and materials used in aid projects are purchased locally, with other goods such as pharmaceuticals purchased elsewhere because it is better value for money, ensuring aid dollars go further.

Since 1 January 2005 local firms have also been eligible to tender for work under the Australian aid program to Papua New Guinea. This represents a major new opportunity for Papua New Guinea companies and is a change endorsed by a recent independent review of our aid program to Papua New Guinea.