Foreign Policy Blogs

Backwards Aid

Reading this AP article about a Credit Suisse banker who was arrested in Brazil for helping rich Brazilians escape their own taxes reminded me of a panel discussion I heard last year. The link has audio for all the speakers, and I particularly recommend Raymond Baker's presentation.

Basically there are a hundreds of billions of dollars that are stolen from the developing world every year and invested in the economies of wealthier countries. Legitimate financial systems are used for a lot of these investments, and the total figure is probably several times larger than all foreign aid funds. It's a huge problem, and a commitment to development should include doing something to fix it.

 

Author

Kevin Dean

Kevin Dean is a graduate student pursuing a master's degree in international conflict management and humanitarian emergencies at Georgetown University. Before returning to school in Fall 2006, he spent six years working in the former Soviet Union - most of that time spent in Central Asia. He has managed a diverse range of international development programs for the US State Department and USAID. He has also consulted for several UN agencies and international NGOs, and is fluent in Russian. Kevin is originally from Des Moines, Iowa and studied Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies at the University of Iowa.