From the article:
Ian Mitchell of the Center for Global Development warned that the speed of cuts, as aid is reduced from 0.7% to 0.5% of Britain’s gross national income, would create “major value-for-money risks”.
“To grow the budget to 0.7% from 0.5% took four years, but the equivalent cut is being undertaken in a matter of weeks,” said Mitchell.
“Bilateral aid programmes aren’t protected and some of them are with the world’s poorest countries, on issues such as basic health, so they’re relevant in fighting the Covid pandemic. This will be a major challenge for the UK’s poorest partners as they respond to the pandemic.
“The second issue is that many programmes are multiyear, so ministers will likely be cutting short projects that will no longer see their intended outcomes: in infrastructure programmes, for example, that would mean projects don’t end up being built. We can expect ministers to be pushed into decisions that won’t protect the best programmes and will undermine value for money.”
