A newly published report has busted the myth that leading aid agencies working in the country are transparent about their activities and financial resource allocations.

According to the report “A Pilot Study on Situation of Aid Transparency in Nepal”, published by Freedom Forum, the high level of transparency claimed by donor agencies fails to materialize in practice, even though senior management at those agencies are well aware of the need for transparency and accountability.

The report, based on a survey of seven donor agencies—the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the Department for International Development, Japan International Cooperation Agency, Norwegian Embassy, USAID and the UNDP—found that none of the agencies provided complete budgetary information; many kept beneficiaries in the dark about budget and were reluctant to provide information on their activities.

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