Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.twt.comment From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: Slow the money flow at the World Bank Date: Wed, 11 Nov 92 14:23:38 EST Message-ID: \SE G;COMMENTARY;EDITORIAL;LETTERS \HD Slow the money flow at the World Bank B.J. Cutler's Nov. 7 column on the World Bank was right on the mark. I served on a review team with three independent engineers to review plans for a $1 billion loan to a Southeast Asian country to bring 500 million gallons of water a day into a large city that was receiving 500 million gallons of water a day from available ground water sources. However, over half of the existing water supply was being wasted from leaks. Over 40 percent of the city was without basic water service, and the people there have to go out each day to buy water by the can - frequently polluted water. Our team recommended that the bank not lend $1 billion to construct an enormous new system. Instead, we recommended a loan of approximately $50 million to eliminate the leaks in the existing system, which would have provided enough clean water to meet the needs of all the local inhabitants. The bank did not take our recommendation. As Mr. Cutler points out, the World Bank is staffed mostly by non-Americans who act as if the supply of American cash is endless. The bank prepares excellent analyses in defining the miserable conditions that exist in less-developed countries. But frequently the lending policy just throws our money at the problem without solving it. America should help solve its own economic problems by slowing down the flow of funds into the bank until the waste stops. JOSEPH T. CARRIGAN JR. Silver Spring This article is copyright 1992 The Washington Times. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM