[K Original Tracker] Advanced Countries Complete ODA in a Year... South Korea Takes 2 Years

Buddhas "Review Period Should Be Shortened Like Other Countries"
National Office for Government Policy Coordination "Now Is the Right Time to Avoid Overlapping Projects"

There are concerns that the government's Official Development Assistance (ODA) projects are not being implemented swiftly due to regulations requiring a 'preliminary review at least two years in advance.'

According to related ministries on the 8th, most ODA projects carried out in Korea begin with a 'preliminary review system.' This system involves sharing project details between agencies two years before the ODA is implemented. ODA officers from each ministry upload project information to the 'Preliminary Project Information Monitoring System.' When the project implementation date approaches within one year, the preliminary review results are reflected to develop detailed project plans, and full-scale project coordination is conducted. After the budget is incorporated, the project commences the following year.

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is speaking at the 46th International Development Cooperation Committee held at the Government Seoul Office on June 30.

Government ODA officials complain that the preliminary review system is 'too slow since the ODA only starts two years later.' A government official who requested anonymity said, “Developing countries often experience rapid political changes, and the projects they want can change quickly depending on the international environment. When an ODA project requested by a developing country is scheduled to be implemented two years later, it is common that the leader has changed or the project has become unnecessary due to changes in the external environment.”

Due to the slow pace, there are cases where other countries take over the ODA projects that our government intended to carry out. While it takes two years for Korea to respond to an ODA request, most advanced donor countries usually start aid within about a year. Another official in charge of ODA from a different ministry said, “ODA can be seen as a competition among developed countries,” adding, “There have been times when Japan preempted similar projects because we could not provide ODA in a timely manner.”

For this reason, when inter-ministerial ODA meetings are held, officials continuously propose improvements to the preliminary review system. It is also known that some ministries have prepared their own improvement plans and submitted proposals.

The Office for Government Policy Coordination, which oversees ODA, stated that since the preliminary review system is effective in preventing duplicate projects and ensuring project linkage, it is desirable to maintain the current method. Before 2013, projects were reviewed starting one year in advance, which led to overlapping similar projects, but now, by reviewing projects two years in advance, more substantial project implementation has become possible.

An official from the Office for Government Policy Coordination said, “The preliminary review system was introduced to avoid duplication and promote linkage and cooperation,” adding, “It is a strongly recommended measure, not mandatory, so not registering in the preliminary review system does not mean a project cannot be carried out.” The official also said, “Since it is about sharing information together, there can be no side effects.”

Voices from the field call for more flexible operation of the preliminary review system. Another government ODA official said, “There was a time when skipping the preliminary review required a written explanation with the minister’s seal,” and added, “Only about 10% of ODA projects have been carried out quickly without the preliminary review system.”

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This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.