OTTAWA – Canada is not ready to give money directly to Haiti, even though the island nation's government has asked for budgetary support from donor countries as part of its plan to reduce poverty.
"(They) recognize that they have to build into their processes more accountability (and) more transparency," International Co-operation Minister Bev Oda told reporters from a conference of international donors to Haiti in Washington yesterday.
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Oda said Canada is not ready to consider distributing its aid solely through non-governmental organizations and multilateral organizations such as the United Nations because the Haitian government is still grappling with corruption.
$555 million over five years. That's what Canada is spending on aid to Haiti. And, for whatever reason, we don't allow the Haitian government to decide what the money is spent on.