Africa/UK: War on Want Campaign vs. UK Government

The UK government is giving away millions of pounds from the UK aid budget to privatisation consultants engaged to 'advise' developing countries on handing over their public services to the private sector, according to a new report from anti-poverty charity War on Want. The report - Profiting from Poverty: Privatisation consultants, DFID and public services - reveals how consultancy firms such as Pricewaterhouse Coopers, KPMG and Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu have all won vast sums in 'aid-funded business' to direct the privatisation of water, rail, electricity and postal services in developing countries. Since 1997, the Department for International Development (DFID) has also paid over £34 million from the aid budget to Thatcherite think-tank the Adam Smith Institute. STOP PRESS: In response to the campaign by War on Want and other organisations, the UK government has just announced a public consultation on its policy of requiring developing countries to privatise their public services in return for UK aid. The consultation into aid conditionality is being run by the Department for International Development (DFID), and members of the public are invited to send in their responses by 30 November 2004. War on Want is calling on its supporters, partners and allies to respond to the consultation with a simple message: that UK aid must no longer be made conditional upon privatisation, trade liberalisation or any other macroeconomic conditions. More details on DFID website: www.dfid.gov.uk/consultations/