A Victoria University Professor of Development Studies says a push in the Cook Islands to have donor funding go straight into the general budget is in line with global trends in aid delivery.
The Cook Islands acting finance secretary says the European Union is paying for a Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability assessment with a view to providing general budget support within the next financial year.
Professor John Overton says the traditional system of project-related aid is costly to administer and he wouldn't be surprised to see the Cook Islands follow overseas models and establish a lead donor who manages all government negotiations.
"There's this global trend and following the Paris Declaration amongst aid donors in 2005 to move towards this sort of funding and also to have donors working more closely together."
Victoria University's Professor John Overton.
