World Bank urged to support Africa’s development initiatives

By Julius N. Uma

June 9, 2010 (JUBA) — The World Bank should support African in efforts to develop infrastructure, enhance regional trade and design education systems relevant to market demands, participants attending the bank’s strategy consultation meeting resolved on Friday.

About 20 participants, comprising of government officials, academicians, NGO representatives, diplomats and journalists accredited to Juba attended the event, where six Eastern African towns were connected to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia via a video conference to discuss the World Bank Strategy for Africa.

Supporting Africa in its development initiative, participants argued, would increase agricultural production and promote policies that will allow mobility of the citizens and trade facilitation within the region.

“It is now encouraging that the World Bank wants to listen to us instead of coming with prescriptions to treat ailments which we are not even aware of”, one participant said.

However, high on the list of their concerns was the fact that ordinary citizens were being charged high entry visa fees.

For instance, a Ugandan entering Southern Sudan would be required to pay about 130 Sudanese Pounds (about $50) in order to access an entry visa valid for a month.

The consultations which reportedly began on June 1, in Johannesburg, South Africa, further involved online and face to face meetings.

“The first phase of the consultations will be complemented by discussions at national level. The proposals collected will be used to produce a draft Africa Strategy which will be posted on the World Bank web, along with a document outlining how the issues raised during the consultations were addressed in the drafting of the strategy paper,” a statement from the World Bank office in Juba partly reads.

Meanwhile, the revised Africa Action Plan is expected to be discussed by the World Bank Board of Executive Directors in late 2010 and early 2011.

(ST)