Africa calls for $20bn G8 fund to back reforms

ABUJA: African leaders asked the Group of Eight rich nations for $20 billion to finance new projects arising from a new African initiative to promote good governance and reform, according to a statement issued on Monday.

The new $20 billion fund, to be managed by the multilateral African Development Bank, should be set up by the end of the year and would be used to finance projects in agriculture, health, water, sanitation and education, the statement said.

The money is in addition to a $40 billion debt relief deal agreed by the G8 rich nations at a meeting in London earlier this month.

Leaders of the world’s poorest continent are trying to take advantage of a groundswell of goodwill towards Africa ahead of the G8 summit, and want to showcase their own efforts to curb corruption and poverty. The leaders of Algeria, Ghana, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone and South Africa were present at the Abuja summit, and the statement was issued in the name of other African countries that are part of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), a home-grown rescue plan for the continent.

The new fund would be used for investment in problem areas identified by a new programme known as "peer review", under which 23 African countries are due to examine each others’ performance in terms of economic development. They then develop targeted rescue plans with long-term monitoring.

"The fund would finance infrastructure projects and other priority programmes ... arising out of the African Peer Review Mechanism process," the statement said.

The first two countries in the scheme, Rwanda and Ghana, unveiled their reviews at the Abuja summit on Sunday, and four more countries are set to start the process before the end of this year.

"This is the most credible litmus test of African commitment to improving governance," said Abdoulie Janneh, Africa director of the United Nations Development Programme. It also called for development assistance to be doubled in three years and further increases to be scheduled to ensure Africa meets ambitious goals in health, education, poverty reduction within 10 years.

- The News


No continente africano continua a saga do cultivo de subsídios e ajuda humanitária.

Apenas uma ínfima parte dos montantes chega às populações necessitadas. O grosso das verbas fica nas contas da cadeia alimentar.

Ao invés de prestarem caridade dúbia, não depredem as populações. Tratem-nas com respeito; respeitem a sua dignidade e especificidade.

Ensinem a "pescar".