{UAH} IS YOUR GOVERNMENT CORRUPT? THE BRITISH ACTUALLY FUND IT.

Britain's aid millions help the most corrupt regimes in the world it is revealed as Cameron's target is finally hit

• Study carried out by respected organisation Transparency International
• Virtually all the countries with the most serious corruption problems receive lavish aid from Britain

By JASON GROVES

PUBLISHED: 00:56 GMT, 1 January 2014 | UPDATED: 01:11 GMT, 1 January 2014

Britain has finally hit David Cameron's controversial foreign aid target, spending more than £11.2billion in a year.

But the news came at the same time that it was revealed that millions of taxpayers' money is helping to prop up the most corrupt regimes in the world.

A study by the respected organisation Transparency International (TI) reveals that virtually all of the countries with the most serious corruption problems receive lavish aid from Britain.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un. Britain sends £756,000 a year on his regime

Detailed figures show that we sent funding to all ten of the worst offending nations in 2012. Between them they received almost £500million from the British taxpayer.

The Prime Minister's goal of devoting 0.7 per cent of Britain's income to foreign aid was reached yesterday. The target required a 30 per cent increase in the foreign aid budget last year – making it more than the amount set aside for the entire Home Office.

But the revelations about corruption will fuel concern that much of the aid never reaches those it is intended for.

Tory MP Peter Bone said: 'I am sure ministers take what precautions they can, but the situation in many of these countries is so bad that there is no way of knowing where the money ends up.

'It all comes down to this ridiculous artificial target which means we have to send more and more money every time the economy improves, rather than having a real assessment of need.

'It is a really dangerous system … it just plays into the hands of corrupt politicians and officials.'

TI identifies the Somalian regime as the most corrupt and the World Bank rates the country as one of the worst governed in the world. But in 2012 Britain gave the impoverished African nation £86.8million. 

Somalia is one of a number of countries where aid is channelled through charities and agencies rather than central government in a bid to sidestep corruption.

But a report in December found many of these organisations were forced to hand over large sums of cash to terrorist group Al-Shabaab in return for protection.

Britain also sent more than £200million to Afghanistan – rated as the world's third most corrupt regime. The money was given despite a report from the Independent Commission for Aid Impact two years ago which warned British aid was at risk of theft, corruption and fraud.

The watchdog said 'significant improvements' were needed to protect taxpayers' money.

Newly formed South Sudan received £107million in British aid, but also has a dismal record for corruption.

TI ranks the troubled state as the fourth most corrupt. In 2012 South Sudan's parliament suspended 75 officials in a scandal involving the theft of £2.6billion from the fledgling country.

Syria, one of the fastest risers in TI's annual corruption index, received £38.5million in 2012 – a figure thought to have increased dramatically in the past year as the humanitarian crisis worsened. Earlier this month the Government suspended non-lethal military aid to northern Syria because of evidence it was falling into the hands of rebel groups linked to Al Qaeda.

Other corrupt nations enjoying British funding include Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of the Congo – 19th and 23rd in the index – which were both handed £139million. Pakistan, was given £197million despite being the 31st most corrupt.

The Department for International Development (DfID) said it has a zero tolerance approach to corruption and that there were 'rigorous checks to protect taxpayers' money'.

A DfID spokesman said: 'Stopping terrorism, money laundering and tax evasion in the world's most dangerous places is firmly in our own national interest. Fighting poverty and corruption will help to end aid dependency more quickly.'

Around £750,000 of taxpayers' money is given to North Korea through the Foreign Office but this goes to aid agencies, not the autocratic regime.

A FCO spokesman said the British Embassy in Pyongyang provides 'a very small amount of funding to individual community projects' for 'vulnerable groups'.

The huge rise in British aid is in stark contrast to other developed countries, most of which are slashing their aid programmes.

United Nations figures reveal that average aid spending is 0.29 per cent of income – less than half what Britain has budgeted.

 

 

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