We are tied of token interventions by devt partners – MP

Mrs. Harriet Tetteh-Kpodar, NDC - Awutu-Senya, Wednesday described a nine-million US dollar Canadian support for African Parliaments as a token intervention and urged development partners of African countries to be more serious with their support for Africa.

She noted that there were at least 20 African countries practicing democracy and had parliaments, adding, "we are tied of these token interventions from our development partners because at the end of the day, such small amounts do next to nothing in solving our numerous logistical, research, administrative and other problems."

Mrs. Tetteh-Kpodar made the remark when she seconded a motion for the adoption of a report on the African-Canadian Parliamentary Strengthening Program Meeting Held in Accra from March 23 - 25 and in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia between May 18 and 23, this year. She said, "our development partners must not only join us to talk about our problems - they must join to find permanent and not just temporary solutions to such problems."

In the motion, Mr. Steve S. Akorli, NDC-Ho East, leader of the Parliamentary delegation to the two meetings, said following the presentation of the NEPAD Agenda by African leaders to the G8 countries in Genoa three years ago and a follow-up discussion in Canada in June 2001, Canada has created a 500-million dollar fund for Africa in pursuit of the NEPAD agenda.

He said out of the 500 million dollars, nine million dollars has been set aside to provide technical assistance to African Parliamentary Networks and associations in the areas of capacity building for increased financial accountability and oversight, increased participation of women in politics and strengthening parliaments in anti-corruption measures.

The nine million dollars, he said would also cover support in the areas of enhancement of public access to government and improvement of parliamentary administration as well provision of training in the skill of monitoring activities in the Poverty Reduction Strategies