Solomon Islands Chief Justice Sir Albert Palmer says it is important that New Zealand does not have pre-conceived ideas on how development aid should be spent.

Speaking during this week’s symposium in Wellington on New Zealand’s relationship with Melanesia, Sir Albert says it was an opportunity to hear the voices of leaders on how the aid could be better applied.

He says this way they can ensure that the aid is achieving what each of the recipient countries wants it to achieve.

“The importance is in not having pre-conceived ideas as to how the assistance should be dissipated but giving the opportunity to the home country to indicate and spell out actually what the needs are, identify them, and then looking through this sort of symposium as to how it can be dissipated so that achieves and the assistance produces results that are sustainable.”

Source: RNZI