Some individuals believe that improving infrastructure should be the primary priority when spending foreign aid because it is the main factor that prevents developing countries from success. This essay strongly disagrees with this statement, and argues that such money is better spent on either profitable investments, such as industry and agriculture, or humanitarian projects, such as education and healthcare.
On the one hand, infrastructure brings no profit; therefore, it does not help the country pay its debts or achieve financial independence. On the other hand, factories and farms are two of the most important sources of revenue with which countries can pay their debts and fund other projects, such as those involved in improving the infrastructure. For example, in the period between 2013 and 2024, Egypt has constantly used foreign loans to build a better infrastructure while disregarding profitable programs, which has led the country into a cycle of borrowing and repaying debts without achieving financial independence.
Moreover, investing in humans is a profitable long-term investment that proved successful in many countries. That is because developing better tutoring and medical institutions will improve society and foster a population which is more capable of work and productivity. For instance, Kerala in India has focused on opening better schools and improving hospitals in the 1900s, and this improved its financial situation dramatically.
In conclusion, this essay believes that spending foreign fund in developing new industrial, agricultural, educational, and medical properties is more profitable than focusing on improving the infrastructure. Therefore, it disagrees with the notion that infrastructure should be the first priority when allocating foreign aid.