RB launches the Millennium Challenge Account-Zambia

Government has launched the Millennium Challenge Account-Zambia (MCAZ), which is a grant programme in which the American government, through the United States’ Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), provides resources to developing countries for their economic growth.

Speaking at the launch of the MCAZ at State House today, President Rupiah Banda urged Zambian from both the public and private sector to wholeheartedly support the programme, which aims at boosting investment and growth in Zambia.

President Banda said the MCAZ and its programmes was a step ahead towards Zambia’s vision of becoming a middle income country by 2030.

“”For Zambia to meet the target of agreeing our compact by April 2011, the work of the MCA-Zambia must receive the active cooperation and support of everybody, both within and outside government,” he said.

He pledged that government would provide necessary support to ensure that the MCAZ succeeds.

He further urged the people that were working on the projects to be funded by the MCAZ to remain focused when implementing the programmes that would be selected for funding.

President Banda implored the MCAZ team and other stakeholders to exercise the highest standards of accountability and management of funds while government would do its parts of upholding and improving the tenets of good governance.

Zambia became eligible to for the MCC compact assistance in December 2008 after the MCC noticed the country’s progress on corruption control indicators.

The President called for Zambians to help government maintain these required standards for the country to remain eligible and also to build on the progress regarding the fight against corruption.

Mr. Banda has also reiterated his government’s commitment to fighting corruption.

“My government remains steadfastly committed to fighting corruption in all its manifestations,” he said.

And United States of America Ambassador to Zambia, Donald Booth said once the compact in implemented and well managed, it will meaningfully help alleviate poverty in Zambia.

Mr. Booth stressed that Zambia should maintain and even improve on the fight against corruption for her to remain eligible for the compact, adding that this is one of the standards that should always be there.

Meanwhile, MCAZ National Coordinator, Robert Liebenthal disclosed that his team would work hard to ensure that all necessary programmes that would lead to Zambia accessing the funding were well designed, established and successful.

Mr. Liebenthal said the MCAZ was still thinking about the kinds of projects to be proposed to the MCC to enable Zambia sign the contract by April 2011.

“To achieve this, detailed project feasibility and design work must be completed and appraised by MCC by December 2010. to assist in this process, MCC can provide project preparation financing,” he said.

And Finance and National Planning Deputy Minister Chileshe Kapwepwe urged cooperating partners to continue supporting Zambia’s poverty alleviation programmes.

Ms. Kapwepwe paid tribute to the US government and the MCC for supporting the threshold programmed in which Zambia received US$22.7 million to help enhance the fight against corruption and improve effectiveness in government operations among other things.

The MCC was established in 2004 by the US government to fulfill its pledge made at the 2002 UN Conference on Financing for Development, which was known as Monterrey Consensus.

This was aimed at providing greater resources to countries taking great responsibility for their own development.

ZANIS