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Antananarivo, Madagascar's capital city
Five development initiatives in Chad will be launched, backed by a total of €101m, while the Madagascan projects will be worth €518m. The European Union has long-standing relations with Madagascar, although the last of the country’s cyclical political crisis caused the suspension of development aid.
Today Madagascar remains one of the poorest countries in the world with 92% of its population surviving on less than $2 per day.
Neven Mimica, European commissioner for international cooperation and development signed the agreement with Madagascar’s president Hery Rajaonarimampianina yesterday.
She said: “The new programme we are signing today will help tackle poverty through inclusive and sustainable growth. The EU is fully committed to working in close cooperation with Madagascar to achieve this goal. Yet bold reforms are needed to reduce poverty to benefit the population.”
Reforms will work towards stability and resilience in the country by strengthening good governance, contributing to infrastructure and rural development projects that will grow the economy and sustainable development, and improving the delivery of basic services.
In Chad, the EU hopes to support the sustainable management of natural resources, contribute to the consolidation of peace and the implementation of governance reforms, and focus on helping vulnerable sections of the population and young people.
The funding is the first instalment of €442m allocated for Chad under the European Development Fund for the period 2014-2020.
Chad is classed as a heavily indebted poor country by the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. The international community is supposed to work towards reducing the external debt of such countries to manageable, sustainable levels.
In line with this the commission said €22m has been earmarked to help balance Chad’s budget and protect essential social expenditure while maintaining the momentum of public finance management reforms.
Other initiatives for Chad include support for food security, nutrition and rural development, the justice system and civil society.
The commission also announced that €10m will go to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, to support Palestinian refugees and vulnerable Palestinian families by helping keep schools open and maintain other core services.
