The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has admitted it needs to comprehensively reassess how global aid figures are measured amid criticism that the value of assistance given is overstated by billions of dollars each year.

Although the statistics for official development assistance (ODA) shows that Malta is reaching the targets articulated in its promises, it was highly criticized in consecutive reports published by Concord, of inflating aid figures and of not being transparent in its donations.

A major multinational western company- Associated British Foods group (ABF)- was found to have used legal tax avoidance techniques to dodge its tax bill in Zambia.

The British Government is carrying out a review of the balance of competences between the European Union and the United Kingdom- an audit of what the EU does and how it affects the UK.

Congolese rebels are plundering the country’s natural resources to finance guns and materiel, but the EU remains powerless to compel companies to disclose whether they are buying vital minerals supplied by armed groups in Congo and other conflict states. The EU has no law to compel corporations to disclose the sources of raw materials bought in Congo to ensure that armed groups were not part of the supply chain.

EU candidate Turkey and South Korea are ramping up aid programmes for poor nations at a time when such spending in Europe is under threat, a EurActiv analysis of aid statistics shows.

Nigerian finance minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said on Friday, 1 February as part of UN development panel in Liberia that aid should not be situated at the core of Africa’s development. Instead, the continent needs innovation, infrastructure and jobs.

UK MPs argue that the 40% of the official development assistance (ODA) budget for 2012, which is channeled through international organizations as the World Bank and the EU, might not have the expected results, given the lack of effectiveness of the institutions in allocating the money.

The European External Action Service (EAS) was criticized for offering financial support from its own budget to overseas aid.

Africa gets plenty of financial support for science but suffers from 'brain drain' and low research output. The main reason is inadequate brick-and-mortar facilities needed for research.