Asian Development Bank (ADB) is Pakistan’s biggest multilateral partner, providing assistance of $4.4 billion from 2009 through 2012. |
In an earlier post - here - it was noted that a World Trade Organisation (WTO) 'Trade Facilitation Agreement', freeing up trade to bring TRILLIONS into the world economy, is being negotiated.
India, Cuba, Bolivia and Venezuela are seeking to increase public stockholding for food security.
WTO stipulates no more than 10%' value of food/grains production to be allocated to 'public stockholdings'.
However, this is based on calculations dating back to 1986-1988 and therefore not in step with inflation figures.
While India is staying strong in the negotiations, asking for a permanent solution on food security, US Secretary of State, John Kerry is unsympathetic and playing games with peoples lives:
Secretary of state John Kerry, before starting for India on Wednesday morning, had expressed the hope that India’s opposition to TFA would wither away, adding that this was a test case for the country’s commitment to advance liberalisation of global trade and investment. [source - here]
Hmmmm ... let's see, 'test case' for 'liberalisation of global trade' VERSUS 'food security' ... and John Kerry's hoping these countries' food needs are just going to 'wither away'?
Never mind food. Let's make PROFIT and let's sell WEAPONS.
China and Pakistan, also parties to the proposed agreement, are ready to sign the WTO trade agreement set before them.
China, I figured, is cashed up. Oddly, it's not very community minded for a communist nation (or are they no longer communists?).
What's Pakistan's story?
Pakistan looks like it's 'owned' by 'US and company', judging by the amount of US financial support it has received and continues to receive, as well as financial support from US allies and the IMF.
What I found shocking is that the amount of US support Pakistan has received is almost as much as the US contribution request for World Bank's allocation to 81 of the world's poorest countries!
Apparently, large portions of the US aid in Pakistan go on military spending.
The guess is that the US supplies Pakistan with arms, so the money would go from the US public purse back to back to US private military manufacturing companies.
What I'm unclear about is what is a freebie and what is repayable by Pakistan.
It looks like there may be non-reimbursable portions of US aid, which is what? Is that non-repayable?
Well if 'reimbursable' is repayable, non-reimbursable must be non-repayable.
Until 1990, the United States provided military aid to Pakistan to modernize its conventional defensive capability. The United States allocated about 40% of its assistance package to non-reimbursable credits for military purchases, the third-largest program behind Israel and Egypt.
The remainder of the aid program was devoted to economic assistance.
Sanctions put in place in 1990 denied Pakistan further military assistance due to the discovery of its program to develop nuclear weapons. Sanctions were tightened following Pakistan's nuclear tests in response to India's May 1998 tests and the military coup of 1999. The events of September 11, 2001 and Pakistan's quick agreement to support the United States led to a waiving of the sanctions, and military assistance resumed to provide spare parts and equipment to enhance Pakistan's capacity to police its western border. In 2003, President Bush announced that the United States would provide Pakistan with $3 billion in economic and military aid over 5 years. This assistance package commenced during FY 2005. [source - US Dept of State - http://www.state.gov/outofdate/bgn/pakistan/47936.htm]
Receipt of non-repayable money sounds pretty good. Send some my way. LOL.
As for the Nuclear weapons? We're all doomed!
Anyway, that's a bit of a fill-in on Pakistan, which might be handy if you're anything like me and clueless about what's going on. LOL.
