PM Will Call on Firms to Help Africa
Gordon Brown to ask business to accelerate progress in meeting the millennium development goals of reducing world poverty
Gordon Brown will on Tuesday attempt to unleash the power of big business to alleviate poverty in Africa.
In front of 70 of the world's most powerful business leaders, the Prime Minister will launch a 'Business Call to Action' to accelerate progress in meeting the millennium development goals of reducing world poverty. The bosses of companies including Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, Wal-Mart and Vodafone will join Brown in making a commitment to devise programs for improving access to clean water, health and education for hundreds of millions of the world's poor. The meeting will launch a year-long program of initiatives.
However, campaigners have expressed unease about Brown's agenda. Coinciding with the event on Tuesday, Action Aid will release a report showing how major corporations exploit tax loopholes that deny African governments tax revenue. A week later, Christian Aid will release a report on the same theme. Pete Hardstaff, head of policy at the World Development Movement, said: 'On Tuesday, companies will announce their grand-sounding schemes, but by Wednesday, it's back to business as usual: lobbying for tax breaks, privatization and weak social and environmental standards.'
In front of 70 of the world's most powerful business leaders, the Prime Minister will launch a 'Business Call to Action' to accelerate progress in meeting the millennium development goals of reducing world poverty. The bosses of companies including Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, Wal-Mart and Vodafone will join Brown in making a commitment to devise programs for improving access to clean water, health and education for hundreds of millions of the world's poor. The meeting will launch a year-long program of initiatives.
However, campaigners have expressed unease about Brown's agenda. Coinciding with the event on Tuesday, Action Aid will release a report showing how major corporations exploit tax loopholes that deny African governments tax revenue. A week later, Christian Aid will release a report on the same theme. Pete Hardstaff, head of policy at the World Development Movement, said: 'On Tuesday, companies will announce their grand-sounding schemes, but by Wednesday, it's back to business as usual: lobbying for tax breaks, privatization and weak social and environmental standards.'
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