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Former High Commissioner to Samoa criticizes NZ aid

Sign on container: Samoa-New Zealand Renewable Energy Partnership

Apia, SAMOA — New Zealand's former High Commissioner to Samoa says New Zealand's aid program in the Pacific is slow and bureaucratic.

David Nicholson left his posting over the weekend after almost two years in Apia.

He told the Samoa Observer a lot of aid projects failed because officials in Wellington do not understand the local context in the Pacific.

"When people talk about the Pacific in Wellington, they use a generic noun and as you know, you go to different Pacific countries and they are all very different," he said.

He said the aid process is full of process and takes too long to be implemented, although it has a focus on quality.

Mr Nicholson said he rallied against Wellington-driven decision making in his former role and instead emphasised working with local partners.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade has been approached for comment.