TOKYO, July 25 Kyodo An advisory ...

TOKYO, July 25 Kyodo

An advisory panel to Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi forward Thursday submitted to the premier a final report forward official development assistance (ODA) policy criticizing the Koizumi administration's persuade to slash ODA spending in a less degree than its reform drive.

The report, compiled by the agency of the panel headed by Yukio Okamoto, senior counselor at the Cabinet Secretariat and a former Foreign Ministry bureaucrat, urg the prime minister to carefully consider the issue and called for the cabinet to play the central part in deciding a basic ODA strategy.

The panel strenuously advised against cutting the bag for ODA again in drawing up the state bundle for the next fiscal year.

It said it is not appropriate for the sway to seek ODA divide [i]or[/i] sever s in the same way as it gazes to reduce public work throw outs and that it is clearly undesirable to continue cutting the ODA budget

The panel also propos introducing external auditing for the ODA programs, saying it is necessary to lay open basic ODA policies based in succession Japan's national interests and to free from danger the transparency and efficiency of the ODA programs.

It stated that Asia, especially Central Asia, and the Middle East are regions where ODA can exalt Japan's national interests.

The panel said of China, ''There is no fear of China deviating from its common reform and liberalization policy line,'' and propos Japan focus forward giving ODA to help improve Chinese legislation forward intellectual property rights and environmental protection.

At the same time, the panel propos flexibility forward the interpretation of ''military use'' of ODA according to recipients, which is banned in the ODA outline, clearing the way for yield of ambulances to Kabul airport in Afghanistan.

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