UK’s development investment arm spent £7mn on business class flights

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According to the new published data, the UK government investment forces for international development have spent more than $ 7 million on business-class aircraft in the last two years.

British International Investment (BII), which receives the funds of taxpayers and owns it Overseas officeBusiness class flights for employees in 2021 spent $ 3.5 million in the previous year and $ 3.7 million in the previous year, official response to information freedom request by the Financial Times show.

It included more than 655 return flights, which have more than 655 return flights by 2021, for which there are more than $ 6,000 tickets.

According to the BII’s annual account, the number of employees that has increased over $ 200,000 by 2021 has increased in fifth place, for which statistics are available last year. It pushed the salary into more than a quarter of its 506 staff. In the same year, the number of employees has paid more than £ 400,000 to one to five to five.

As the UK support budget increases the budget is being investigated on BII’s expenditure on trading-class travel and big pay increase when categories are being asked Identify potential cuts As part of the expenditure review.

MPs and preachers criticized the expenditure By the agencyTo try and deal with investing across Asia, Africa and Caribbean Development challenges Supports the growth and innovation of the private sector.

Sara Champion, Chairman of the House of Commons International Development Committee, said: “I am concerned about a company that is funded by taxpayers to continue high bills and arguably a company to reduce expensive expenses.”

Labor MP has added that “at a time when government departments are facing serious financial challenges, the BII should be sued for why this national liberal pay should be sued”.

The committee is currently investigating the value of money that is “illumination” [that] The champion says the UK must have an impact for each pound, “said the champion.

NGOS Network Bond Policy and Advocacy Director Gidon Robinovits says: “BII is destroying limited UK assistance on luxury aircraft and inflamed salaries during the ODA and ODA. [official development assistance] The budget is being cut worldwide. “

He highlighted that “BII was providing real impacts to the bond” long-ended and fragile countries “asked:” BII’s investments are doing more to highlight people from poverty or compare more than a meaningful, prolonged change There is no purposeful evidence to provide based development funds. “

The BII said that in a “steady state” it was able to be “complete self-financial”, only the top-ups of capital from the government only needed to expand its activities.

British International Partnership – BII’s main unit in Foreign Office – This year the government’s assistance is expected to receive $ 1.15 million from the budget, which is expected to move to the majority of BII.

BII has more than 1,500 business partnerships and invested in businesses such as port and renewable energy plants as well as medical companies. Like other development finance organizations, the BII has faced criticism for not concentrating enough to tackle poverty.

A report of the International Development Committee 2021 highlighted the “greater concentration” of investment in BII’s middle-earned countries, which warned that “the poorest and most marginalized people do not seem to be targeting”.

Under the previous Conservative Government, Development Minister Andrew Mitchell reacted to the investigation by unveiling half of the annual budget of BII to reach the poorest and most fragile countries in the late decade.

The report urged the foreign, the Commonwealth and Development Office to increase the BII supervision and to take a voting seat on the BII board. The FCDO rejected the subsequent proposal that it does not believe it will increase the administration of BII or exceed the risk of attendees.

The BII says the company accepts the taxpayer’s value for “very seriously” money.

It also added: “In the past decade, the BII has returned about $ 1.5 billion for the UK taxpayer, while supporting millions of people living in some disadvantaged places in the world. Our operating expenditures presents only 1.5 percent of our portfolio commitment which is a total of £ 9.3bn.

“The remuneration levels have been set to recruit and retain people with technical skills and experiences that enable the BII to achieve its goals. If we meet the goals of our influence and provide financial returns for the UK taxpayer, employees only accept higher performances “

Commenting on its expenses on the flight, BII said: “Employees fly to business class on long distance flights to ensure that employees are able to work effectively after their journey.”

FCDO says: “The BII is effectively independent from the UK government and its operating expenses are covered by the profits that their investment. This confirms that the BII provides good value for the UK taxpayer. “