Abstract:
World Bank assisted US$ 44 billion during
2009 and 2013 as emergency recovery
assistant through economic development
ministry of Sri Lanka to repair, reconstruct
and restore vital infrastructure facilities
damaged by the internal armed conflict in
Northern Province. Main objective of this
study is to analyze that how foreign aids of
international donors go to pork barrel
political expenditures hence inefficient
infrastructures in Jaffna district of Northern
Province as aid for emergency recovery. This
study took 127 sub infrastructure projects in
Jaffna district valued Rs 1202.36 Million.
Among studied projects, 80 projects valued
Rs 596.7 Mn directly benefited to resettled
people. 44 projects valued 577.94 Million
have not benefited to resettled people. It is
48.06 percent of total cost. When resettled
people have been suffering without space to
sleep in their temporary houses, without
class rooms and toilet in schools, lack of
other emergency infrastructure needs in
resettled area, the funding has been used to
build luxury auditorium, class room, tiled
floor, air condition, vehicle garages,
boundary wall in first grade national schools
and offices in urban area which absorbed
more resources when internal displaced
people settled temporary in war time before
2009. Water supply board of Sri Lanka has
increased its capital and revenues sources by
constructing new pipe line supply which is
mismatch development and much cost
services to vulnerable people. Foreign aids
have been spent to politically influenced area
and bureaucrats of project also misused their
position in identification of emergency
needs. Regulations of project mentioned in
project paper have been violated severely.
Only around 50 percent of benefits of project
went to targeted people. This study does not
investigate technical quality of works in
engineering side. If we include the quality of
work, the overall benefits to target groups
become very less. This study compares the
findings with findings of William Easterly,
famous economist in World Bank in relation
to foreign aids and productivity from capital
formation. William Easterly found that, “
Both Nigeria and Hong Kong have increased
their physical capital stock per worker by
over 250 percent over 1960 to 1985 time
frame. The results of this massive investment
were different. Nigeria’s output per worker
rose by 12 percent from 1960 to 1985, while
Hong Kong rose by 328 percent.” Politicians
in developing countries use poor as hostage
to receive foreign aids from donors and get
personal benefits from projects. Findings of
this study are comparable with Easterly’s
findings. One of water supply project
received Rs 211 Mn from emergency recovery
project to supply safety pipe line water to
resettled people. No one has received water
from this project even after overall project
has closed in December 2013.
