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Technical Assistance and Good Governance
USAID works to support and reinforce the capacity of national, provincial and local governments to plan and undertake reconstruction to better inform their priorities and decisions and to deliver services to citizens, resolve disputes and improve financial management. Below are highlights of USAID's work in this area.
05/11/05 Ensuring transparency and accountability
US Comptroller General David Walker and Ms. Jacquelyn Williams-Bridger, Managing Director of
GAO’s International Affairs and Trade Team, visited Jakarta April 25 – 27 to attend a 3-day
“International Conference on Promoting Financial Accountability in Managing Funds Related to
Tsunami, Conflict and Other Disasters.” The conference brought together public sector auditors from
donor nations and nations affected by the tsunami, as well as international financial institutions, the
United Nations and others. The conference was organized by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and
Indonesia’s Supreme Audit Authority (BPK) and included sessions on managing disaster relief; lessons
learned from India and Sri Lanka; and perspectives from the GAO and the audit boards of Australia,
China, Japan, and the Netherlands. Indonesia’s President Susilo Banbang Yudhoyono opened the
conference; other speakers included Public Welfare Minister Alwi Shihab, Planning Minister Sri Mulyani
Indrawati, and Dr. Anwar Nasution, Chairman of the BPK.
04/27/05 Government of Indonesia releases Master Plan
The Government of Indonesia’s Master Plan for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of tsunamiaffected
areas in Northern Sumatra is now available. On March 26, the Indonesian Government
presented this draft plan to local governments and the public for comment. An English version of the
document may be accessed at the following site sponsored by USAID and other donors:
http://www.e-aceh.org.
04/20/05 USAID helps Thailand “to build back better”
USAID’s integrated coastal management project will assist four pilot villages to restart and diversify key coastal livelihoods for longer-term economic security and environmental sustainability. USAID will help villagers in tsunami-devastated areas to create a vision for their communities and implement activities in sustainable fisheries, low-impact aquaculture and culturally appropriate eco-tourism. Results of this three-year activity include the replacement of fishing boats and gear, best practices identified that allow marine resources to produce sustainable benefits, diversified livelihoods initiated through training and start-up loans, environmentally sound designs of public infrastructure adopted by the local governments, and strengthened capacity of local governments and fisheries managers to implement sustainable fisheries co-management strategies. USAID’s project in Thailand is carried out by a consortium of organizations led by the Coastal Resources Center of the University of Rhode Island, in close collaboration with the Asian Institute of Technology, and is expected to be a model for replication in other communities in Thailand as well as in other countries in the region. Sri Lanka has already expressed interest in this integrated coastal management approach.
04/13/05 USAID and the City of Aceh support good
governance
On April 7, USAID signed a Memoranda of
Understanding (MOU) with the City of Banda
Aceh to strengthen recovery planning and
promote citizen participation in local governance.
USAID will assist the city government and
community organizations to develop a city-wide
recovery action plan to address immediate
priorities and strengthen local capacity to
implement the action plan. USAID will also engage
Syiah Kuala University's Faculty of Law to assist with property rights issues. The program will
strengthen the local government public information unit to provide the public with key information on
services and developments, and improve communication with citizens.
The USAID Local Governance Support Program (LGSP) was launched on March 30 and is providing
almost US$60 million in capacity-building assistance to 100 districts and municipalities as well as civil
society organizations in seven Indonesian provinces, including Aceh.
LGSP is part of a broader USAID effort supporting recovery and rehabilitation efforts in Aceh. To date,
USAID has provided more than $52.2 million in emergency food assistance, relief supplies, shelter,
water and sanitation, health, livelihoods and other support for tsunami-affected communities in Aceh
and North Sumatra.
03/16/05 Ensuring Transparency and Accountability
At the invitation of the Government of Indonesia, USAID is
providing expert advice to improve financial controls over
reconstruction funds. A team of experts from the U.S. General Accounting Office will work with the
Government of Indonesia’s Supreme Audit Agency Board (BPK) to establish systems to ensure the
accountability, transparency, and efficient use of the tsunami reconstruction funds. USAID is also
working with the Planning & Development Ministry, BAPPENAS, to launch a web-based database of
projects and procurement information. This will serve to promote transparency and accountability by
facilitating public access to information.
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