Friday, May 15, 2015
Nepal Government's One Door Policy Was Never An Option
Everything you want to give, give to us, and we will manage: that was the Nepal government response on day one, and that was flat out wrong. Now they are saying, all we meant was we will help coordinate. Well then, why are you not doing it? Why are you not facilitating?
No, this is not the time to take a break from criticizing the Nepal government. Democracy was earned in the country after much sacrifice. The democratic process is not a problem. The Nepal Government is very much subject to criticism. It should do a good job of reporting on the work it is doing, and is planning to do. And it should respond to criticism on an ongoing basis. That will help, not hurt, the relief efforts. Democracy is a good thing also in a time of grave crisis.
A one door policy was an attempt at extreme centralization. It was a really, really bad idea. Maximum transparency is more than half of coordination work. And I don't see that coming.
Ground level accountability is what will bring in more help.
People talk of a one window policy for FDI. Instead of asking foreign investors to go run around 15 different ministries, you make it possible for them to get all paperwork done at one window. That is a good thing. But the one door policy, made to sound like a one window policy, is the exact opposite. Instead of letting 35 different governments, and 100 different INGOs and NGOs do their thing on the ground, you want all of them to just hand over their resources to YOU, and you promise to take care of it all beyond that point of initial delivery. That one door policy is the brainchild of a thoroughly corrupt elite.
Nothing prevents the Nepal Government from competing in the global space for funds for relief and reconstruction. Ordinary people in those rich countries will contribute, if end to end accountability and transparency can be shown. Money is not what is in short supply. What is in short supply is accountability, and transparency, and deliverance.
Kiva And The Nepal Earthquake
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