WATER PRIVATISATION IN AFRICA

Motion Text

That this House notes that the Tanzanian Government has cancelled its agreement with UK private water company, Biwater, only two years into a 10 year contract and that the company delivered less than half of promised investment during the first two years of the contract; further notes that the Department for International Development paid the Adam Smith Institute £273,000 from the UK aid budget to run a public relations campaign aimed at persuading the Tanzanian public to support privatisation; believes it is scandalous that public money meant to reduce proverty is being used to force the failed policy of privatisation of water supplies on the developing world; and calls on the Government to protect Tanzania from any legal proceedings initiated by Biwater and to desist from using the aid budget to force privatisation on developing countries.