In Brief

Sida’s auditors have made an in-depth analysis of corruption risk in the organisation, which reveals several weaknesses in Sida. In a report to the Sida Board, the auditors state that an important explanation for the shortcomings is the pressure to disburse as much allocated funds as possible. Sida’s Chief Controller Bengt Ekman disputes the auditors’ main finding. In a memorandum to the Board, he insists that Sida has no disbursement target. “We only disburse money when conditions and demands are fulfilled," he writes.

The Swedish company Fundraising Gruppen has recruited at least 80,000 new members and contributors to Nordic NGOs, giving them millions of dollars in income. But Fundraising Gruppen’s methods have been controversial and the expansion too fast. Now the company has gone bankrupt.

The Swedish Auditor General has been reorganised such that aid-related audit programmes will no longer be financed by the aid agency, Sida.

Plan Norway has regularly criticised other aid organisations for being too dependent on the state. Yet Plan has effectively lobbied to get a bigger chunk of the aid budget. Now, it is hoping for a 500 per cent increase in government funding.

“It takes years to build up viable partnerships with weak and fragile civil society groups and NGOs in the South. Long-term efforts are completely undermined when the Danish government changes strategy time and again, and cuts funding overnight."