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While the French executive had committed to significantly increase official development assistance, the bill's presentation is regularly postponed: scheduled for August, it was postponed again. NGOs fear that ODA will be costly for budget savings.
In France, the bill expected to be presented to Parliament should frame the new version of official development assistance (ODA), with a gradual increase to reach 0.55% of the French gross domestic product (GDP) and refocused to the poorest countries.
The release of the text in the Council of Ministers, scheduled for August, however, was postponed again to September or October. This, because the development council that must preside Emmanuel Macron has also been shifted.
In a context where the government is trying to save money, NGOs fear that candidate Macron's promise of such an increase will simply disappear.
According to Philippe Jahshan, President of Coordination SUD, this platform bringing together 160 NGOs " is entitled today to doubt it, " he told RFI.
In any case, we have no signal for some time on this commitment. The Prime Minister confirmed in his policy speech that the meeting was part of the timetable. So, there is no reason not to believe that the promise will be kept. But finally, the successive postponements in the current sequence where we also have a government that seeks to save money, to find an equation to keep a budget. Yes, there are concerns that this policy will pay the price.
Philippe Jaschan, President of Coordination SUD, has his doubts about the presentation of the text on APD 13/07/2019 - by Pierre Firtion Play
On the majority side, MEPs say they understand the concern of NGOs, but are convinced that the bill will soon be presented to Parliament.
In February, while the legislator was waiting for a text, members of the majority had already detailed what it should contain, in a way to put pressure on the government. Hervé Berville, who wrote a report in August 2018, was also appointed rapporteur for the future project.
The French Republic's Hubert Julien-Laferrière MP is " not worried about the fact that there will be a bill under discussion in the Assembly, " he told RFI.
I understand the concern of NGOs, that's normal. When a development council is postponed twice, that a bill that was actually planned earlier at the beginning of 2019 is finally presented in the fall, I understand that they are worried. However, I am not worried about the fact that there will be a bill under discussion in the Assembly. It is a fact. Now, I know that there must be arbitrations with Bercy. I even talked to the President of the Republic a few days ago. He came to Villeurbanne, right next to my riding, and I reminded him that we were parliamentarians who were attentive to his commitments and that we could discuss them in Parliament quickly. He told me you're right and we'll do it.
Macedonian MP Hubert Julien-Laferrière is "not worried" about the upcoming presentation of a text on ODA 13/07/2019 - by Pierre Firtion
According to the promises of President Macron, the French Development Agency must play a leading role and will be endowed with one billion euros of additional credits. This especially to intervene in the Sahel and other regions among the poorest .
But some deputies of the majority criticized, already in 2018, the lack of transparency of the action of the AFD and its operation " too complex ", had then complained Mr. Julien-Laferrière.
" There is a lack of readability, because we have a development aid mission that is shared between other programs, one under the authority of the Quai d'Orsay , the other on the authority from Bercy. And that is not very good. Me, I think that all public development aid should be under the authority of the Quai d'Orsay, "he says.