Taiwan Denies Misuse of Eswatini Aid Funds, Cites Project Reallocation

Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has strongly denied allegations made by a legislator that aid funds designated for Eswatini were misused. The controversy centers on a sum of $650,000 USD initially intended for the procurement of office furniture and equipment for Eswatini's overseas missions.

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The legislator's claims are inconsistent with the facts. Last year, Eswatini's Ministry of Foreign Affairs proposed a plan to assist its overseas missions in purchasing furniture and equipment. This year, after joint consultation, and at Eswatini's suggestion, the project budget's purpose was changed to the renovation of the country's international airport VIP lounge and the procurement of shuttle buses.

According to the ministry, the reallocation of these funds was proposed by Eswatini itself and agreed upon by both nations. The budget was changed to support the renovation of Eswatini's international airport VIP lounge and the purchase of shuttle buses. The ministry emphasized that all aid projects between Taiwan and Eswatini are subject to rigorous review by a joint technical supervisory committee.

Officials clarified that while Eswatini's Ministry of Foreign Affairs had requested assistance for embassy furnishings last year, the necessary procurement documents were not submitted correctly or on time. Consequently, no funds were disbursed under that initial plan. This year, following discussions, the joint committee agreed to the proposed change in the project's purpose.

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Due to subsequent procurement documents not being compliant and not being rectified in time, according to the current supervisory committee cooperation mechanism, our side did not disburse any funds.

Furthermore, the ministry stated that even for the revised project involving the airport lounge and shuttle buses, Eswatini has yet to submit compliant contract drafts to the Taiwanese representative office. Therefore, no payments have been made to date. The ministry reiterated that the approval and disbursement of funds for bilateral cooperation projects adhere to strict review mechanisms and auditing processes, refuting claims that the Taiwanese representative office unilaterally altered project items.

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For this revised plan, Eswatini submitted a draft contract to the representative office this year according to procedures, but the content had deficiencies and still needs Eswatini to rectify it, so the representative office has not paid any funds yet.