[Ghana - Aid] receives U.S. anti-poverty loan

from Planet Save

WASHINGTON (AP) _ A U.S. government corporation approved on Wednesday a five-year, $547 million (euro430 million) anti-poverty program for Ghana.

The program is designed to benefit more than 1 million Ghanians and focuses on rural agriculture, transportation and community development initiatives.

It was approved by the Millennium Challenge Corp., which assists countries whose governments promote sound economic and social policies.

State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said it was the largest MCC compact to date.

He said that under the MCC program, the United States links new aid to a country to clear standards of economic, political and social improvements.

``The Ghana compact will help 1 million rural poor in that country live a better life by providing investments to modernize Ghana's agriculture,'' McCormack said. ``Special emphasis will be given to improving rural transportation networks to allow farmers to get their goods to market faster and at less cost.''

He said the agreement includes programs to improve education, water and sanitation.

To date, McCormack said, the MCC has approved compacts totaling more than $2.1 billion (euro1.7 billion) with nine nations.