United States Treasury Secretary in Ghana, Three Other African Countries to Listen, Learn, But no Promises or Announcement of Capital Disbursement
United states Secretary of the Treasury, Paul H. O’Neill, accompanied by the Irish rock music star-turned advocate for international humanitarian causes, Paul Hewson, popularly known as Bono, will be in Ghana Monday, May 20 and Tuesday, on the first stop of their much heralded four-nations visit to Africa.
At a press briefing Friday, May 17, in Washington, DC, Steve Radelet, Deputy Asst. Secretary of the Treasury for Africa, Middle East and South Asia, explained that the purpose of O’Neill’s visit is for him to listen and learn about “What kinds of economic and social policies Africans think about” and “What can the international community do in terms of policy issues to advance Africa’s development.”
Talking to a handful of invited reporters, Radelet indicated that in each of the African countries to be visited, Secretary O’Neill’s delegation is scheduled to meet with government officials and team of economists, Non-governmental Organizations, businesses and especially entrepreneurs in the agricultural sector. He said the delegation will think about health issues and talk about AIDS and AIDS-related orphanages.
According to Radelet, O’Neill’s delegation plans to “Get away from formal meetings and meet with people who are actually on the front lines.”
In Ghana, the delegation is scheduled to visit Regional hospitals in the North of the country.
Radelet said O’Neill’s delegation will discuss the Millennium Challenge Account including all its components of governance, production, banking and so on. He explained, though, that there will be no announcement of plans for disbursement of the Account “at this early stage.” Radelet said, “Besides, the aid will be disbursed on the basis of countries that demonstrate the conditions that would make the assistance productive.”
Within the Africanist community in Washington, DC, Secretary O’Neill is known to be the leader of President Bush’s administration officials who insist on linking U.S. assistance to African countries with good governance, anti-corruption policies, the rule of law and demonstrable capacity to be economically productive. The Secretary who is no stranger to African economic matters, holds the view that much of the economic assistance going to Africa in the past had either been stolen by politicians and government officials or wasted, according to press reports. O’Neill has been the Chief Executive of Alcoa, a US aluminum corporation with business interests in Africa.
“The Ghana government is in control, improving the business climate, but there are some issues on which they need assistance in direction; for example, how business negotiations could be done in a timely fashion,” Radelet pointed out. He said, “The issue of corruption and good governance will be raised.”
In Ghana, the O’Neill delegation plans to visit United States-funded projects,” according to Radelet; to see how well the funding is being utilized.
Responding to a reporter’s question, Radelet explained that United States hopes “to see productivity and production growth and poverty alleviation” in Africa. “Thus, the trip is to learn what works and what doesn’t work. It is a long process, we don’t expect things to change overnight.”
When this reporter raised the issue of the large US agricultural subsidies to American farmers that amount to protection of the sector with respect to free trade, Radelet focused his response on what he perceived to be the problems associated with Africa’s agricultural practices. “Constraints facing African farmers come from internal policies,” Radelet observed. He pointed out also, that “intra-Africa trade problems” need to be resolved.
U.S. President Bush’s administration sees trade as the path for Africa’s development. In that context, Radelet was asked to reconcile the United States massive protectionist agricultural subsidies with the call for free trade, given that Africa is predominantly agricultural? In effect, how is Africa expected to participate significantly in a free and fair world trade if the lucrative U.S. market is closed to agricultural products from the continent such as the sweet pineapples and top quality cocoa chocolate from Ghana?
Radelet explained that Africa Growth and Opportunity Act, AGOA, is important with respect to the development of the manufacturing sector of the African economy. He indicated that agricultural issues will be discussed at the next meeting of World Trade Organization, WTO. Radelet said, “Agricultural technology inputs for Africa is another issue that will be looked at.”
“For HIPC reasons, grants, as opposed to loans, is a better option” for injecting development capital into deserving African societies, Radelet indicated in response to this reporter’s question. “In countries with HIV-AIDS, it does not make sense to have them borrow money in order to finance AIDS” treatment, care and prevention, Radelet emphasized.
“There must be education grants, not education loans,” Radelet asserted. He said, “We hope there will be more grants in the future.”
According to Radelet, Secretary O’Neill is delighted with Bono’s inclusion on his delegation because attraction to him would give African issues greater attention. “Besides, seeing the issues through each other’s eyes, Bono and Secretary O’Neill hope to learn from each other,” Radelet explained
United States Treasury Secretary in Ghana, Three Other African Countries to Listen, Learn, But no Promises or Announcement of Capital Disbursement
United states Secretary of the Treasury, Paul H. O’Neill, accompanied by the Irish rock music star-turned advocate for international humanitarian causes, Paul Hewson, popularly known as Bono, will be in Ghana Monday, May 20 and Tuesday, on the first stop of their much heralded four-nations visit to Africa.
At a press briefing Friday, May 17, in Washington, DC, Steve Radelet, Deputy Asst. Secretary of the Treasury for Africa, Middle East and South Asia, explained that the purpose of O’Neill’s visit is for him to listen and learn about “What kinds of economic and social policies Africans think about” and “What can the international community do in terms of policy issues to advance Africa’s development.”
Talking to a handful of invited reporters, Radelet indicated that in each of the African countries to be visited, Secretary O’Neill’s delegation is scheduled to meet with government officials and team of economists, Non-governmental Organizations, businesses and especially entrepreneurs in the agricultural sector. He said the delegation will think about health issues and talk about AIDS and AIDS-related orphanages.
According to Radelet, O’Neill’s delegation plans to “Get away from formal meetings and meet with people who are actually on the front lines.”
In Ghana, the delegation is scheduled to visit Regional hospitals in the North of the country.
Radelet said O’Neill’s delegation will discuss the Millennium Challenge Account including all its components of governance, production, banking and so on. He explained, though, that there will be no announcement of plans for disbursement of the Account “at this early stage.” Radelet said, “Besides, the aid will be disbursed on the basis of countries that demonstrate the conditions that would make the assistance productive.”
Within the Africanist community in Washington, DC, Secretary O’Neill is known to be the leader of President Bush’s administration officials who insist on linking U.S. assistance to African countries with good governance, anti-corruption policies, the rule of law and demonstrable capacity to be economically productive. The Secretary who is no stranger to African economic matters, holds the view that much of the economic assistance going to Africa in the past had either been stolen by politicians and government officials or wasted, according to press reports. O’Neill has been the Chief Executive of Alcoa, a US aluminum corporation with business interests in Africa.
“The Ghana government is in control, improving the business climate, but there are some issues on which they need assistance in direction; for example, how business negotiations could be done in a timely fashion,” Radelet pointed out. He said, “The issue of corruption and good governance will be raised.”
In Ghana, the O’Neill delegation plans to visit United States-funded projects,” according to Radelet; to see how well the funding is being utilized.
Responding to a reporter’s question, Radelet explained that United States hopes “to see productivity and production growth and poverty alleviation” in Africa. “Thus, the trip is to learn what works and what doesn’t work. It is a long process, we don’t expect things to change overnight.”
When this reporter raised the issue of the large US agricultural subsidies to American farmers that amount to protection of the sector with respect to free trade, Radelet focused his response on what he perceived to be the problems associated with Africa’s agricultural practices. “Constraints facing African farmers come from internal policies,” Radelet observed. He pointed out also, that “intra-Africa trade problems” need to be resolved.
U.S. President Bush’s administration sees trade as the path for Africa’s development. In that context, Radelet was asked to reconcile the United States massive protectionist agricultural subsidies with the call for free trade, given that Africa is predominantly agricultural? In effect, how is Africa expected to participate significantly in a free and fair world trade if the lucrative U.S. market is closed to agricultural products from the continent such as the sweet pineapples and top quality cocoa chocolate from Ghana?
Radelet explained that Africa Growth and Opportunity Act, AGOA, is important with respect to the development of the manufacturing sector of the African economy. He indicated that agricultural issues will be discussed at the next meeting of World Trade Organization, WTO. Radelet said, “Agricultural technology inputs for Africa is another issue that will be looked at.”
“For HIPC reasons, grants, as opposed to loans, is a better option” for injecting development capital into deserving African societies, Radelet indicated in response to this reporter’s question. “In countries with HIV-AIDS, it does not make sense to have them borrow money in order to finance AIDS” treatment, care and prevention, Radelet emphasized.
“There must be education grants, not education loans,” Radelet asserted. He said, “We hope there will be more grants in the future.”
According to Radelet, Secretary O’Neill is delighted with Bono’s inclusion on his delegation because attraction to him would give African issues greater attention. “Besides, seeing the issues through each other’s eyes, Bono and Secretary O’Neill hope to learn from each other,” Radelet explained
