Waste Of The Day: Congo Splurged At Davos On USAID Dime

The US Agency for International Development sent 1.3 billion dollars in foreign assistance to the Democratic Republic of the Congo last year, despite the country being the world's fifth-poorest by GDP per capita. The Congo spent the equivalent of 488,000 dollars on a six-night hotel stay during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. The country's delegation booked several dozen rooms at the five-star Hotel Quellenhof, with only six official members attending the forum. The hotel stay cost over 81,000 dollars per night, with the hotel describing itself as a haven of peace and luxury. This is not the first time the Congo has been criticized for its spending, as in 2020, the country booked 30 hotel rooms for almost 16,000 dollars, paid only 4,000 dollars, and then left Switzerland. The Congo is one of the 30 most corrupt countries in the world, according to Transparency International. The US funding for the Congo included humanitarian assistance, healthcare, and peace and security bills, managed by USAID. The funding has been a subject of controversy, with President Donald Trump temporarily halting all foreign funding and shutting down USAID, although the funding freeze was blocked by a federal judge. The incident highlights the need for rigorous oversight of foreign funding to ensure that American taxpayers' money is not being wasted on luxury resorts. The US should not be assisting governments that spend their citizens' money on lavish expenses.