My name is Kamal Mann. I am here as a volunteer on behalf of Engineers Without Borders Canada.
In budget 2018, we ask that Canada commit to a timetable of predictable annual increases to its international assistance envelope that would bring Canada's development assistance to 0.31% of GNI within the government's first mandate.
Canada's current level of development assistance is 0.26% of GNI, and it's the lowest in recent history. While development assistance globally has increased 9% in the past year according to the OECD, it is disappointing that Canada's own contributions have declined by 4%.
Increasing aid will help Canada achieve the sustainable development goals and increase economic growth. Forthcoming research from the Canadian International Development Platform suggests that countries receiving development assistance tend to import more Canadian goods than they would without aid.
We hope that budget 2018 can correct this downward spending trend so that Canada can fulfill its global commitment. Thank you very much for your time.