A large group of non-governmental organisations appealed to Finance Minister Eero Heinäluoma on Thursday, calling for the government to adhere to the targets set in its programme concerning development aid funding.
The representatives of the NGOs handed over their petition to a cardboard cut-out of Heinäluoma, because the minister himself refused to meet with their delegation. In addition, Heinäluoma is on holiday all this week.
The government programme sets as its goal the raising of development aid to 0.7 percent of GDP by 2010, on condition that the economic situation allows for this. Finland has also committed itself to this pace of progress in the EU.
According to some Foreign Ministry officials, the Ministry of Finance is unwilling to increase next year's funding to the extent that meeting the deadline would require. In 2006, Finland's development aid will be EUR 671 million, which represents 0.42 percent of GDP.
