The Author seems to be arguing for the privatisation of foreign aid? Debt for equity swaps? Yes, all to often this money winds up in the hands of corrupt governments who use it to by bullets to put down dissent?

We need to bypass these regimes altogether and instead look for a local NGO? Who could be tasked with rolling out the aid as education grants and or micro loans to women that get cottage industries and endeavor started. An oxen to pull the plough all while supplying milk? or a bicycle to transport the handcraft to a village market; or a solar panel to provide power for a laptop and a light, so that study can be done after dark, the only time that's possible for girls in some communities?

We used to have op shops that functioned only to serve the poor and downtrodden?

Now they seem more like commercial enterprises where the eyes are picked out of our charity? Ditto aid bins that are repeatedly raided by private operators who own second hand stores and are just too mean to pay a fair price for their stock, which all too often is transferred to them at bargain basement prices simply to put food on the table!?

I say NO! to these practices; and money changer in the temple, foreign aid! If you can't afford or just don't like being a good samaritan, just keep your money in your pocket! Or reallocate it for outhouse duties!

Similarly foreign aid needs to be far better targeted so we can do more good with far less!
Alan B.

Yep Alan.

The article seems to be much about promoting dubious ideas and making money for some. Indicative may be self-promotion:

"About the Author

Vince Hooper is a British/Australian citizen and an expert and consultant in international finance to major multinational enterprises. He publishes in top journals like the International Journal of Forecasting, on volatility. He has served on the faculty at the Australian National University and the Australian School of Business. He has organized two major symposiums on the global financial crisis in Australia [2008] and Britain [2012] appropriately titled the “Time Varying Correlation and Volatility Symposium” which has enjoyed participation and input by world leading financial economists with coverage by the BBC. He has been a contributor to the AFR, SMH and ABC amongst other leading media on the Euro, the GFC, as well as financial market regulation. As Managing Director of Plymouth Videoconferencing Services he is establishing educational programmes in Brunei, China, Kazakhstan and the Middle East for Australian and UK Institutions."

All of us should be aware that "He publishes in top journals..."

The old people in this country, who paid taxes all their lives to pay for the schools,
hospitals,roads, railway lines etc are paid a weekly amount $100.00 below the poverty line to live on. They were never paid superannuation. They are more entitled to that money being sent overseas,, to countries dominated by male leaders who are too stupid to stop the Rise of 7billion people and the overcrowding of their countries leading to all this poverty and misery in the first place

That money should be returned to Your grandmothers and grandfathers
before it is handed out to people who never did anything,or contributed anything
to this country