US names Caribbean states eligible for development aid

Thursday, February 5, 2004

WASHINGTON, USA (AFP): The United States on Tuesday named Guyana and Haiti as two of 63 countries eligible to share billions of dollars in US aid under a new program aimed at rewarding developing nations which commit to democratic and free market reform.

A billion dollars has already been made available by Congress for fiscal year 2004 and President George W. Bush on Monday asked lawmakers to approve 2.5 billion dollars for the account in fiscal 2005.

Nations named Tuesday will be able to compete for a slice of the aid under the program, billed by the Bush administration as a revolutionary way to wean poor nations off long-term aid and prevent assistance from disappearing into the coffers of corrupt states.

The announcement followed a meeting on Monday of the board of directors of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) which will administer the aid.

Secretary of State Colin Powell chairs the board, which also includes Secretary of the Treasury John Snow, US Trade Representative Robert Zoellick, and the head of the US Agency for International Development Andrew Natsios.

Powell said at the start of the meeting on Monday that "People matter."

"The plight of the world's poor presents all of us with a profound moral challenge," he said. "Alleviating their suffering also holds profound implications for freedom and security across the globe."

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