Karamba, thanks for this forward.  I hope Jammeh take note and realize to
importance of genuine national development.  This debt cancellation for
Ghana is like free money, which they can now use to support their
development plans, while we linger in the circle of paying interest with the
principal in tact.  The critics of this government do not control government
policies and pointing out government misguided policies has never stopped
this government from making yet, more ill conceived policies.  They may fool
Gambians, but the world is watching.  If you continue to mistake the moon
for the sun all the time, why don't you do something different?  Change your
position/location or explore other possibilities.  But no, not this
government.  This government has a mind-set problem and cannot understand
why anyone outside their small circle of similar minds should recommend
anything to them.  Listen to the comments of the APRC NAMs at their first
sitting.  To them, they are the majority in the house, therefore, all good
ideas has to come from them.  Halifa gets up to speak and they see it as a
lecture.  Others boldly grandstand Hamat to insinuate that his conscience is
with the APRC.  Better yet, the President openly saying that opposition is
not good for the country.  Does this sound like folks that want this country
go forward or see any value in anything outside their camp.  How can one
talk about national interest, yet still you looting our treasury.  Yaya is
wealthier than the state and he said it himself, that he and his descendants
will never want.  Just like the 1960s, the British relinquish control to
Ghana (1960) and The Gambia (1965), and by the 80s we were behind Ghana.
Now in the new millennium we started almost at par and they already have a
healthy lead with this debt extinguishment.  We can be excited about this
and that head of state thanking Jammeh for this and that, while we regress
as a nation.  We better wake up!

Chi Jaama

Joe Sambou


>From: [log in to unmask]
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: The right way for Ghana
>Date: Tue, 26 Feb 2002 21:52:01 EST
>
>WASHINGTON, Feb 26 (Reuters) - Ghana secured $3.7 billion in debt
>forgiveness
>on Tuesday, making it the latest poor nation to win such aid under the
>World
>Bank and International Monetary Fund's Heavily Indebted Poor Countries
>scheme, the lenders said.
>
>The African nation applied for debt relief under the scheme last year
>because
>of difficulties servicing its debts, put at about $6 billion.
>
>The Heavily Indebted Poor Countries debt-relief initiative aims to cut in
>half the debt burden of the world's poorest countries, freeing up
>much-needed
>funds for use on social needs such as improving education and health
>services.
>
>"Both IDA (the World Bank's International Development Association) and the
>IMF will begin providing debt relief immediately, as will most official
>bilateral creditors," the World Bank said in a statement.
>
>The World Bank said the bulk of additional assistance would be delivered
>"when Ghana completes a number of agreed measures." The World Bank said
>Ghana
>is developing a detailed plan for the use of funds made available through
>the
>debt relief that is due to be finalized during the first half of this year.
>
>The World Bank said the debt relief may be directed in part to increase
>spending on education, health, programs to improve services and
>infrastructure in the rural sector. It said a portion of the relief also
>will
>be used to reduce further the burden of domestic public debt.
>
>The World Bank said Ghana, a nation of about 19 million people, has made
>strides in reducing poverty since the early 1990s, particularly in urban
>regions and areas where exports such as cocoa, gold and timber are
>produced.
>But it said 40 percent of the population lived in poverty according to
>figures from 1998 and 1999.
>
>20:25 02-26-02
>
>Copyright 2002 Reuters Limited.  All rights reserved.  Republication or
>redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means,
>is
>expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters.  Reuters
>shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any
>actions taken in reliance thereon.  All active hyperlinks have been
>inserted
>by AOL.
>
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