Maravi

Harrison urges industrialised nations to end protectionism

Harrison urges industrialised nations to end protectionism
By Nomusa Michelo
Sunday March 04, 2007 [02:00]

BRITISH High Commissioner to Zambia Alistair Harrison has said industrialised nations need to get rid of their protectionist agricultural policies to benefit developing countries. During a Newsmakers Forum organised by the Press Freedom Committee of The Post in conjunction with the British High Commission, High Commissioner Harrison said he was of the view that industrialised nations needed to double their efforts to end protectionism than developing countries.

"Clearly the responses to the new challenges of the global world economy must not be to separate ourselves from it. Instead, we should redouble our efforts to end protectionism, both in the industrialised countries and in the developing countries," High Commissioner Harrison said. "Europe needs to get rid of its protectionist agricultural policies, what a boom that could be for the Zambian agricultural exporters. America needs to do the same, it currently spends US$10 every year from every man, woman and child in the United States on protecting a few rich cotton growers. Apart from the obvious benefit to the people of the United States by stopping wasting money in this way, it would be a massive boost for Zambian cotton growers as well." He said any temptation to go down the path of protectionism would be hugely self-destructive.

And High Commissioner Harrison said one of the other great threats to which Zambia was not immune is that of global terrorism. "The threat of terrorism here in Zambia is mercifully very low. But no country can afford to be complacent. Terrorists may strike anywhere and at anytime," he said. High Commissioner Harrison also said climate change was an emerging threat to international peace. "In an ever more globalised world, none of us will be immune from the effects of climate change, including effects that take place in other parts of the planet from our own." High Commissioner Harrison said. "So we need to treat climate change not as a long-term threat to our environment but as an immediate threat to our security and prosperity. Put the other way, stable climate is a public good and it is in the clear interest of all countries that governments should co-operate to maintain it." High Commissioner Harrison said climate change was different from threats to international peace as there was no 'hard power' solution to the issue.

Contributing to the discussion, Patriotic Front Lusaka chairperson Rhoda Nsama said the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank were stumbling blocks to developing countries' ability to participate in globalisation. Nsama said the World Bank, IMF and other donors gave aid with conditionalities, which did not allow for local experts to participate. She said the donors did not care what happened to the money they gave developing countries. Nsama also said Zambia was faced with many cases of corruption. She said this was partly due to the lack of access to information by the public and the media on public expenditure. "If we had the Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill we would be able to develop our country," Nsama said.

Another discussant, James Lukuku asked the High Commissioner why developed countries could not just leave the developing countries alone as opposed to enslaving them. "If your people think they are so close to God and we are so far from him, let them leave us alone," Lukuku said. In response, High Commissioner Harrison reiterated that a country's isolation could only be detrimental and that protectionism should be fought and not globalisation.

Labels: IMF, World Bank

posted by MrK @ 4:11 AM