Give NGOs a chance to rebuild Qinghai
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Allowing NGO donations to flow from global donors would ease the economic burden of the government and thus limit the amount of nationwide tax money that needs to be re-directed toward rebuilding efforts. This benefits not just the region in crisis, but also the whole country by limiting the impact on government funds. Plus, the government and the people would benefit from better role identification.
While distributing aid, it is important to ensure that those receiving it are comfortable and secure. As such, a military or armed police presence is necessary. The problem, as the US military learned in Haiti, is that there can be significant and often dangerous role confusion if armed groups charged with security are also the distributors of aid. Unforeseen consequences and tension between those trying to help and those in need of help can arise - and did arise in Haiti. Allowing NGOs to be an ally in distribution and execution of aid projects reduces the burden on armed forces and the chances of raising tension.
Finally, as auditors, governments can play a crucial financial role for donors and NGOs. By doing so, a government would ensure new funds reach the intended and advertised targets smoothly, minimum resources are wasted and a certain level of transparency is maintained - all crucial for the long-term engagement of donors.
Being just an auditor would also lift the pressure of playing multiple roles that a government has to play now. For example, at present a government has to play the roles of central donation collector, distributor and executor. This mixed roleplay creates inherent confusion and blurs the roles and functions.
If a government acts primarily as the auditor it can ensure supervision of NGOs' finances and start a new era of transparent donations and unprecedented domestic and international charity.
Qinghai has survived and will rebuild. But the question is how well and how fast. Many options are available to the government and the people of Qinghai. But if they say "yes" to a friend's offer to buy them dinner, they should stick to the same logic when international and domestic NGOs offer to rebuild the houses devastated by the earthquake.
The author is group president of Grasshopper Group Inc.
