UNITED NATIONS, November 30 – The UN becomes less transparent by the day. Now Inner City Press' questions about the lack of disclosure, and lack of answers on seeming skirting of environmental laws by UN Deputy Secretary General Amina J. Mohammed, have been called vilification, and even because she is "an African American" (she isn't). See video here.
For more than two weeks UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric dodged and refused questions from Inner City Press about Deputy Secretary General Amina J. Mohammed signing 4,000 certificates for rosewood illegal logged in Cameroon and parts of Nigeria and already in China. Now in the absence of answers a cursory review of the UN's so-called "public disclosure" website finds that Amina Mohammed nine months into her tenure as Deputy SG has not filed any disclosure: she is not even listed. Inner City Press asked about it, and on November 30 the correspondent that her spokesman Stephane Dujarric called on first, Masood Haider identifying with The Daily Dawn of Pakistan, asked Dujarric: "Stéphane, on this Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, it is being… certain quarters are suggesting that this is being done because she's an African-American [sic] and she's a Deputy Secretary-General. Can you comment on this, whether it is, in fact, true?" Masood Haider is the same UN Correspondent who Dujarric used for a colloquy seeking to justify Dujarric's eviction of Inner City Press from the briefing room, then from the UN as a whole. Video of colloquy Q&A here. But this is a new low. It is a trend in the UN. Inner City Press asked UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric about what Amina Mohammed knew, and when, and he again refused to answer. Nov 14 video here. But from the UN's resident coordinator in Kenya Sid Chatterjee, given the position by his father in law Ban Ki-moon and now or soon reporting to Amina Mohammed, the spin that the detailed Rosewood Racket report is "fake news." Chatterjee says he too has been the victim - the reference is to nepotism in his promotions, from Iraq with Steffan de Mistura under Ban and forward from there, and IPKFwar crimes in Sri Lanka. But is this, through Sid, really Amina Mohammed's response? Sid says: "having been a target of malicious and fake news myself for close to 10 years, let me just begin by saying that I feel very sorry for Amina Mohammed. It is most unfair. This is yellow journalism and premeditated mendacity." This is the response to detailed questions about retroactive CITES permits for rosewood, illegally smuggled from Cameroon. We'll have more on this. At the risk of being called pro-Japan, Inner City Press notes again that Mohammed's failure to disclose stands in contrast, for example, to the UN's envoy to Afghanistan Tadamichi Yamamoto, who signed his Public Disclosure form on October 23, 2017 (Residential property, joint ownership, Japan; Mortgage, Mitsui Sumitomo Bank, Japan) and another of the few Japanese UN high officials, Izumi Nakamitsu who signedher Public Disclosure form on January 18, 2017 (Two residential properties, joint ownership, Sweden; Mortgage, Handelsbanken, jointly held, Sweden). In other murky news, after Secretary General Antonio Guterres went to Lisbon for four days (while spokesman Dujarric refused Press requests to disclosure the cost of that trip, like Amina Mohammed's to Cape Town), he will soon travel to Japan, for a merely regional health conference. We'll have more on this. As to Mohammed, the export to China of illegally harvested rosewood, reported on by Le Monde on November 3 with reference to UN Deputy Secretary General Amina J. Mohammed who signed the certificates, also involves "smuggling from Cameroon." See EIA video, here. This may put a new light on the UN's inaction on the Cameroonian government's killings and Internet cut off in the Anglophone zones. Cameroon's Ambassador to the UN, while saying he'd call upstairs to ensure Inner City Press couldn't go there any more (the UN's Department of Public Information did threaten Inner City Press' accreditation for Periscope broadcasting in connection with photo ops on the 38th floor), also bragged that the DSG's opposition to separatism in Biafra led to the same position on Cameroon. And just as UN envoy Chambas went and preached One Nigeria, failing UN envoy Francois Fall called Southern Cameroons secessionists "extremists," on DPI's UN Radio no less. They say in journalism, Follow the Money. But in this case it may be, Follow the Rosewood, or Kosso. In terms of money: Joe Biden appeared at the UN on November 3, and tables were sold for up to $50,000. One might think, after the proved corruption of the UN in the Ng Lap Seng / John Ashe trial for events in this same Delegates Dining Room, charging this kind of money for sitting with a “senior UN official” would be a thing of the past. Or after Antonio Guterres was questioned after taking a golden statue from Paul Biya, the 35-year rules of Cameroon. But no. On November 6, Deputy Secretary General Amina J. Mohammed appeared, took an award and gave a speech at an event in Washington for which $25,000 sponsorships were offered, here, by a publication which covers and is promoted by the UN (while following up on November 9 on Le Monde's November 3 story, no mention of Cameroon.) On November 9, Inner City Press asked the UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric, UN transcript here: Inner City Press; as you know or you or Farhan [Haq] had said, she just recently received the Diplomat of the Year Award from Foreign Policy down in DC. Was she aware of this story being in preparation when she accepted the award? Often, to receive the award, you have to be present. How long were the discussions? Spokesman: I think some of those questions should be addressed to Foreign Policy. She was fully aware that the story was going to come out when she received the award." No Cameroon. Ban Ki-moon allowed the corruption of Ng Lap Seng, and Antonio Guterres has done thing to reverse it. In fact, Guterres left through the same door Biden came in, one hour before, using public funds to fly to his home in Lisbon, using a 15 minutes speech there on Monday to justify a three day UN paid junket. And his spokesman refused to answer questions, even about his one on one lunches on the 38th floor, where Inner City Press' use of Periscope during photo ops has allowed Guterres' DPI under Alison Smale to threaten its accreditation. All of this takes place while Guterres covers up mass killing in Cameroon, and is prepared to be sold himself, on Wall Street no less. We'll have more on this. On November 2, Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric announced that "on Monday, the Secretary-General will be in Lisbon to participate in the Web Summit 2017, which brings together the leaders of key Internet companies with officials from different Governments. You are aware of the attention the Secretary-General has been devoting to the uses of the Internet." Really? Guterres was silent for example when Cameroon cut off the Internet for 94 days this year; his Department of Public Information has threatened Inner City Press' accreditation for unspecified violation by live-streaming a Guterres photo op using Twitter's Periscope platform. But why did Guterres take this speaking gig, which it turns out is for only 15 minutes at 7:25 pm on the evening of Monday, November 6? Inner City Press asked Dujarric, who refused to state with whom Guterres had a formal lunch meeting in the UN dining room with UN funds on November 3, where Guterres will be on Saturday and Sunday. Dujarric replied: "sg will be in lisbon over the weekend." It sure seems like that's why he took the Lisbon speaking gig. And in fact, even before 5 pm on Friday, November 3, Guterres left the UN with bodyguards, in a three-car convoy. Who is paying for all this? On October 27, after Guterres' spokespeople stonewalled Inner City Press for three days on his plans for a grip and grin meeting in a Cameroon airport with Paul Biya, who has killed hundreds this year as well as cutting the Internet Guterres loves so much, they also refused to say how Guterres personal, or shall we say Lisbon-focused, travel is paid for, and how much it costs. From the UN transcript: Inner City Press: If he goes to Lisbon, Portugal, does he take UN security with him? In which case, where do they stay, and what are the costs? How are they borne? Deputy Spokesman: However he does his stopovers, he does it at the least cost to the UN. And a lot of times, what that means is traveling with a smaller delegation, and it also means traveling on commercial flights. He does take specific steps, and he's been very conscientious over these months of making sure that he travels with as slim a delegation as he has. Inner City Press: My question is just who's paying for his security if he goes to Lisbon? And also I'm aware that he sent some people in advance to CAR. They didn't travel with him, but they were actually part of the party. So is there an attempt to bifurcate traveling trips so that some people are not considered to be traveling with him. For example, the UN photographer, I'm aware, went days in advance. Why was that? Deputy Spokesman: Well, sometimes advance teams go out when it's needed to do that. For us, in terms of the Department of Public Information, there are many times when it's useful for us to send our media crews in advance to get different coverage for the sort of pieces and features that they do. Inner City Press: Can we just get the cost? It's a straight transparency question. Deputy Spokesman: The costs of travel are calculated over the year and shared with the Member States, and that's how we do it. All right. Have a good weekend, everyone." Antonio sure will - on the public dime. Back on July 29, the day after guilty verdicts on six counts of UN briberyin the case of Ng Lap Seng, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres flew to Split for a seven day vacation on the Dalmatian islands, according to sources there. Guterres' spokespeople did not disclose the travel or any week-long absence to the press covering the UN, at least not to the Press evicted and still restricted for covering Ng's bribery. This lack of transparency stands in contrast to the executive branch in Washington and even New York routinely disclosing travel including vacation travel. But the UN has no press protections either - Guterres has been asked. Meanwhile his spokespeople says the UN should get paid for the UNreformed corruption shown in the Ng trial and verdict. We'll have more on this. When UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on July 27 had a brief meeting with Qatar's Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, Qatar state media and other UN based photographers went up. Alamy photos here. There were complaints how short the handshake was; Inner City Press noted that on the UN side of the table were only four people, all men, including Jeffrey Feltman. Periscope video here. Guterres was scheduled to be at another meeting in 25 minutes time. So will the UN help solve the stand-off in the Gulf? It seems unlikely. The UN never answered Inner City Press' questions of if Feltman had visited Saudi Arabia and if not, why not. Back on July 19 Guterres.had a meeting and photo op with Spain's Foreign Minister Alfonso María Dastis Quecedo. Inner City Press went to cover it, Alamy photos here, Periscope video here including of whether Dastis should write "una poema" in the UN visitors' book. Inner City Press barely arriving on time due to the crowd of tourists at the UN's visitors entrance. It has been this way since Spain's now-gone Under Secretary General Cristina Gallach had Inner City Press evicted from and still restricted at the UN after Inner City Press asked her about attending indicted Macau-based businessman Ng Lap Seng's South South Awards, and allowing Ng fundees improper events in the UN. Although Guterres did not continue Gallach's contract - she lobbied to stay, but failed - her negative impacts are still in evidence. The Spanish Mission to the UN, now off the Security Council, likewise did nothing to reign Gallach in. But surely they are lobbying Guterres to get another Under Secretary General position, even as their Fernando Arias Gonzalez runs against six others to head the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. We'll have more on this. The day before on July 18 Guterres had a meeting and photo op with the Dominican Republic's Foreign Minister Miguel Vargas Maldonado (Alamy photos here,Periscope video here); it came one day after in the UN bribery case against Ng Lap Seng a video of then then-President Leonel Fernandez Reyna visiting South South News near the UN was discussed. That video is here. South South News was a bribery conduit, its funds used for gambling by Dominican Deputy Permanent Representative Francis Lorenzo in Las Vegas and Atlantic City while the UN's Department of Public Information let SSN's content into UNTV archives and let Ng fundees have impermissible events in the UN. On July 18, Guterres' Deputy Spokesman Farhan Haq refused to answer Inner City Press' yes or no questions about South South News and the UN. After the July 18 photo op, Inner City Press had nowhere to edit - for seeking to cover an event in the UN Press Briefing Room in pursuing the UN / SSN corruption story, Inner City Press was evicted and still restricted. The 38th floor apparently loves it. On July 10 Guterres has a photo op with Colombia's Foreign Minister Maria Angela Holguin Cuellar. It was supposed to be in his office in UN Headquarters at 4:30 pm. But on little notice he moved it to his - make that, the UN and the public's - mansion on Sutton Place and 57th Street, at 4 pm. Inner City Press jumped on the city bus up First Avenue, broadcasting a Periscope video about the change, when suddenly it was urged to stop broadcasting by a board member of the UN Correspondents Association, which Guterres' deputy spoke before last week and whose former president Giampaolo Pioli's Hampton's gratiuty-fest the UN acting head of Public Information Maher Nasser attended, the UN Censorship Alliance. This is today's UN. Still, up on Sutton Place UN Security brought up a sniffing dog in a UN 4x4, and two quick photos were allowed before Guterres escorted Holguin onto "his" elevator. Back at the UN, the door to the UN Security Council stakeout was locked, and the turnstile where targeting Inner City Press' ID pass no longer works was guarded by new UN Security who didn't even recognize the UN minder. Still, we got this Periscope, despite UN censorship which continues.
By Matthew
Russell Lee UNITED NATIONS, November 30 – When
the
International
Monetary Fund
held its
biweekly
embargoed
briefing on November 30, Inner City Press asked about critiques of the IMF from the Caribbean, about Yemen, Zambia and Kenya. The first three of these were answered. IMF Spokesperson Gerry Rice read out Inner City Press' question: "Saint Lucia’s Prime Minister Allen Chastanet has said of the IMF, 'If you care about the Caribbean, you must change the rules of engagement and allow us to help ourselves.' He's said the billions of dollars in Caribbean loans should be reclassified by the IMF. What is the IMF's response?" Rice said Managing Director Lagarde is aware of the criticism from the Caribbean forum a few weeks ago and that a study is underway including of catastrophe bonds but, he said, the IMF cannot currently do the requested reclassifications to make countries eligible for concessionary financing. On Zambia, Rice
notes that Inner City Press at the UN had asked, "Treasury Secretary
Fredson Yamba has said Zambia expects to host an IMF mission before the
end of the year and hopes to have a $1.3 billion loan deal in place in
early 2018. 'Come 2018, we must have a final (IMF) programme. It has taken a long time because the parameters have been changing.' What is the IMF's status with Zambia?" Rice said after the pause in August,progress has been made, the interest is there, but some information and clarifications are still awaited. "We are waiting for further data and details on the government's external borrowing plans," he said. On Inner City Press' Yemen question, Rice said the IMF "donor grants will be needed" for the payment of wages and social assistance and that the IMF is willing to help with
macro-stability once the conflict is over. But when will that be? Here
was and is Inner City Press' Kenya question: In Kenya, IMF rep Jan
Mikkelsen is quoted that “discussions about the current programme and
what will follow after the expiration in March are expected to begin
soon, with the new government taking office. The authorities have
indicated that they are interested to continue a programme relationship
with the IMF."Has the IMF taken note of, and what is its comment on, the
critique of the election by Raila Odinga and the NASA Coalition? Would
the IMF also confer with the opposition?" We'll have more on this. Back on
September 28,
Inner City
Press asked
among other
things about
the IMF
negotiating
with a reputed
money launder
in
Congo-Brazzaville,
and about
corruption
charges
against
Finance
Minister Ishaq
Dar of
Pakistan, also
in IMF talks.
On the former,
IMF Deputy
Spokesman
William Murray
said the IMF
is again in
Brazzaville,
for the third
time, having a
“series of
contacts” on
financial
assessment. He
declined to
confirm or
deny the IMF
is talking
with Orion
Oil's Lucien
Ebata, but
this is widely
known, as is
his dealings
in cash, via
the Panama
Papers. We'll
have more on
this. Inner
City Press'
Pakistan
question was
and is: “On
Pakistan, it
is reported
that “the IMF
said it had
been told by
Pakistani
officials that
the
restrictions
[on luxury
imports] would
be removed
within a year
but Mr Abbasi
now says his
government was
planning to
impose more.”
Also, what is
the IMF
comment on the
corruption
charges
against
Finance
Minister Ishaq
Dar?” But when
re-submitting
through the
IMF's online
form, with
allows only
300
characters,
Inner City
Press took out
“[on luxury
imports]”
thinking the
IMF would know
what
restrictions
were being
referred to,
since they
imposed them.
They did not,
and did not
address the
Ishaq Dar
corruption
allegations.
Yet. Watch
this site.
When the
International
Monetary Fundre-started
its biweekly
embargoed
press
briefings on
September 14,
Inner City
Press
submitted questions
about Hurricane
Irma and moratoria,
Mozambique, DR
Congo and
Ghana: "what
is the IMF's
response to
civil society
saying 'the
Finance
Minister, in
particular, is
facing
conflict of
interest
investigation
with USA SEC,
Ghanaian SEC
and the
Commission on
Human Rights
and
Administrative
Justice
(CHRAJ) in
Ghana... We
are losing
hope as the
IMF seems not
concerned
about all
these
developments”?
The
first two got
answered,
during the
briefing, then
this on Ghana,
from an IMF
Spokesperson:
"We are aware
of the
allegations
raised in
Parliament and
the related
debates that
have been
reported on by
the media. The
Minister of
Finance
testified
before
Parliament to
clarify the
issue.Since
the approval
of the ECF
arrangement we
have been
working with
the
authorities on
strengthening
debt
management and
improving
governance and
transparency
of government
operations.
The enactment
and ongoing
implementation
of the Public
Financial
Management
Act, along
with the
implementation
of the debt
management
strategy,
indicate
progress in
these
areas." Inner
City Press
asked: "On
Antigua and
Barbuda, and
Hurricane Irma
impacted
countries more
generally... will
there be no
moratoria?
What is the
IMF doing?" IMF spokesperson
Gerry
Rice said,
"There's a
question from
Matthew Lee on
moratorium...
on that, I
would refer to
what Mme
Lagarde said a
few days ago,
of course the
IMF has
tremendous
sympathy. She
also said we
stand ready to
help. There
are a number
of options we
can look at in
that context.
At the moment
we are still
trying to make
an assessment.
As a factual
member, none
of our members
including
Antigua and
Barbuda have
formally
requested
assistance
from the
Fund." Oh. On
Mozambique, he
called again
for the
publication of
the full audit.
Inner City
Press also
asked, "On the
DR Congo, what
is the IMF's
response to
civil society
requests it
has received
that the Fund
end its
dealings with
the National
Petroleum
Company of the
Congo (SNPC),
specifically
that “if the
IMF obtained
the
dissolution of
Cotrade, a
subsidiary of
the SNPC, it
can also
demand and
obtain the
dissolution of
the SNPC and
the major
works”?Watch
this site and
see IMF's July
20, 2017transcript:
, with Inner City
Press'
question at that
time: "Ghana
President,
Nana
Akufo-Addo, on
Tuesday said
the country
will not
extend its
three-year aid
program with
the IMF beyond
April 2018.
The IMF had
urged it to do
so to give it
time to
complete the
program’s
goals. Did the
IMF so urge?A
step back real
quick for some
context. Right
now, we’re in
the process of
completing the
fourth review
of Ghana’s ECF
program. We’ve
made
significant
progress in
program
discussions,
and we expect
to reach
understandings
in all
remaining
issues in the
coming days.
The
discussions
are going to
continue and
as a result of
these
continuing
discussions, a
Board
discussion to
complete the
fourth review
probably won’t
take place
until late
August. Again,
Media
Relations will
get back to
everyone on
the exact
timing. But
it’s probably
late August
when Ghana’s
fourth review
will be taken
up by the
Executive
Board.
Now, the
question that
was just posed
was regarding
a comment
about
extension of
the ECF next
year when it’s
scheduled to
expire. The
President made
it clear that
he would like
to move Ghana
beyond aid.
And successful
completion of
the
IMF-supported
program could
be
instrumental
in achieving
this goal by
restoring
macroeconomic
stability in
Ghana. A
request for
program
extension is
essential for
our ability to
complete the
review of this
program
overall. And
given the
significant
fiscal
slippages from
last year, it
will also take
longer to
bring debt
onto a clearly
declining
path, which
explains the
need for the
program to
cover
performance
into later
next year.
This was
something that
was outlined
in a press
release issued
by the finance
minister on
July 18th.Mozambique:
the IMF’s Mr.
Lazare, our
mission chief,
has said that,
quote,
“critical
information
gaps remain
unaddressed
regarding the
use of loans,
proceeds”,
close quote.
Please be more
specific about
what the IMF
sees as the
information
gaps, and how
they can be
filled, with
what
information
and in what
detail?First
of all, we
welcomed and
continue to
welcome the
fact that the
delivery of an
international
forensic audit
on three
companies to
the office of
the public
prosecutor of
Mozambique has
taken place.
We commend
Mozambique
public
prosecutor for
undertaking
this important
audit and for
releasing the
summary of the
report.
Transparency
and good
governance are
key conditions
for
sustainable,
inclusive
growth, and
that applies
to all
countries. Now
we look
forward to the
publication of
the entire
audit report
in due course.
At that point,
we will be
able to
provide an
informed view
on the audit
and its
implications.
Still UNanswered:
"On
Zambia, Fitch
has “said the
key risk
stemming from
the current
political
tension if it
escalated
could
jeopardize an
IMF aid
package as
well as other
lender's
willingness to
provide the
southern
African nation
with external
financing” and
that “progress
towards an IMF
program has
remained slow
and may be
delayed
further by
domestic
political
events, adding
that
expectation of
an IMF program
was key to
Zambia's
B/negative
sovereign
rating.”
Please comment
on if progress
is slow and on
these risks.In
Sri Lanka,
Joint
Opposition’s
Parliamentarian
Bandula
Gunawardana on
July said that
the country's
Inland Revenue
Act, in accord
with the
agreement
arrived at
with the IMF,
is “an attempt
to sabotage
all forms of
tax relief
provided by
former
President
Mahinda
Rajapaksa
during his
tenure as the
Finance
Minister, and
clarified that
state-sponsored
relief was
also included
under the new
Act.” Is that
the IMF's
understanding
of the Inland
Revenue Act?
Please
comment.If
there is an
updated view
about the
Internet cut
off (lifted
only after 94
days) and
other
restrictions
in the
Anglophone
regions of
Cameroon
injuring
“Silicon
Mountain."
By Matthew
Russell Lee UNITED NATIONS, November 30 – When
the
International
Monetary Fund
held its
biweekly
embargoed
briefing on November 30, Inner City Press asked about critiques of the IMF from the Caribbean, about Yemen, Zambia and Kenya. The first three of these were answered. IMF Spokesperson Gerry Rice read out Inner City Press' question: "Saint Lucia’s Prime Minister Allen Chastanet has said of the IMF, 'If you care about the Caribbean, you must change the rules of engagement and allow us to help ourselves.' He's said the billions of dollars in Caribbean loans should be reclassified by the IMF. What is the IMF's response?" Rice said Managing Director Lagarde is aware of the criticism from the Caribbean forum a few weeks ago and that a study is underway including of catastrophe bonds but, he said, the IMF cannot currently do the requested reclassifications to make countries eligible for concessionary financing. On Zambia, Rice
notes that Inner City Press at the UN had asked, "Treasury Secretary
Fredson Yamba has said Zambia expects to host an IMF mission before the
end of the year and hopes to have a $1.3 billion loan deal in place in
early 2018. 'Come 2018, we must have a final (IMF) programme. It has taken a long time because the parameters have been changing.' What is the IMF's status with Zambia?" Rice said after the pause in August,progress has been made, the interest is there, but some information and clarifications are still awaited. "We are waiting for further data and details on the government's external borrowing plans," he said. On Inner City Press' Yemen question, Rice said the IMF "donor grants will be needed" for the payment of wages and social assistance and that the IMF is willing to help with
macro-stability once the conflict is over. But when will that be? Here
was and is Inner City Press' Kenya question: In Kenya, IMF rep Jan
Mikkelsen is quoted that “discussions about the current programme and
what will follow after the expiration in March are expected to begin
soon, with the new government taking office. The authorities have
indicated that they are interested to continue a programme relationship
with the IMF."Has the IMF taken note of, and what is its comment on, the
critique of the election by Raila Odinga and the NASA Coalition? Would
the IMF also confer with the opposition?" We'll have more on this. Back on
September 28,
Inner City
Press asked
among other
things about
the IMF
negotiating
with a reputed
money launder
in
Congo-Brazzaville,
and about
corruption
charges
against
Finance
Minister Ishaq
Dar of
Pakistan, also
in IMF talks.
On the former,
IMF Deputy
Spokesman
William Murray
said the IMF
is again in
Brazzaville,
for the third
time, having a
“series of
contacts” on
financial
assessment. He
declined to
confirm or
deny the IMF
is talking
with Orion
Oil's Lucien
Ebata, but
this is widely
known, as is
his dealings
in cash, via
the Panama
Papers. We'll
have more on
this. Inner
City Press'
Pakistan
question was
and is: “On
Pakistan, it
is reported
that “the IMF
said it had
been told by
Pakistani
officials that
the
restrictions
[on luxury
imports] would
be removed
within a year
but Mr Abbasi
now says his
government was
planning to
impose more.”
Also, what is
the IMF
comment on the
corruption
charges
against
Finance
Minister Ishaq
Dar?” But when
re-submitting
through the
IMF's online
form, with
allows only
300
characters,
Inner City
Press took out
“[on luxury
imports]”
thinking the
IMF would know
what
restrictions
were being
referred to,
since they
imposed them.
They did not,
and did not
address the
Ishaq Dar
corruption
allegations.
Yet. Watch
this site.
When the
International
Monetary Fundre-started
its biweekly
embargoed
press
briefings on
September 14,
Inner City
Press
submitted questions
about Hurricane
Irma and moratoria,
Mozambique, DR
Congo and
Ghana: "what
is the IMF's
response to
civil society
saying 'the
Finance
Minister, in
particular, is
facing
conflict of
interest
investigation
with USA SEC,
Ghanaian SEC
and the
Commission on
Human Rights
and
Administrative
Justice
(CHRAJ) in
Ghana... We
are losing
hope as the
IMF seems not
concerned
about all
these
developments”?
The
first two got
answered,
during the
briefing, then
this on Ghana,
from an IMF
Spokesperson:
"We are aware
of the
allegations
raised in
Parliament and
the related
debates that
have been
reported on by
the media. The
Minister of
Finance
testified
before
Parliament to
clarify the
issue.Since
the approval
of the ECF
arrangement we
have been
working with
the
authorities on
strengthening
debt
management and
improving
governance and
transparency
of government
operations.
The enactment
and ongoing
implementation
of the Public
Financial
Management
Act, along
with the
implementation
of the debt
management
strategy,
indicate
progress in
these
areas." Inner
City Press
asked: "On
Antigua and
Barbuda, and
Hurricane Irma
impacted
countries more
generally... will
there be no
moratoria?
What is the
IMF doing?" IMF spokesperson
Gerry
Rice said,
"There's a
question from
Matthew Lee on
moratorium...
on that, I
would refer to
what Mme
Lagarde said a
few days ago,
of course the
IMF has
tremendous
sympathy. She
also said we
stand ready to
help. There
are a number
of options we
can look at in
that context.
At the moment
we are still
trying to make
an assessment.
As a factual
member, none
of our members
including
Antigua and
Barbuda have
formally
requested
assistance
from the
Fund." Oh. On
Mozambique, he
called again
for the
publication of
the full audit.
Inner City
Press also
asked, "On the
DR Congo, what
is the IMF's
response to
civil society
requests it
has received
that the Fund
end its
dealings with
the National
Petroleum
Company of the
Congo (SNPC),
specifically
that “if the
IMF obtained
the
dissolution of
Cotrade, a
subsidiary of
the SNPC, it
can also
demand and
obtain the
dissolution of
the SNPC and
the major
works”?Watch
this site and
see IMF's July
20, 2017transcript:
, with Inner City
Press'
question at that
time: "Ghana
President,
Nana
Akufo-Addo, on
Tuesday said
the country
will not
extend its
three-year aid
program with
the IMF beyond
April 2018.
The IMF had
urged it to do
so to give it
time to
complete the
program’s
goals. Did the
IMF so urge?A
step back real
quick for some
context. Right
now, we’re in
the process of
completing the
fourth review
of Ghana’s ECF
program. We’ve
made
significant
progress in
program
discussions,
and we expect
to reach
understandings
in all
remaining
issues in the
coming days.
The
discussions
are going to
continue and
as a result of
these
continuing
discussions, a
Board
discussion to
complete the
fourth review
probably won’t
take place
until late
August. Again,
Media
Relations will
get back to
everyone on
the exact
timing. But
it’s probably
late August
when Ghana’s
fourth review
will be taken
up by the
Executive
Board.
Now, the
question that
was just posed
was regarding
a comment
about
extension of
the ECF next
year when it’s
scheduled to
expire. The
President made
it clear that
he would like
to move Ghana
beyond aid.
And successful
completion of
the
IMF-supported
program could
be
instrumental
in achieving
this goal by
restoring
macroeconomic
stability in
Ghana. A
request for
program
extension is
essential for
our ability to
complete the
review of this
program
overall. And
given the
significant
fiscal
slippages from
last year, it
will also take
longer to
bring debt
onto a clearly
declining
path, which
explains the
need for the
program to
cover
performance
into later
next year.
This was
something that
was outlined
in a press
release issued
by the finance
minister on
July 18th.Mozambique:
the IMF’s Mr.
Lazare, our
mission chief,
has said that,
quote,
“critical
information
gaps remain
unaddressed
regarding the
use of loans,
proceeds”,
close quote.
Please be more
specific about
what the IMF
sees as the
information
gaps, and how
they can be
filled, with
what
information
and in what
detail?First
of all, we
welcomed and
continue to
welcome the
fact that the
delivery of an
international
forensic audit
on three
companies to
the office of
the public
prosecutor of
Mozambique has
taken place.
We commend
Mozambique
public
prosecutor for
undertaking
this important
audit and for
releasing the
summary of the
report.
Transparency
and good
governance are
key conditions
for
sustainable,
inclusive
growth, and
that applies
to all
countries. Now
we look
forward to the
publication of
the entire
audit report
in due course.
At that point,
we will be
able to
provide an
informed view
on the audit
and its
implications.
Still UNanswered:
"On
Zambia, Fitch
has “said the
key risk
stemming from
the current
political
tension if it
escalated
could
jeopardize an
IMF aid
package as
well as other
lender's
willingness to
provide the
southern
African nation
with external
financing” and
that “progress
towards an IMF
program has
remained slow
and may be
delayed
further by
domestic
political
events, adding
that
expectation of
an IMF program
was key to
Zambia's
B/negative
sovereign
rating.”
Please comment
on if progress
is slow and on
these risks.In
Sri Lanka,
Joint
Opposition’s
Parliamentarian
Bandula
Gunawardana on
July said that
the country's
Inland Revenue
Act, in accord
with the
agreement
arrived at
with the IMF,
is “an attempt
to sabotage
all forms of
tax relief
provided by
former
President
Mahinda
Rajapaksa
during his
tenure as the
Finance
Minister, and
clarified that
state-sponsored
relief was
also included
under the new
Act.” Is that
the IMF's
understanding
of the Inland
Revenue Act?
Please
comment.If
there is an
updated view
about the
Internet cut
off (lifted
only after 94
days) and
other
restrictions
in the
Anglophone
regions of
Cameroon
injuring
“Silicon
Mountain."
