(October 24, 2004) The Paris Club of rich lending nations has agreed to cancel $758 million of Ethiopian debt to help end poverty and promote growth in the country.
Fighting corruption alone
(October 22, 2004) The World Bank’s long, drawn-out and half-hearted response to the conviction of a Canadian company for bribery on a Bank-funded project in southern Africa suggests that developing countries, when they do get serious about corruption, are on their own.
Nigeria slams corruption ranking
(October 21, 2004) Nigeria has strongly criticised a survey which ranks it as the most corrupt country in Africa saying it is “fundamentally flawed”.
Nigeria refutes global corruption watchdog’s report
(October 21, 2004) The Nigerian government on Thursday refuted Transparency International’s (TI) annual report, describing it as “fundamentally flawed, irrelevant and of little use to reforming countries or those interested in a genuine war against corruption.”
World Bank urges leaders on values
(October 18, 2004) African governance has been "polluted by western intrusion," James Wolfensohn, the head of the World Bank, said on Friday.
Corruption a two-way street
(October 14, 2004) The only way to find a solution to corruption is to address the problem from both the supply-side and the demand side, say participants at an African conference on governance.
‘Positive steps’ in Equatorial Guinea?
(October 9, 2004) New wealth has been almost exclusively used for the enrichment of the country’s leaders, writes leader of opposition party.
EU aid chief slams British debt relief plans
(October 7, 2004) The European Union’s aid chief has slammed British plans for reducing Third World debt, saying they would force future generations to pay the price of glory for today’s politicians.
Debt dooms development goals, UN
(September 30, 2004) On the eve of a G7 finance ministers’ meeting in Washington, a new report released by the United Nations claims that unless debt owed by the poorest African nations is forgiven, those countries stand no chance of achieving the world’s development goals by the target date of 2015. According to the report, the US$22.2 billion Africa received in aid in 2002 was lower than the $26.6 billion received in 1990. Most of the benefits of aid, said the report, are lost through debt servicing, which amounted to $22 billion in 2002.
Support grows for debt write-off
(September 30, 2004) After long discounting it, the United States now supports the doctrine of “odious debt” – that nations shouldn’t have to repay debts incurred by deposed despots who didn’t have popular support.
Combating corruption in the multilateral development banks
(September 28, 2004) As the U.S. Senate hearing on corruption in multilateral development banks continued this week, chair Senator Richard Lugar drew attention to the Lesotho corruption trials and the difficulties poor countries face when they try to prosecute corruption.
Acres and acres of graft
(September 24, 2004) A Canadian firm is blacklisted abroad for bribery, yet no penalties from Ottawa. What’s wrong here?
Swiss government to release N66.5b Abacha loot
(September 22, 2004) After verifications, the Swiss government has agreed to release to Nigeria about N66.5 billion ($500 million) looted from Nigeria by the government of the late Gen. Sani Abacha.
Havens that have become a tax on the world’s poor
(September 22, 2004) London, England: Billions of pounds, enough to pay for the entire primary health and education needs of the world’s developing countries, are being siphoned off through offshore companies and tax havens, according to a new group called Tax Justice Network.
Canada eases African debt load ahead of UN speech
(September 22, 2004) Hours before Prime Minister Paul Martin is expected to make Africa a central part of his first address to the United Nations, his government announced that it has cancelled the debts owed Canada by three more African countries.
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