Sida is a Swedish government-sponsored charity organization that specializes in raising the quality of life in developing countries and “conducting reform cooperation with Eastern Europe,” as their website states. Research by Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet has revealed in an exclusive article that millions of euros are being misused. Instead of going to humanitarian and cultural programs, the money provided by Swedish tax-payers is spent on radio and television programs about the EU and joining NATO.
Just to be clear: the following article concerns Georgia the country, and not the state.
Georgia is a small country near Russia that took a big hit after the dissolution of the USSR, both politically and economically. Local cars and wine could not compete with imported brands and a civil war has left the country devastated. Since 1994 Sweden, through Sida, has been providing the country with financial aid. The main goals of the program were fighting poverty, rebuilding infrastructure, helping refugees and supporting medicine and education. Sida, working alongside UN and other partners, distributes around $13 million annually. When Mikhail Saakashvili became president in 2004, Georgia began a trend of close cooperation with the US, and things suddenly went uphill. Medicine was privatized; there was an economic boost and even whispers of joining NATO.
Since 2007 most of the Swedish aid has gone to projects supervised by American organizations, such as the National Democratic institute (NDI), EF and EPF. In 2014 38% of the money went to these companies. Millions were spent on financing unconventional enterprises, for humanitarian purposes: radio and TV entertainment. These three companies have gained almost absolute control of Georgian television by purchasing prime-time TV slots, and thus gaining the power to decide which programs will be aired. A source in the Georgian government shared great concern for the legitimacy of such practices with Aftonbladet. “Are you positive that the money was spent on federal channels?” asked the source in an interview. “This is against our legislation. Our media is forbidden to accept money from third parties.”
Is the National Democratic Institute hinting at something?
The NDI appears to be costing Swedish tax payers the most. And the ‘non-partisan’ organization not only seems to have political agenda, but the funds are being distributed rather peculiarly. Over $4 million was spent on local top-management’s salaries, housing, consulting and flights to Washington, according to Aftonbladet’s findings. It was just last year that the NDI ordered 29 talk-shows using Sida funds; 48 radio programs by Green Wave concerning ‘Euro-Atlantic integration’; funded a special course for journalists from 19 channels and translated ‘important international literature’, including books by the financial advisors three former presidents. By the way, 5,000 books were given out for free. From 2011 to 2013 the NDI also worked on a program called “European Choice”, which consisted of 49 episodes explaining why joining the EU is crucial to Georgians. But all of the above should have cost a little under $200 000. So who are these people, political agitators, embezzlers, or both?
