TOKYO, Aug 9 (Reuters) - World Bank President Robert Zoellick on Thursday spoke out against corruption in poor countries that receive the bank's loans, echoing the anti-graft stance of his controversial predecessor, Paul Wolfowitz.
"If people are trying to steal the World Bank's money, we can't accept that," Zoellick told reporters.
"We are responsible to our contributors and the contributors have their taxpayers. Nobody wants their money stolen," he said at a news conference wrapping up his visit to Japan, the bank's second-largest shareholder.
Zoellick, visiting Asia for the first time as World Bank chief, said while countries have different views on how to tackle corruption, they do agree on the need to deal with the problem.
He added that some developing countries would need the bank's support in building social infrastructure, such as a solid judiciary system, to fight corruption.
Wolfowitz, who resigned earlier this year over a scandal involving the promotion of his companion, alarmed some African nations and even those within the bank with his strict anti-corruption drive, which critics feared would slow the flow of aid to the poor.
Zoellick himself has said little about whether he will stick with that strategy or change the way the bank approaches corruption in borrowing countries.
His five-year tenure begins in the middle of the bank's critical year-long fund-raising for its lending programs to its poorest borrowers, which will set the course of the bank for the next three years starting mid-2008.
Zoellick, a former U.S. chief trade negotiator and deputy secretary of state, stopped in Australia, Cambodia and Vietnam before arriving in Japan, a major donor of international development aid.
Zoellick said one of the key purposes of his visit was to urge Japan to maintain or even increase aid despite tight budgetary conditions. He added that the government officials he met expressed support and understanding for his request.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Finance Minister Koji Omi were among the policymakers Zoellick met during his visit.
"If people are trying to steal the World Bank's money, we can't accept that," Zoellick told reporters.
"We are responsible to our contributors and the contributors have their taxpayers. Nobody wants their money stolen," he said at a news conference wrapping up his visit to Japan, the bank's second-largest shareholder.
Zoellick, visiting Asia for the first time as World Bank chief, said while countries have different views on how to tackle corruption, they do agree on the need to deal with the problem.
He added that some developing countries would need the bank's support in building social infrastructure, such as a solid judiciary system, to fight corruption.
Wolfowitz, who resigned earlier this year over a scandal involving the promotion of his companion, alarmed some African nations and even those within the bank with his strict anti-corruption drive, which critics feared would slow the flow of aid to the poor.
Zoellick himself has said little about whether he will stick with that strategy or change the way the bank approaches corruption in borrowing countries.
His five-year tenure begins in the middle of the bank's critical year-long fund-raising for its lending programs to its poorest borrowers, which will set the course of the bank for the next three years starting mid-2008.
Zoellick, a former U.S. chief trade negotiator and deputy secretary of state, stopped in Australia, Cambodia and Vietnam before arriving in Japan, a major donor of international development aid.
Zoellick said one of the key purposes of his visit was to urge Japan to maintain or even increase aid despite tight budgetary conditions. He added that the government officials he met expressed support and understanding for his request.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Finance Minister Koji Omi were among the policymakers Zoellick met during his visit.
3 comments:
I hope it's not all talk with no action. World Bank needs to realize that by giving money to countries with corrupted officials in control of the government, it's like flushing the money down the toilet. World Bank has every rights to stop the aid to such government without any guilt. With continuous aid to bad government in poor countries will only reinforce bad behaviors. If the corrupted governments can not comply with rules and regulations, it is their problem. World Bank must edge these words in their policy. "The money is to help the poors in poor countries, not the riches in poor countries"
I would like to invite the world bank authority to investigate all Children of Hun Sen,Hun Neng, Sok An, Hok Lundy, Cham Prasith, Chan sarun and so, where they have all the monies to buy lands, TV stations, Petrol comapnies, Airline companies etc.. and etc.. They are National thieves. They should be banned from traveling to US, and all western countries. They all have failed their studies and suddendly have millions and millions to buy all these big businesses. They are all daiylight robbers.
Did that sucker talk in front of Hun Xen?
Or the Sucker share the loot?
And we will pay the debt Sucker WB!
Post a Comment