Posted on 04/26/2012 10:24:38 AM PDT by Steve Peacock
Improving "private sector competitiveness" as well as increasing access to financing will help drive "sustainable economic growth" while reducing poverty, according to the Obama Administration. Consequently, it is launching the Finance and Business Services (FaBS) Project to achieve such goals -- in Ethiopia.
The U.S. must step in to help because of the global economic downturn and the restrictive economic policies enacted in response to those changes, according to Solicitation #SOL-663-12-000013:
Despite impressive growth over the past 5-7 years, Ethiopia’s private sector continues to struggle as a result of an inefficient business climate as well as a number of firm/industry bottlenecks. Particularly during the past two years, with the economy showing strains associated with the global downturn, escalation of prices for major import products and resultant restrictive monetary policy by government designed to help contain the impact of the global crisis and associated inflation, the prospects for private sector growth appear to have stalled according to some, or to have diminished according to others.
With credit growth continuing to decline, an already challenged business environment has become even more challenging during the past couple of years.
The U.S. Agency for International Development will carry out the 2-5-year program with private contractor assistance at an estimated cost -- if all options are exercised -- of $22 million.
As always, it should be interesting to see how some contractor can come in and try to reverse the policies of some backward nation, and, second, whether that contractor is simply a company stacked with former USAID officials profiting from their “expertise.”
Looking at my US map, I’m not finding anyplace called Ethiopia to spend $22,000,000 taxpayer dollars.
But while looking at my US map, I see the names of many Cities and States that would be glad to have $22,000,000 US taxpayer dollars returned...
What usually happens is; an African farmer scrapes up savings and borrowings, plants a crop, adds fertilizer and just as his crop is coming to a payday, something like this happens and the price for his crop collapses. He is ruined.
You need the updated Rand McNally map that has all 57 states. The state of Ethiopia is right next to the state of Palestine which is getting another 147 million dollars of taxpayer money we borrowed from the Chinese or printed out of thin air.
Well, that’s it. I’ve finally been forced in a state of being megga jaded. I looked at the expenditure, $22 mil and thought, “At least it’s not $22 billion.”
In other news, La Cosa Nostra is launching a Crime Prevention and Vice Reduction Project!
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