“More transparency in New Zealand's foreign aid spending would boost the positive changes within its new aid policy, academics say.
“The government's International Cooperation for Effective Sustainable Development policy was released in December.
“The New Zealand Aid and Development Dialogues group, which analyses New Zealand's development aid, said the policy focussed on sustainable development and mentioned partnership and values.
“A group spokesperson, Terence Wood, who's a researcher at the Australian National University's Development Policy Centre, said it was a dramatic improvement from the previous government's approach.
“Mr Wood said that approach had centred heavily on economic development with an emphasis on providing aid where it saw potential for future benefits to New Zealand.
“However, Mr Wood said he wanted to see more transparency in New Zealand's aid programme.”
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