World Bank Chief: Africas Century For Development
World Bank President Robert Zoellick concluded a visit to Africa on Thursday, saying he was still convinced this century belonged to Africas development despite damage to the continents economies caused by the global financial crisis.
He said Africas needs deserved more attention and should be made a priority at a meeting of the G20 countries (de ledende industrilande).
The World Bank chief said his travels to the DR Congo, Rwanda and Uganda had reinforced his belief that the immediate challenge to keep Africa growing required more resources to bolster regional integration as well as investments in energy, infrastructure and agriculture.
Meanwhile, a sharp increase in World Bank aid to Sub Saharan African has been fueled by the current global financial crisis. Commitments from the World Bank Group to sub-Saharan African countries rose to 9,9 billion US dollar in Financial Year 2009, up by 36 percent from 7,3 billion in FY08
The World Bank Group devoted significant energy and resources in FY09 with a strong focus on initiatives to protect the most vulnerable in the poorest countries; maintain long-term infrastructure investment programs; and sustain the potential for private sector-led economic growth and employment creation.
In related news, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni said his Government had harmonized with the World Banks targets on construction of roads and railway, modernization of agriculture and expanding the network of vocational schools.
Answering a question as to whether Uganda will ever shed off donor dependency, Museveni said Uganda used to borrow 50 percent of its budget, but now borrows only 32 percent, a sign of progress.
– If we succeed in building hydro-power stations, deal with roads and railways, and since we have already developed our human resource, we shall attract more investments to achieve self-sustenance, he stressed.
Kilde: www.worldbank.org
