Pronk: westerse accountants controleerden ontwikkelingshulp, lokale experts werden genegeerd

Former Dutch development minister Jan Pronk criticizes how Western countries historically managed development aid through distrust and superiority, requiring Western accountants to oversee funds instead of trusting local professionals. Pronk argues that qualified local accountants were sidelined despite their capabilities, reflecting a broader pattern of Western paternalism in development policy. In a retrospective interview, he reflects on decades of development aid approaches and their underlying assumptions.