Africa needs 'great increases' in aid - Wolfowitz

Reuters ^ | June 17, 2005 | Arthur Asiimwe

[ejdrapes]

Africa needs 'great increases' in aid - Wolfowitz

KIGALI (Reuters) - Rich nations including the United States should send much more aid to Africa, World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz said on Friday, adding he would try to persuade Washington to boost its assistance to the continent.

"I am strongly in favor of seeing great increases in levels of development assistance for Africa," he told reporters in Rwanda on his first visit to the continent in his new job.

"A number of governments have increased it substantially in recent years, including the United States, but I think much more is still needed," said the former U.S. deputy defense secretary, who took up his new job on June 1.

Wolfowitz began his visit to Africa after a weekend deal by the Group of Eight (G8) wealthy nations to wipe out more than $40 billion of the debt that 18 countries owe the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and African Development Bank.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair and President Bush met in Washington earlier this month on an ambitious proposal by Blair to sharply increase new assistance to Africa.

Blair wants the world's richest countries to give an extra $25 billion in aid a year and 100 percent debt cancellation for poor countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

So far there is no sign of Bush supporting an increase in assistance to Africa, and Washington essentially believes it is doing enough, although it wants to speed up delivery of aid.

Asked if he would use his contacts with the White House to push for more African aid, he replied: "I would like to see everybody do more."

"I'm not here to defend the Bush administration, I don't work for it any more. I intend to work not only with the administration but with Congress on both sides, with the Democrats and the Republicans, to develop more political will to increase foreign assistance."

"I've believed for a long time it's a good investment."

SUBSIDIES

Wolfowitz said increased aid would not be enough, even if used well and accountably, and African countries needed help to sell their produce overseas.

"What is promising now is that Africans and African leaders seem to recognize their responsibility about corruption, to develop institutions that will ensure transparency and accountability, so that assistance can be used well."

"Even with all that, you have to remember that developing countries, especially countries like Rwanda, need more opportunities to sell their products in international markets. That means developed countries have to act together to reduce agricultural subsidies and open markets."

Poor countries complain they are pushed out of markets in rich nations by tariff barriers, by subsidies paid to farmers in wealthy economies and by trade rules that make it prohibitively costly for them to process the raw materials they produce.

With 334 projects and commitments of $16.6 billion, the World Bank is the largest provider of development assistance to Africa.

Wolfowitz, who has already visited Nigeria and Burkina Faso on his African trip, travels next to South Africa.

[sandbar]

It's like my mom and dad told me, if we have to support you, we own you.

If we are going to support Africa because they can't manage to elect decent people to run the countries, or those leaders can't get a hold on the tribal wars, then we need to take the freaking place over. Africa could be wealthy nations, but ignorance abounds.

[dfwgator]

If the aid indeed went to the poor people in Africa, I would be all on board. The problem is the money ends up being used to build a lavish mansion for some tin-pot dictator.

[Little Ray]

So what?

They are not my friend, not my kin, and I wouldn't want them for neighbors. So charity is right out.

We won't get anything in return, so the profit motive is out, too.

To hell with Africa. They're most of the way there already.

[taxed2death]

Tell Wolfie to shove it. Stay the hell out of my wallet.

[mallardx]

Exactly. Here's a twist on an old phrase: Why not cut out the recipients and give the money directly to Middlemen?

[Iron Matron]

"...adding he would try to persuade Washington to boost its assistance to the continent...

Just Once. Once. I would like bureaucratic nitwits to ask the United States Taxpayers to VOTE on sending more money down the bottomless pit of Africa.

These Nations never help their people with the money, and we could use it to pay for Border Security, or Pay Back Social Security..what the hell is wrong with our Government?

If we'd quit spending money on every stinking potentate, drug dealers, welfare queens, et al into seeming infinity...Our NATION WOULD PROSPER...

[massgopguy]

Africa and its people are "pristine" and should not be spoiled by the intervention of the industrialized world.

[Iron Matron]

Africa and its people are "pristine" and should not be spoiled by the intervention of the industrialized world.

LOL! Guess that means our money too.

[cinives]

"What is promising now is that Africans and African leaders seem to recognize their responsibility about corruption, to develop institutions that will ensure transparency and accountability, so that assistance can be used well."

And his evidence of that is ... ??? Which totalitarian socialist government in Africa implemented free markets and property rights while I wasn't paying attention ?

Once, just once I'd like all these people grabbing for American taxpayer dollars to ask my opinion.

[Centurion2000]

I got a better idea. Let Africans clean up Africa

[oldbrowser]

Enough's enough already. Just because they "need," and we "have," doesn't mean we "owe." It's their own culture that holds them back.

I feel like an "enabler" when we send "aid" to these failed nations.

It seems that much of the aid is skimmed off by their leaders who are keeping the people in a state of near starvation generation after generation so they can get more aid to skim.

It's like farming.