Make war on poverty genuine-Mkapa appeals to G-8 leaders
 
2005-07-10 11:02:18
By Observer Correspondent

	President Benjamin Mkapa in discussion with the US President George Bush (R) during the G8 Summit in Gleneagles on Friday.President Mkapa and his entourage returned home yesterday(Saturday)

President Benjamin Mkapa has asked the leaders of the G8 countries to go down in history as the generation that decisively helped to make African poverty history in partnership with the current generation of African leaders.

In discussion with G8 leaders yesterday in Gleneagles the President recalled the liberation struggle in Southern Africa saying that it had never occurred to him in his public service at that time, that apartheid will be history in his life time.

But when the then OAU, Frontline States and the then G7 formed a United Front, apartheid was swept away. Likewise, he told the G8 leaders, the time was opportune now for the G8 and African leaders to constitute a United Front that would make poverty history in the next few years.

At least in terms of fast-tracking the attainment of millennium development goals by 2015.

President Mkapa also emphasized that the war on poverty has to be a genuine partnership between rich and poor countries, whereby each side lives up to its commitments and obligations, and is ready to be peer-reviewed on the basis of joint accountability.

He added that issue of aid effectiveness is critical, but that where it is lacking it is not inevitable that a developing country in question is solely responsible.

Meanwhile President Mkapa used his participation in the G8 summit to ask for clarification on the actual benefit to accrue to Tanzania following the G8 decision to cancel the historical multilateral debts of 14 African countries, including Tanzania.

The President received assurance that in view of its impressive record in economic management, poverty reduction focus, good governance and good use of aid and previous debt relief, Tanzania is expected to receive a significant share of the added resources.

The actual amount will be worked out by the boards of the IMF, the World Bank, and the African Development Bank over the next few months. President Mkapa urged speed such that the benefit of the relief will begin to flow before next G8 summit.

He said that to him, debt relief was the most assured form for development assistance as it frees revenues in his government budget to go to poverty reduction instead of debt servicing.

He also pointed out that the war on corruption is not only about the number of cases in court, even though Tanzania has many such cases.

He emphasized the necessary work done to build, strengthen and empower institutions, as well as to streamline and open to scrutiny processes and procedures such as public procurement, customs and general tax administration so as to plug loopholes for corruption driven decision-making.

He urged the case for more donor support institution building, including strengthening the Judiciary and the prevention of corruption bureau.

The G8 leaders commended President Mkapa for leading an exemplary war on poverty and for his commitment to good governance assuring him of continued support as long as this impressive development were sustained.

President Mkapa also had a brief discussions with the new President of the World Bank, Mr Paul Wolfowitz along the same line.

• SOURCE: Sunday Observer