Rich states criticised for 'failure' to allocate funds for achieving MDGs
Jasim Uddin Khan, from Kathmandu, Nepal
Journalists and media personalities from South Asian countries have criticised developed nations for their 'failure' to allocate the funds they earlier promised for achieving the millennium development goals.They also said the South Asian countries should have set some of their indigenous development targets to achieve the Saarc Development Goals (SDGs). "Developed countries need to deliver fully on longstanding commitments to achieve the official development assistance target of 0.7 percent of their gross national income by 2015. Otherwise, the poorer countries will fail to achieve their targets alone," Krishna R. Khadka, director of Nepal Administrative Staff College, told a three-day seminar titled 'Saarc Development Goals (SDGs) in Relation to Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)' here on Wednesday. Khadka said it has been estimated that a typical low-income country needs to invest US$ 70-80 per capita to achieve MDGs, which needs $73 billion official development assistance a year. But the assistance is far below the requirement, he told the seminar for media people, organised by Saarc (South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation) Information Centre. Nepal's Minister for Information and Communications Krishna Bahadur Mahara inaugurated the seminar. Mukunda Prasad Acharya, director general of Saarc Information Centre, also spoke. The speakers also suggested a syndication among the media in South Asian countries for mutual co-operation. The participants also suggested creation of a cell at the Saarc Information Centre to enhance the image of the South Asian nations.
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