Introduction

In this book, I have examined a good economic policy mainly by questioning the structure of the goals and instruments which define it. I will adopt the same approach in examining the role of foreign aid, as this approach appears so relevant and important to my purpose. Thus, the aim of this chapter is to examine the goals that foreign aid may pursue in order to support the implementation of the economic policy that I have defined in this book. Even if one of the operating goals of economic policy is the search for its independence and liberty to choose its own orientations, which is obtained through less dependence on foreign aid, I postulate that this search will be essentially a long-term task. This is due to the present financial situation of most aid-dependent countries, especially in the context of Africa. As a matter of fact, and in the medium term, African countries will continue to resort to foreign aid. In such a context, the question is to know how aid can best work to contribute positively to the implementation of economic policy. Answering this question entails, first and foremost, defining good goals for foreign aid – that is, what aid should aim at achieving. As with any venture, defining goals is a precondition for success.