ADB is no miracle monk to deliver goodies

Wednesday May 3 2006

HYDERABAD: The powerful and mighty Governors attending the 39th annual general body of the Asian Development Bank here on Wednesday maybe be received with polite-smiles, warm hand-shakes, ‘I know you Sir’ ‘Thank You Sir’ gestures at the venue.

They may also have to face music of a different kind from People’s Forum Against ADB (PFAADB), representing a hundred struggle groups, which believes that ‘ADB is destructive’ and that the world would be that much better off without it. ADB is no miracle monk to deliver goodies to the hungry stomachs.

The Forum, representing a broadspectrum of 97 social movements, struggle groups and NGOs from across Asia, accuses the ADB of enhancing/accelerating poverty in the region.

Its representative Souparna Lahiri told newsmen on Tuesday that the development model ADB is trying to promote is anti-people. It is based on private sector-led growth, undermining the public sector which is basically accountable to the people. ADB reflects lack of accountability, transparency and undemocratic structure, he added.

Shalmali Guttal of ‘Focus on the Global South’, an NGO, refuted ADB’s purported objective of ‘Fighting poverty in Asia and Pacific’. She asserted that research on ADB projects across Asia show that this is patently untrue. Moreover, she said it seems ADB is unable to learn from its mistakes. Stating that ADB projects are oriented towards free market, she said over 60 per cent of funds in all the projects goes to consultants and contractors selected by them.

"We may drag our Prime Minister to court, but not ADB as it is not accountable to citizens having immunity from all judicial proceedings,’’ she observed. Alleging that ADB staff are not competent to deal with poverty and issues like resettlement, she said ADB’s operational group itself confessed that 50 per cent of its projects were not successful.

‘Jubilee South’ coordinator from Philippines Lidy Nacpil deplored that institutions like ADB continue to exploit developing countries as long as the governments believe ‘we need to borrow’.

Kalia Moldogazieva from Central Asia and Tutobhai from Bangaldesh were also present.