Australia Yearbook - 2001

102 Year Book Australia 2001
Australia’s overseas aid
program
The Australian aid program aims to advance our
national interest by assisting developing countries
to reduce poverty and achieve sustainable
development. Australian aid focuses on providing
practical, well-targeted development assistance to
the Asia-Pacific region and responding selectively
to needs in South Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
The role of the Australian Agency
for International Development
(AusAID)
The Australian Agency for International
Development administers the majority of
Australia’s aid program, mainly through Country
and Global Programs. Country Programs provide
direct bilateral assistance to partner countries,
while Global Programs include humanitarian and
emergency assistance, contributions to
multilateral development banks and international
organisations, support for Australian
non-government organisations, and funding for
public information and development research.
AusAID is an administratively autonomous agency
within the Foreign Affairs and Trade portfolio.
The Agency’s principal organisational functions
are: to provide professional policy advice and
support to the Government on aid policy,
program directions and international
development issues; and to develop and
implement programs of assistance in partnership
with partner countries.
AusAID’s central office is in Canberra, with
presences in most States. To oversee the
implementation of aid projects in countries,
AusAID supports officers in 24 Australian
diplomatic missions, employing a combination of
Australian citizens and locally engaged staff.
Actual delivery of the aid program is entirely
outsourced, principally to Australian contracting
firms, NGOs and international development
institutions.
In 1999–2000 the Australian Government
provided $1.65b 1 in official development
assistance (ODA) (table 3.5). This was an increase
of almost $150m on the estimated figure,
primarily due to an additional $60m for East
Timor, $12m for the Heavily Indebted Poor
Countries Initiative, and $48m for expenditure on
Kosovar and East Timorese evacuees in Australia.
Country Program assistance totalled $902.5m and
Global Programs $479.5m. Other expenditure
included the costs of administering the aid
program, known as departmental costs ($69.4m).
Australia’s official development assistance in
2000–01 is estimated at $1.6b. ODA as a
percentage of Gross National Product is expected
to be 0.25%, which is above the latest average of
donor countries of 0.24%. Country Programs
expenditure is estimated to be $916.9m and
Global Programs $497.5m.
Although AusAID administers most of Australia’s
development cooperation, other government
agencies also contribute to overall ODA
expenditure. For example, expenditure by the
Australian Centre for International Agricultural
Research (ACIAR) is expected to be $44.7m in
2000–01. In addition, other Commonwealth and
State government expenditure on ODA related
activities is estimated at $135m in 1999–2000, and
$85.1m in 2000-01.
The cost of providing aid management and
administration in 2000–01 is estimated at $67.9m.
Country programs
Nearly 60% of Australia’s overseas development
assistance ($916.9m out of $1,600.3m in 2000–01)
is provided on a country or regional program
basis, focusing primarily on Papua New Guinea,
the Pacific and East Asia. Development needs are
also addressed in South Asia, Africa and the
Middle East. Details of Australian aid flows are set
out in table 3.5.
1 Most figures presented here are in cash terms. Details on the difference between accrual expenses and
cash payments are available in the budget paper Australia’s Overseas Aid Program 2000–01.