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(DAILY MAIL) Britain pledges continued support

Britain pledges continued support
By REBECCA CHILESHE

BRITAIN will not reduce direct budget support to Zambia despite the global credit crunch. Kerry McCarthy, who is MP for Bristol and parliamentary aid to Douglas Alexander, the head of the Department for International Development (DFID), said her Government would continue to provide financial aid to Zambia and other poor countries although that county’s economy had also been badly affected by the global recession.

Ms McCarthy said there would be no reduction in budget support and that support to Zambia and other countries was expected to increase to an average of about 0.7 per cent of her country’s gross national income by 2013.

Ms McCarthy is part of a delegation of British MPs who are in the country on a six-day visit.

“My Government has made it clear that the recession will not come in the way of the promises that we have made to support poor countries.

She said her Government would only provide aid to Zimbabwe through non-governmental organisations until a change in the governance system was noted.

And the British MPs from the ruling Labour party and opposition Conservative party have praised Zambia for upholding democracy and the rule of law and for conducting free and fair presidential elections which ushered President Rupiah Banda into office.

The five MPs who are members of the UK branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) all spoke highly of the stable Government and good leadership provided by President Banda.

Andrew McKay, a Conservative MP said Zambia had a positive economy managed better than many developing countries.

“We are happy to visit Zambia and we hope to learn a lot from our tour of this country, especially from the Copperbelt where we will learn exactly how the global recession is affecting the mining industry.

On the political situation in Zimbabwe, the MPs all called on the new Government to resolve the country’s problems and uplift the standard of living of all Zimbabweans.

Charlotte Atkins (Labour) said her Government was keen to see whether or not the government of national unity would resolve the country’s problems.

She said her Government was worried that political detainees were allegedly not given a fair trial.

Another MP Julie Kirkbride (Conservative) called for the sacking of the governor of the Bank of Zimbabwe and hoped that the BBC would soon be allowed to operate from that country.

British High Commissioner to Zambia Tom Carter said he was happy that the National Assembly had invited British MPs to visit Zambia under the auspices of CPA.

During the visit, the delegation is expected to hold meetings with CPA-Zambia branch, ministers, the Minister of Finance and National Planning, Electoral Commission of Zambia, the Office of the Auditor General and the Anti-Corruption Commission.

Labels: DFID, DONORS, MPs, NEOCOLONIALISM, UK

posted by MrK @ 4:19 PM