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The case in the developing world is different, there is hardly a private
industry to cater to them, these experts are in very dire circumstances,
in their under-paid jobs either in the public service or in the universi-
ties with high designations in keeping with their competence. But living
at the poverty line.
The most highly qualified local expert (Sri Lanka) is paid a pittance
of $ 200 a month maximum, while most are paid in the order of $ 50 a month,
with no fringe benefits, which is not enough to keep body and soul to-
gether. What keeps them is their moral duty to the country and the community
which is relatively strong in the eastern world, with traditions which
are not always meterialistic. But one can push them only to the limits
that is determined by the daily requirements of basic food, clothing and
shelter.
In such a situation when UN and other international agencies preclude
the recruitment of competent local expertise, just because they are na-
tionals, this brings very strong and justifiable resentment among the
community of the local experts. This results in frustration of the indi-
vidual who ultimately fulfills himself and these experts become expatriate
experts in other countries joining the UN or other international agencies
$ 4,000 a month or as a UN volunteer $ 1,000 a month doing the greatest
damage to their own countries. The question being asked by the Local pro-
fessionals is that there is no relationship of value of work to remunera-
tion. The country experts would not mind a top expert being paid better
remuneration for he is worthiit, in fact it would be a priviledge to have
them. But the fact is that often mediocrities are being fostered on de-
veloping countries, when there are many country experts more qualified
and experienced. In such a situation a national is better suited because
. he is better informed of the local requirements than any other national,
and therefore every effort must be made to keep him in this country.
Some may argue that the UN and other bilateral agencies do not necessarily
select an individual as there is a choice of persons to be selected from,
by the individual country. The fact is that all aid is tied with foreign
experts, there is in fact no choice. Thepoint I am drawing is, what is
wrong with competent national experts, why cannot they be utilised as
experts in their own country, where they are best suited, available and
actually required for technical assistance programmes.
The best solution is no doubt to send only genuine experts to the develop-
ing world, while also applying the same terms to eligible persons in the
developing country itself, not disqualifying them because they are na-
tionals. By this measure one would prempt the pseudo expert and only get
the genuine experts who are really needed whether he is a national or
not. And not as today make it part of the "furniture" of foreign assist-
ance whether they are required or not and end up with pseudo experts.
The need has therefore arisen to have a professional institution to see
that the profession is not undermined by those masquerading as experts;
as well as protecting the genuine experts in the developing world, and
the profession in general. :
Then there is also the frustration in a developing country where one is
not able to afford the purchase of journals and other reading materials
to up-date ones knowledge, for the simple reason of not being able to
pay for it. I must say very frankly than even though I hold a very high
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