DO WE WANT AFRICA TO SUCCEED? Fred Midtgaard

DEVELOPMENT AID INVESTMENTS- EMERGENCY AID - RESOURCES - LIVELIHOOD IMPROVEMENT - INDUSTRY- NATURE CONSERVATION - TRADE- KNOWLEDGE BUILDING

COMBINATIONS - NORFUND

THE PROBLEMS ARE RELATED TO: IN DEVELOPMENT WORK: - WHERE THE PROJECT IDEA WAS CONSIEVED- LEADERS SPEAK TO LEADERS- THE WAY MONEY ARE RAISED - THE WAY IT IS IMPLEMENTED (TOO LITTLE TIME IN THE FIELD)- TOO LITTLE OF THE MONEY GOES TO SOLVING THE PROBLEM – TOO MUCH TO THE DEV. AGENT.

IN INVESTMENTS: - THE IDEA THAT AFRICA IS CORRUPT MAKE COMPANIES FROM EUROPE BELIEVE THEY HAVE TO BRIBE. - THEY DO PAY BRIBES. - TOO MANY LEGAL WAYS TOO BRIBE- NO CONSERN FOR FAIR DEALS OR DEVELOPMENT- A HIT AND RUN ATTITUDE IN THE WAY BUSSINESS IS DONE- DO NOT FOLLOW THE COUNTRYS LAWS REGARDING SALLERIES FOR WORKERS

COMBINATIONS: ALL OF THE ABOVE!

26°C

HORRIBLE DESITIONS….

Norfund invests 10 million dollars in rice production in Tanzania

INDIRECT SUBSIDIES TO NORWEGIAN COMPANIES BY THE EMBASIES - 60 MILLION OVER 30 YEARS – SOLD FOR 600.000NOK…

WE LACK CONTROL OVER WHAT OUR COMPANIES (AND NGO’S) ARE DOING IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

- MONEY TRANSFERES BETWEEN COUNTRIES- BRIBES - NO CONTROL WITH IF THE COMPANY FOLLOWS LOCAL LAWS - NO CONTROL WITH ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS - NO CONTROL WITH SOCIAL EFFECTS

HOW DO WE SEE OURSELVES – AND HOW ARE WE PERSIEVED? - WE ARE PERSIEVED AS CORRUPT BECAUSE WE TAKE THE LIONS SHARE OF ALL BUDGETS (OVERHEAD, TRAVELLING, LARGE HOTEL/RESTAURANT BILLS ETC)- WE DONT ASK BUT THINK WE KNOW THE ANSWERS- WE DONT MINGLE - WE DONT HESSITATE TO PAY BRIBES - WE DONT SHOW ANY PERSONAL INTEREST IN THE PEOPLE WE MEET - WE EXPECT THE RESULTS TO BE MEAGER «BECAUSE NOTHING WORKS HERE» - WE DONT KNOW THE CULTURAL RULES

SO WHAT CAN WE DO?

OF CAUSE MANY AFRICAN COUNTRIES HAVE A LOT OF THEIR OWN PROBLEMS – THAT ARE UP TO THEMSELVES TO SOLVE – BUT WE CAN DO A LOT!

WE CAN DO A LOT BY MENDING THE PROBLEMS FROM OUR SIDE MENTIONED BEFORE AND BY CHANGING THE ATTITUDE TO AFRICA.

NORWAY SHOULD SUPPORT THE INITIATIVE TO BAN TRANSFERE OF SURPLUS CREATED IN ONE COUNTRY TO BE TAXED IN ANOTHER.

WE SHOULD HAVE FOCUS ON LEGAL BRIBES

WE SHOULD CHANGE THE WAY WE DO PROJECTS AND BUSSINESS IN AFRICA. WHY DO NORAD FLY ON FIRST CLASS? WHY DO WE STAY IN THE MOST FANCY HOTELS?

WE SHOULD FOLLOW THE LAWS IN THE COUNTRIES WE ARE IN!