ADB Strategy 2020: Selling Asia to the Private Sector

The 41st Annual Governors Meeting (AGM) of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) is taking place in Madrid, Spain from May 3 to 6, 2008. One of the main agenda of this meeting is the ADB's strategy for the next years for what it describes as a 'New Asia.' The ADB calls it "Strategy 2020" and is contained in the paper called the "Long Term Strategic Framework (LTSF)."

According to ADB President Haruhiko Kuroda, this new strategy "reshapes, redirects, repositions ADB for a more innovative and effective development role in our rapidly changing region and within the international aid architecture."

For forty years we have been witness to ADB's support for the private sector and advocacy of free market policies, and the consequent harmful impacts on services, livelihoods, food security and the environment.

It has been a major driver of privatization of services in the region, along with the World Bank. It has been involved in the privatization of water services in Indonesia, India, Pakistan, South Korea, Nepal and Srilanka. It financed power privatization-related projects in the Philippines, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Thailand, Indonesia, India and others.

The privatization of these services has led to huge and continuous increases in rates, much diminished access of poor households and communities to these services, the monopoly of natural resources by private businesses, massive dislocations of communities, and environmental damage.

ADB has also actively provided support for private (as well as public) investments in fossil-fuel projects particularly coal, thus contributing to harmful and climate change-causing technologies.

In facilitating private investment in public infrastructure programs, it has supported and promoted public guarantees of private risks, liabilities and profits in these investments.

ADB's drive for privatization not only contributed to increasing the burden of public debts, it has led to the further accumulation of illegitimate debts. Illegitimate debts include ADB loans that financed projects and policies that have caused grievous harm to communities and the environment.

With its Strategy 2020 and LTSF -- the ADB will be much, much more unabashed and aggressive in its support for the private sector.

Arguing yet again that "economic growth has been the driving force for reducing poverty in the region, the new strategy calls for a big leap in its funding for private sector development and private sector operations. From 12% in 2007, by the year 2020 50% of its operations will be for the private sector.

We can only expect that ADB greater support for 'stronger private sector involvement in development' would mean subjecting Asia to even more relentless pursuit of unregulated risk-free and publicly- guaranteed profits by big business.

We say to the ADB – Our future, our rights are not for sale!


Signatories:

Campaign Network on the Peoples Right to Essential Services and Natural Resources
Jubilee South – Asia/Pacific Movement on Debt and Development

NGO Forum on the ADB

Friends of the Earth International

Public Services International

South Asia Alliance for Poverty Eradication (SAAPE)

Migrant Forum in Asia

Focus on the Global South

Alternatives Asia

11.11.11 Belgium

Freedom from Debt Coalition - Philippines

Least Developed Country Watch - Nepal

Rural Reconstruction Nepal

Indian Social Action Forum (INSAF) - India

Institute for Essential Services Reform - Indonesia

KRUHA - Indonesia

GARPU - Indonesia

NADI - Indonesia

Nadi Ghati Morcha - India

River Basin Friends - India

Joint Action against Water Privatisation in KoreaKorean Federation Public Services and Transportion Worker's Unions


The Public Services Committee of HKCTU - HongKong

Solidarity of Filipino Workers (BMP) - Philippines

Makabayan Pilipinas

Sanlakas - Philippines

Kalayaan! - Philippines

Union of Filipino Socialists (BISIG) - Philippines

Center for Popular Empowerment (CPE) - Philippines

Monitoring Sustainability of Globalisation (MSN) - Malaysia

Koalisi Anti Utang - Indonesia

Jubilee Kyushu on World Debt and Poverty - Japan

ATTAC Japan

International NGO Forum on Indonesian Development (INFID) - Indonesia

National Confederation of Officers' Associations - India

Jatiyo Sramik Jote (Trade Union Alliance) - Bangladesh

CREED Alliance Pakistan

Sindh Democratic Forum - Pakistan

Pakistan FisherFolk Forum

Jubilee Kansai Network - Japan

Kansai Action Center on Philippine Human Rights Issues - Japan

WomanHealth - Philippines

Welga ng Kababaihan - Philippines

Women's Crisis Center - Philippines

Anibang ng Manggagawa sa Agrikultura (AMA) - Philippines

Kongreso ng Pinagkaisang Maralitang Tagalunsod (KPML) - Philippines

KAKAMMPI - Philippines

Community Development Library -Bangladesh

BIND - Philippines

Urban Research Centre - India

International Accountability Project - USA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

PCG: China’s bullying in West Philippine Sea undermines international law --- Ghio Ong - The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines — Letting China sustain its aggression in the West Philippine Sea would make other countries doubt the strength of international law currently being asserted by the Philippines, Commodore Jay Tarriela of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said. “Allowing China to blatantly disregard the established rules-based order threatens the very foundation that we all depend on,” he wrote in a post on X last Tuesday. He added, “If we permit this, countries worldwide may forget why this order was created in the first place. Nations could begin to doubt the significance of adhering to international law if powerful bullies can easily violate it.” Tarriela also said defiance of other countries to a rules-based order would result in the prevalence of cruelty. He wrote, “This could lead us back to a time when might makes right, undermining the global structures that keep human greed, savagery and barbarism in check. Such a scenario would not only invite challenges from aggressive ...
Read more

China ships maintain presence in key West Philippine Sea areas --- Michael Punongbayan - The Philippine Star

STAR / Michael Varcas MANILA, Philippines — While Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) have decreased in number, they have maintained a presence in three key land features where naval and coast guard ships have intensified operations in the past seven days, according to the Philippine Navy. Latest monitoring by the Philippine Navy showed armed ships of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) maintaining a menacing presence around the grounded BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal, Panatag Shoal and Escoda Shoal. According to the Philippine Navy, there are 17 Chinese military vessels and 28 China Coast Guard (CCG) boats spotted inside the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) between Sept. 23 and 30, or one vessel more than in the previous week Sept.17-23. Five of the warships were seen roaming around the vicinity of Escoda Shoal, along with 10 CCG vessels and 12 maritime militia vessels (MMVs). There are also two PLAN ships in Ayungin Shoal as well as 10 CCG boats and 12...
Read more

Social media seen as cause of rising intermarriages --- Helen Flores - The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) sees social media as the main reason for the rising number of Filipinos marrying or becoming partners of foreign nationals. In 2022, the CFO recorded 6,854 marriages or partnerships with foreign nationals, a 40.1 percent increase from the 4,891 “intermarriages” recorded in 2021. “First of all, what we see in the increase in the marriage rate of Filipinos or Filipinos with foreign partners is because of social media, (that) is number one; matchings; letters, introduction of their friends,” CFO chairperson Romulo Arugay said at the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon public briefing yesterday. Arugay said the agency has been registering a high number of intermarriages since 2007, but the figures went down during the COVID-19 pandemic. From over 6,500 Filipinos who married foreign nationals, only 600 are men, he said. Most of them are married to Americans, Japanese, Germans, Canadians and Australians, Arugay said. Arugay warned Fi...
Read more