Actualités - 9th Session of the Board of MCA-Benin : U.S. Ambassador congratulates and urges Benin to greater endeavor

The Benin Program for the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA-Benin) held on Friday December 4, 2009 the 9th Regular Session of its Board of Directors. This gathering was an opportunity for James Knight, the newly appointed U.S. Ambassador to Benin, not only to meet with the Board members but equally to reiterate his country's support to the reforms initiated by Benin, which he expects, must do its best to achieve the objectives it has set for itself.

The 9th Regular Session of the MCA-Benin Board of Directors which took place at the Program headquarters in Cotonou welcomed the new Ambassador of the United States to Benin, Mr. James Knight, surrounded for the occasion by Mr. Soule Badarou, Chair of the Board, Gabriel Dégbègni, acting National Coordinator of MCA-Benin, officials from the Millennium Challenge Corporation and other political and administrative authorities, members of the Board.

Following the introductory address by the acting National Coordinator of MCA-Benin, His Excellency James Knight, commended the MCA-Benin team while highlighting some of the achievements recorded in each of the four components under the Program. For the U.S. Ambassador to Benin, the activities are well underway and show good signs for achieving the expected results. The most prominent example, he said, is the "Access to Markets" Project for which major contracts have been signed for the modernization of the Port of Cotonou.
Mr. Knight has also mentioned the 65 grant beneficiaries under the MCA-Benin's "Access to Financial Services" Project and emphasized the reforms undertaken within the framework of the "Access to Justice» Project. However, these results should not be grounds for satisfaction causing the Program management team to loose sight of the tough challenges turning up toward the end of the Program, he warned. "I think the hardest job will have to be done this year, and I thank you for your hard work to overcome any outstanding challenges, as they will determine either the success or the failure of the Program," Ambassador said. "If after five years, with an investment of 38 million dollars, obtaining a Land Title is still expensive, tedious and difficult, then you and us, as a team, will have failed", Mr. Knight stressed. Drawing attention to the time wasted under the "Access to Justice" Project due to the late satisfaction of certain conditions precedent and to persistent hindrances to customs reforms at the Port of Cotonou, he insisted on the urgent need to speed up the process initiated if Benin really wants to rank among Nations with well performing economies. The U.S. Ambassador also congratulated the National Coordinator of MCA-Benin and his team on the qualitative management of the Program which, he said," is managed transparently and in accordance with the rules and procedures of the U.S. Government".

In response to these exhortations, the Chair of the MCA-Benin Board of Directors reassured the Ambassador that the Government of Benin will use its best efforts "to consume every penny" provided by the Donor. Mr. Soule Badarou thus invited the whole team of MCA-Benin not to give up until October 5, 2011 when the Program ends.