World Bank President James Wolfensohn in his address to the Bank’s Board of Governors on September 28 singled out Tanzania (and only Tanzania) and its President for special mention. He quoted President Mkapa as saying to a Swedish audience “Ownership of development programmes is not only an understandably nationalist yearning, an inherent and sovereign right, but it also creates the most fervent disposition and conditions for hard work and for self-development”.

Wolfensohn responded by saying “We must recognise our role in helping not hindering those doers of development by better coordinating our own activities. It is shameful that Tanzania must produce 2,400 quarterly reports a year for its donors. It is shameful that Tanzania must suffer 1,000 missions from donors a year”. Tanzania has obtained a World Bank soft loan of $61 million to help reduce its foreign debt and strengthen financial institutions. The IMF has allowed Tanzania to borrow $31 million, the final tranche of the $241 million Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility (ESAF) agreed some time ago -The Guardian.

BRITISH aid was expected to grow from £50 million to £60 million annually in two years time announced High Commissioner Bruce Dinwiddy on October 13. Half would go to the Multilateral Debt Relief Fund and the rest to the public sector. Tanzania would begin to get substantial benefits from the ‘Highly Indebted Poor Countries Initiative’ (HIPC) by the end of 2000 something in which the UK had been one of the first proponents he said. Other recent aid announcements: WORLD BANK -Shs 23 billion for continuation of the civil service reform programme. GERMANY ­$370,000 TO UNHCR for refugees in Kigoma region. JAPAN -Shs 3.65 billion towards debt relief. AUSTRIA -$125,000 for various dairy projects. THE NETHERLANDS EMBASSY -books worth $1.61 million for primary schools in Kagera and Shinyanga regions. SWITZERLAND -Shs 17 billion for health projects and roads and Shs 5.4 billion for debt relief. EUROPEAN DEVELOPMENT BANK -Shs 6.8 billion loan to finance small and medium scale investments.