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> > Treasury Secretary Paulson Travels to Africa
Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson. Jr traveled to Tanzania. South Africa and Ghana to attend the meeting of G-20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors and discuss the positive economic changes taking place on the continent with government and business leaders.
Africa is experiencing its highest rates of growth and lowest levels of inflation in 30 years prompting increasing investor interest in the continent. Secretary Paulson used his trip to discuss the underpinnings of Africa’s recent growth and explore ways in which the international financial community can further support Africa’s development. Additionally. Secretary Paulson highlighted the importance of conservation efforts in Africa and the complementary role they play with economic growth.
“Indeed the resilience of many dynamic emerging markets in the face of the current global financial market turmoil is testimony to the sound economic stewardship in these countries and the importance of the G-20 as a forum for contributing to the management of the international financial system,” Secretary Paulson said.
He said that the G-20 is taking a two-pronged approach to dealing with the capital markets turmoil and the housing downturn in the United States. In the short term they are working to avoid preventable foreclosures and promote orderly markets. They are also focused on policy issues such as transparency risk management the accounting and valuation of complex products and the role of rating agencies so we can avoid a recurrence of these events in the future.
Secretary Paulson stated that a major focus of the weekend was the reform of the International Financial Institutions. The G-20 is uniquely situated to constructively address this issue; its member countries make up 85% of global GDP and emerging markets have a growing and important role in this group.
He also urged G-20 leaders to join the United States in Doha talks. “Reducing tariff and other trade and investment barriers and maintaining open markets is critical to ensuring that the benefits of trade are shared broadly and success on Doha is the single most effective thing we can do to raise living standards around the world. The United States is committed to working with our global trading partners and is ready to negotiate off the texts that have been produced in Geneva to ensure a successful Doha Round.”
Secretary Paulson said the United States is committed to open investment. He commented that sovereign wealth funds should be able to invest globally but it is inevitable that when large government-run opaque funds are investing around the globe questions will arise.
To address this. Paulson said. “We believe a considered multilateral approach to sovereign wealth funds that maintains openness is in the best interest of both countries that have these funds and countries in which the funds invest. Work is also progressing in the OECD to develop best practices for countries that receive foreign government-controlled investment. Recipient countries have a responsibility to maintain openness.”
The Secretary departed on November 13 and arrived in Arusha. Tanzania on November 14. On November 15 he co-hosted with Tanzanian Finance Minister Zakia Meghji a discussion on regional financial integration with the other finance ministers of the East African Community. While in Arusha he visited a land trust and toured a mosquito net factory.
He then traveled to Cape Town. South Africa where he delivered remarks on November 16 at the U. S.-Africa Business Summit organized by the Corporate Council on Africa. He also attended the meeting of G-20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors in Kleinmond. South Africa on November 17 and 18.
On November 19. Secretary Paulson arrived in Ghana to meet with President John Kufuor and co-host with Ghanaian Finance Minister Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu a meeting with private-sector financial leaders on financial sector development in West Africa following a tour of the Ghana Stock Exchange. Later that day he was joined by African Development Bank President Donald Kaberuka and discussed infrastructure investment during a tour of Akosombo Dam.
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