Kathmandu, February 14:

The organisations working in the development sector should be accountable to the public and their activities should be transparent, speakers at a programme stressed today.

Inaugurating a programme on ‘Civil Society Forum on Peace, Development and Foreign Aid: Civil Society Concerns’, Speaker Subas Chandra Nembang said experts are expressing concern about our inability to utilise foreign support in the best way though Nepal has been receiving foreign aid since 50 years.

“The development organisations need to be transparent about their activities and accountable to the people they are working for,” added Nembang.

Dr Ram Saran Mahat pointed out that political issues and agendas have become the prime concern of the country. “Until the financial and economic agendas are given due attention and efforts are made to improve the quality of people’s lives, development of the country may not be possible.”

CK Lal, a columnist, said, “The donor agencies are here with their own strategies and agendas, rather than with a purpose to develop the country. Hence, decision makers should

be more assertive while dealing with them.” Staff of NGOs should serve the society, he added.