5. Development assistance has been known to end up in the wrong pockets. How can fraud be prevented.

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5. Development assistance has been known to end up in the wrong pockets. How can fraud be prevented.

Fraud and dishonesty plagues every aspect of today’s life. They may therefore well occur in the World Marshall Plan. However, the Plan provides safeguards. These are:

  1. No money is distributed as supplementary income. Embezzlement would therefore involve the annexation of goods and services, ordered by another person. This is safeguarded because:
    • Requests for goods and services are made after private person to person consultation with a couple of development workers, who after the private consultation, will often understand WHY they were ordered. The development workers are there to safeguard the process against coercion.
    • Every person is a member of a small discussion group where he or she will have had an opportunity to speak. Coercion may well be detected by fellow group members.
    • Goods and services may be collected only after identification of the receiver. It will be difficult to pick up what another person has requested.
    • Everyone is subject to the same rules: anyone wishing to check what anyone else anywhere in the world has ordered can do so by consulting the computer system. All people are therefore one another’s “keepers”.
    • Development workers work in pairs. One is chosen from the immediate region, the other from the international level. Theirs are likely to be quite different backgrounds and they will be able to check up on each other’s work.

In other words, regional and international development workers, fellow discussion group members and anyone anywhere in the world wishing to check on irregular purchasing patterns in specific regions — all these are “keepers” of the system.

Moreover: ANYONE CHEATING RISKS EXCLUSION FROM THE SYSTEM AS PRODUCER AND AS RECIPIENT. In the beginning when each receives U.N. $500 , ones “good name” is at stake. As one’s income increases, say in 15 – 20 years, one stands to lose as much as $15000 per year, as well as ones reputation worldwide.