World Bank Chief Outlines a War on Fraud
By CELIA W. DUGGER
Published: April 12, 2006
The World Bank president, Paul D. Wolfowitz, laid out a broad strategy yesterday to help developing countries combat rampant corruption, as well as to halt fraud in antipoverty projects supported by billions of dollars in World Bank money.
In a speech in Jakarta, Indonesia, Mr. Wolfowitz described for the first time his plans to make fighting corruption a pervasive issue in the bank's operations. The new efforts will range from intensified monitoring of projects in the field to an increased focus on reforming institutions that can hold governments accountable.
Mr. Wolfowitz also seems to be trying to change the culture of the bank. In remarks after the speech, he said he wanted bank managers to understand that they would be rewarded "as much for saying no to a bad loan as for getting a good one out the door."
Mr. Wolfowitz has in recent months made corruption the defining issue of his brief tenure at the bank, the largest financier of antipoverty programs worldwide. An architect of the Iraq war when he was at the Pentagon, he took the helm at the bank 10 months ago.
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http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/12/world/12wolfowitz.html?_r=1&oref=slogin~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Wolfowitz Challenged to Address Corruption
Wednesday, 12 April 2006, 8:14 pm
Press Release: East Timor Action Network
Reaction to World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz’s Remarks on Corruption Today
Jubilee USA and East Timor and Indonesia Action Networks Challenge Wolfowitz to Address Roots of Corruption by Canceling Indonesia’s Suharto-Era Debt
WASHINGTON – As World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz unveiled his much anticipated framework to fight corruption at the World Bank today in Jakarta, Jubilee USA Network and East Timor and Indonesia Action Network today urged a bolder and more comprehensive approach, including efforts to meaningfully address its past corrupt lending to the impoverished country, especially under former dictator Suharto.
The East Timor and Indonesia Action Network argues that if President Wolfowitz is truly concerned about corruption in Indonesia, the World Bank must acknowledge its role in fostering corruption in the impoverished country through 30 years of lending to the kleptocratic Suharto dictatorship. The Bank’s lending to Suharto enabled the military to continue to abuse human rights not only in Indonesia but in the now-independent state of East Timor.
“The people of Indonesia suffered greatly under the Suharto dictatorship. They should not be made to suffer again by being forced to pay back his debt,” said John M. Miller, National Coordinator of the East Timor and Indonesia Action Network. “Any effort to end corruption in Indonesia must tackle its most corrupt institution. The Indonesian military is deeply involved in businesses, illegal and legal, receives protection payoffs from foreign corporations, and remains largely unaccountable to its civilian leadership.”
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http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0604/S00230.htm