Udviklingsminister Ulla Tørnæs (V) fremlagde tirsdag på en konference i København om erhvervsmuligheder i Afrika VK-regeringens – og dermed Danidas – nye handlingsplan for “Erhverv, vækst og udvikling”, der skal styrke dansk erhvervslivs rolle i u-landsbistanden.
VI bringer her den del af udviklingsministerens tale, hvor hun omtaler planen “Business, Growth and Development”
Af Ulla Tørnæs
Today the government presents “Business, Growth and Development”, the Action Programme for Danish support to Private Sector Development in the Developing Countries.
The Action Programme reflects modern thinking by coordinating – to a much bigger extent than was previously the case – the various Private Sector Development instruments that we have at our disposal.
These financing instruments are the Business-to-Business-Programme, the Mixed Credit Scheme and the Industrialisation Fund for Developing Countries. They offer Danish companies a possibility to support economic growth in Africa by means of investment seed financing, credit schemes, equity investments and loans.
The Business-to-Business programme is a renewed programme. It offers possibilities for Danish companies that want to become involved, but maybe have less experience in Africa.
Through this concept Danida will assist in identifying a potential local business collaboration partner within your specific area of interest. With the right local partner you might avoid some of the pitfalls that are always connected to doing business.
One important result of Danish enterprises partnerships with companies in Africa is the transfer of ethical, social and environmental values. Good working environments, the rights of women, corporate social responsibility with respect for human rights and fighting corruption is in practice often advanced through the participation of Danish companies in business sectors of the developing countries.
This is also the reason why the new Action Programme gives an extended role to the more recently launched Programme for Public-Private Partnership. This Partnership Programme builds on the UN Global Compact principles.
The Programme shall be enlarged, and Danish companies shall have the possibility to receive support for actions within Public Private Partnerships.
Toolbox
The Action Programme highly encourages private sector development within the recipient countries national poverty strategies. Danish Embassies will be asked to identify areas where it is possible to advance the inclusion of the private sector.
The Action Programme emphasizes better monitoring of progress on improving market access in the Danish programme countries. It furthermore accentuates strategic approaches to management training and alignment of vocational education to the needs of the companies.
The Programme underscores increased flexibility and a common feasibility study concept for the Business-to-Business Programme, the Industrialisation Fund and the Mixed Credit Scheme.
The activities I have mentioned will be coordinated to match the country specific conditions of each partner collaboration country.
Bearing
The Danish business sector has the size and the experience required to work in weaker economies. The sectors experience from work with Danida, international development assistance organisations and others has created a solid basis for contributing to the development process.
You might, however, ask the question: “What is there for my company in the new Action Programme?” Or “How can I more specifically combine my companys business interests with poverty reduction?”
My answer to these questions is firstly that in Denmarks country-to-country collaboration the effort will be done at three different levels.
The ONE is in support for efforts to liberalize global trade and secure market access.
The SECOND is at interventions within good governance with specific, targeted programmes to assist in improving the framework conditions for doing business in partner countries.
The THIRD level is by the improvement of, and coordination among, the Danish business instruments in development cooperation. It is exactly by combining the various tools, which we have at our disposal, that we give Danish companies a possibility to develop more consolidated business strategies in Africa.
We are right now in the process of strengthening the Mixed Credit Scheme in Africa for the purpose of financing bigger infrastructure projects.
We are also in the process of establishing a system, whereby a Danish company wanting to start a business in Africa will receive more full-fledged advice on how the Business-to-Business Programme and the Industrialisation Fund can be used as a start-up.
The government last year decided, by lowering the country threshold, which the Industrialisation Fund (IFU) operate within, that the Fund should to a higher extent reflect the poverty alleviation orientation of Danish development assistance.
We will, as one result this year, see a strengthening of the Funds activities in Africa as well as of the collaboration between Danida and the Fund.
My answer to your questions is secondly, that Denmark over the next years will become engaged in more business sector programmes.
We have now started cooperation on this in Kenya. Programmes have been established in Ghana, Tanzania and Vietnam. We have in Denmark positive experiences with these programmes that basically aim at the improvement of the growth potential of small- and medium-sized companies.
I hope to see more business sector programmes be established in more of our programme countries in Africa.
Likewise, it is important that private sector development from now on shall be incorporated into sector programmes that have clear Private Sector Development potential such as for example transportation, agriculture and fisheries.
This implies that Denmark – in collaboration with the countries that we assist in their reform process – will assist Africa in establishing viable business environments. The initiative is intended to give African governments a hand in creating – by themselves – the basic conditions for growth that will enable Africa to take active part in the globalisation process.
I like to finish by saying that what we aim at in the new Action Programme is to stimulate economic growth. At the business level we will advance increased synergy between the various Private Sector Development policy tools.
The motivation for this is to assist Africa. It is up to you to take advantage of the tools we are providing.
I talk from experience when I say that Africa is a highly fascinating continent to become familiar with. It is my hope that you will embrace the new initiative, the Action Programme, and that you will utilize the possibilities, the minister concluded.
Kilde: www.um.dk
