News from Bonn

In-house training measures
Political Stability in Africa
Increased Support for Kenya

Support for in-house training measures

The programme launched by the Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation to support in-house training measures in developing countries Is being well received by the German economy. The programme supporting training efforts of German firms in developing countries, which started in 1965, was considerably simplified and improved last year. Since the new 1983 guidelines came into force, sixteen applications involving a subsidy volume of 13.4 million DM were approved. This is over ten times the amount approved from aid funds in 1982.

Over 1,000 new in-house training places in, among other countries, Indonesia, Madagascar, Mexico and Sri Lanka were supported last year, and range from one-year training courses for clothing-industry workers to four-year courses for installation electricians. As well as the above professions and the heavily-stressed automotive mechanics sector, the training measures also include the training of factory clerical staff, communications technicians and dental technicians.
The aim of the aid programme is to extend the range of in-house training offered in developing countries. Basically all systematic in-house training measures in developing countries can receive aid providing they are aimed at meeting the medium-to-long-term skilled labour requirements of one or more firms. Applications can be made by firms whose headquarters and business address are in the Federal Republic of Germany. Local firms and bodies responsible for training workshops can apply for subsidies for training measures of particular importance to development policies. The subsidy generally amounts to 250 DM per trainee per month.
In the opinion of the German Agency for Technical Cooperation (GTZ), which is in charge of the implementation of the programme, the opportunities available are not, however, being sufficiently exploited.

Support for political stability in Africa

"Our policy is to support the peaceful balance and political stability of Africa", said the Federal German Minister for Economic Cooperation, Jurgen Warnke, in a speech given in Hamburg recently on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Africa Association. He emphasized that it was in Germany's interest, too, to assist Africa to find a way out of its economic crisis. He blamed both world economic and internal reasons for the fact that Africa is at present wallowing in its worst slump since independence.

Warnke pinpointed self-sufficiency in food supplies as the key to Africa's future. That was why, said Warnke, German aid to Africa was concentrating on this aspect.
Speaking of development co-operation between West Germany and Africa, the Minister declared that the Federal Government intended to continue its aid at a high level. Up to now, he said, the Federal Republic of Germany had supported Africa to the tune of some 17 billion DM, and that this money had been wisely invested if it supplemented the self help efforts of individual African states. He mentioned the following main aspects of German development aid to Africa:
- Measures to satisfy basic needs and to combat absolute poverty
- Rural development
- Support towards the provision of energy
- Environmental preservation
- Support for private economic initiatives in industry and the craft sector.