National Australia Bank
Department of State Washington File: Text: World Bank Authorizes Iraq Reconstruction Trust Fund
WASHINGTON, January 29, 2004 -- The World Bank's Board of Executive Directors today authorized the Bank to act as an administrator for the Iraq Trust Fund, which will finance a program of emergency projects and technical assistance. The program is contained in the Interim Strategy for Iraq, discussed by the Board today. It includes not only specific projects and technical assistance, to be financed by the trust fund, but also a program of economic and sector work aimed at laying the groundwork for an expanded development assistance program in the near future. The Interim Strategy builds on the Bank's previous work in Iraq during 2003 and outlines a Bank-sponsored work program for Iraq for the next six to nine months. ... [Read More]
Department of State Washington File: Text: World Bank Cites September 11 Terrorism for Poverty Increase
Work is currently underway to assess needs on a country-by-country basis. Particular attention is being paid to Africa, given the extreme poverty and vulnerability to declining commodity prices of so many countries there. The IDA [World Bank's International Development Association] program, including possible additional debt relief under the HIPC [Heavily Indebted Poor Countries] Initiative, is being reviewed, and IFC [World Bank's International Finance Corporation] is paying particular attention to its programs there. Countries in other parts of the world -- especially those directly affected by an increased influx of refugees or a downturn in tourist receipts -- also are getting special attention. ... [Read More]
Department of State Washington File: Text: Global Poverty Reduction Results Uneven, World Bank Reports
The Bank's annual World Development Indicators is an important contribution to monitoring progress towards achieving the MDGs. The quality of monitoring, however, depends on increased capacity of developing countries to gather, analyze, and disseminate statistics. Governments, politicians and managers need reliable data. So do citizens, in order to hold governments accountable for their actions. Building such capacity is vital to meeting the commitments made at the Second Roundtable on Development Results in Marrakech in February 2004, to which the World Bank is making an important contribution. This includes support for preparations for the 2010 censuses, establishing international household survey network, and preparing national statistical development strategies by low-income countries by 2006. ... [Read More]
USIS Washington File: TRANSCRIPT: WORLD BANK CORRUPTION FIGHTERS TALK OF WORK
I'm telling you this because the current World Bank President James Wolfensohn by then had come into the World Bank and he heard about the Tanzania project. The Tanzanian president declaring his assets and starting to do something about corruption! Wolfensohn thought it was brilliant and wanted to hear more about it. He took these stories into the annual meeting against the advice of the World Bank's senior counsel. The advice we gave Wolfensohn was this: "If somebody asks if you're running Tanzania you should say you've been invited in by Mkapa because that is the truth and that's one of the principles that we have learned." He did that in the annual meeting in 1996 and since then the bank has come out strongly against corruption. ... [Read More]
Washington HyperFile - East Asia/Pacific Edition
(Bank backs sales to airlines in China, Algeria, Austria) (410) ... 509 Text: Ex-Im Bank Press Release on Aircraft Export Financing ... security, Reagan National Airport/reopening, operational detail policy, ... [Read More]
USIS Washington File: EX-IM BANK SUPPORT FOR U.S. EXPORTS TO KOREA RISES SHARPLY
Before the Asia crisis, U.S. banks and export companies were able to finance exports to Korea without Ex-Im Bank support. After the crisis hit, transactions were not able to move forward without Ex-Im Bank export credit insurance, an Ex-Im Bank press statement explained. Ex-Im Bank authorized $1,000 million in export credit insurance for exports to Korea in 1998. During the year, Ex-Im Bank received more than 2,400 application for insurance, compared to 58 applications processed in 1997, the press statement said. ... [Read More]
Department of State Washington File: Text: Export-Import Bank To Support U.S. Aircraft Exports to Thailand
The Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) today authorized a long-term loan guarantee to support the export of two Boeing B747-400 wide-body passenger aircraft to Thai Airways International, Thailand's government-owned national flag carrier. The aircraft are powered by CF6 engines manufactured by General Electric Co., Inc., Cincinnati, OH. ... The Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) announced on September 30 that it will authorize a long-term loan guarantee to support the export of two Boeing B747-400 wide-body passenger aircraft to Thai Airways International, Thailand's government-owned national flag carrier. ... [Read More]
Department of State Washington File: Congress Clears Bill Extending Ex-Im Bank Authority One Month
The House committee bill would change some existing policies. For example, in reaction to an Ex-Im Bank loan guarantee made to a Chinese steel mill that was subject to a U.S. antidumping investigation, the committee voted to prohibit the bank from making loans or loan guarantees to companies found in violation of U.S. trade laws. ... The Senate-passed bill tackles an issue concerning what is called "foreign market windows." Government-sponsored financial institutions, notably in Germany and Canada, have been providing their national exporters with financing at below-market rates. The governments argue that these institutions are not bound by Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) disciplines for national export-credit agencies. ... [Read More]
USIS Washington File: TEXT: WORLD BANK FORMS PARTNERSHIP FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
-- Providing balanced environmental stakeholder consultations, forums, and mediation on emerging environmental issues in the field, as well as on a national, regional, or global basis. Areas of special interest in this regard might include trade and environment, sustainable management of marine environments, water, culture development, or themes associated with the implementation of the multilateral environmental agreements and conventions, such as those on Biological Diversity, Climate Change, Desertification, International Trade in Endangered Species, and Wetlands. ... [Read More]
Australia (12/04)
STAT-USA/Internet, a service of the U.S. Department of Commerce, provides authoritative economic, business, and international trade information from the Federal government. The site includes current and historical trade-related releases, international market research, trade opportunities, and country analysis and provides access to the National Trade Data Bank. ... [Read More]
|