ABSTRACT
Commodity aid and most types of technical assistance are examples of the most tied of all aid, and they suffer from a number of disadvantages endemic to tying. The channel of disbursement can affect the value and effectiveness of aid. Some development experts have attributed a number of advantages to aid disbursed multilaterally–advantages that correspond almost exactly to the disadvantages associated with bilateral aid. The most important and yet most disappointing conclusion to be drawn from the foregoing is that it is almost impossible to develop criteria for judging the value of aid that can be valid for all countries at all times. The higher the level of concessionality in aid, the higher its value. Thus grants as a form of aid are usually more valuable than loans. There is value in aid designed to promote a development strategy that, although adapted to the needs of individual countries, could contribute to balanced development, increased self-sufficiency and the reduction of poverty.
