And while the bill also lists poverty reduction, social investment and human rights as factors to be considered in assessing eligibility, without clear enforcement mechanisms these criteria are eclipsed by the bill's central concern with market liberalization. Market liberalization does not address that problem or promote development of local industries. In fact it may undermine the very sectors which would allow African economies to develop the capacity to supply the U.S. market. Governments that undertake investments in these areas will be rewarded with increased rates of growth. Trade and investment initiatives should not take the place of development assistance.
Debt relief is crucial for many countries to be able to take advantage of new programs.
The African Growth bill acknowledges the importance of continued development assistance programs and the urgent need for substantial debt relief but makes no additional funding available for these programs. Rather than a helping hand, it read like a set of terms that every African country must meet before getting ease of access to the American market. Many people here wonder whether the United States is opting for regimes that are willing to impose economic reforms designed in Washington, even if the same regimes deny the opposition the right to organize If the era of single-party politics taught us one thing, it is that monopoly is as corrupting in politics as in the economy. The U.S. Customs Service has already identified eight sub-Saharan African countries as transshipment routes. The bill attempts to deal with transshipment by setting up a visa system.