|
Africa Seeks Protection From Global
Crisis As World Poorest Face
'Disaster' |
|
|
|
October 2, 2008 Accra,
Ghana - The world's poorest states facing a
"disastrous" cut in aid and capital flows due
to the global banking crisis must not be made
to suffer for the mistakes of rich, developed
countries, according to ministers.
Ministers from African, Caribbean and Pacific
(ACP) countries on Wednesday called on
international institutions to shore up funding
to the poorest peoples of the planet with the
same urgency as the rich world's banks were
being bailed out.
Gathering for a summit of the 79-nation ACP
group due to start today in Accra, they said
they were bracing for the impact of the
international financial turmoil on their
often-fragile, commodity-exporting economies.
"The consequences for the ACP, especially for
small, vulnerable countries, will be
disastrous," Arvin Boolell, Mauritius's
minister for foreign affairs, regional
integration and international trade, said.
"There will be less overseas development
assistance money. There will be less
obligations on behalf of developed countries
to honour their commitments of monetary
agreements," he added.
Several ministers cited estimates that flows
of funds for emerging markets would drop by 25
percent due to the developed world's banking
crisis, which has toppled Wall Street firms,
frozen lending among banks and forced the US
and European governments to rescue failing
banks and companies.
They noted that many ACP countries were
already grappling with budgetary shortfalls
and pressures caused by sharp rises over the
past year of global food and fuel prices.
"We need to take active steps to make sure
that developing countries do not
disproportionately pay for problems which were
not of their creation," Rob Davies, SA's
deputy minister for trade and industry, said.
"I would suggest engaging international
institutions about what can be done, including
the deployment of funding, to ensure that
capital flows and aid flows to developing
countries are not interrupted."
The ACP ministers noted that the US government
had put forward a $700-billion (R5,7-trillion)
financial rescue plan to try to restore market
confidence, while European central banks were
also pumping out billions to try to keep
credit flowing.
"They can find the money for this purpose at
this moment but apparently not for
development," Davies said. |
|
|
|
|
Place Your Comments On This Story |
|
|
|
©
esinislam.com No Copyright
Reserved For Da'wah And Muslim Services Users |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|