MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 26th November, 2020) The United Kingdom will reduce the financial assistance to developing countries within its Official Development Assistance (ODA) program in 2021 as its own economy is struggling to cope with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said on Thursday.
"Given the impact of this global pandemic on the economy and, as a result, on the public finances, we have concluded after extensive consideration � and I have to say with regret � that we can't for the moment meet our target of spending 0.7 percent of gross national income on ODA, and we will move to a target of 0.5 percent next year. Let me reassure the house this is a temporary measure," Raab told the House of Commons.
The government had to reduce the development assistance "as a matter of necessity" and will return to 0.7-percent spending "when the fiscal situation permits," the official added.
Raab then cited the recent "sobering" statement of UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak who said that the UK was experiencing the worst economic contraction in almost 300 years and was not expected to climb back to the 2019 level in at least two years.
The ODA reduction has sparked criticism from many Conservative lawmakers who believe that the development assistance is a crucial component of the UK's soft power, especially in the post-COVID-19 world.
