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Subject: MCC Approves $10.5 Million Grant for Timor-Leste to Improve
Childhood Immunization, Curb Corruption
For Immediate Release
May 28, 2010
Contact: 202-521-3850
Email: info@mcc.gov
MCC Approves $10.5 Million Grant for Timor-Leste to Improve Childhood
Immunization, Curb Corruption
Washington, DC - The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Board
of Directors today approved a three-year, nearly $10.5 million MCC
threshold program that will assist Timor-Leste with its national
childhood immunization strategy and with efforts to curb corruption.
The program, proposed by the government of Timor-Leste, is intended to
build functioning and effective anti-corruption institutions by
strengthening capacity, increasing coordination, and improving processes
and procedures to detect, deter, and prosecute corruption. The program
also will create a more capable and effective community health system in
Timor-Leste by strengthening local community health units, improving
vaccine-preventable disease surveillance capacity and immunization, and
increasing the number of qualified health service providers.
"This program enhances Timor-Leste's commitment to improve the health of
its children and reduce corruption," said MCC Chief Executive Officer
Daniel Yohannes. "Reliable health services and an environment of
transparency and accountability are both essential to sustainable
development. MCC looks forward to partnering with Timor-Leste in
implementing this threshold program."
MCC's threshold program is designed to assist countries that are on
the ?threshold? of eligibility for MCC compact assistance. Threshold
program assistance is used to help countries address the specific policy
areas for improvement indicated by their scores on 17 policy indicators
in three categories - Ruling Justly, Investing in People, and
Encouraging Economic Freedom. These policy indicators are central to
the criteria and methodology for determining compact eligibility and are
products of respected international institutions and national data.
Each indicator is selected based on its utility in removing impediments
to growth and poverty reduction, the number of countries it covers, its
transparency and availability, and its analytical rigor.
Following MCC Board approval, there is a 15-day congressional
notification period before the United States Agency for International
Development (USAID), as the primary U.S. Government implementer of the
threshold program, may enter into negotiations and sign a threshold
program agreement with the government of Timor-Leste. USAID will manage
the threshold program and be responsible for coordination, contracting,
and financial management. MCC will maintain oversight of Timor-Leste's
threshold program.
# # #
Millennium Challenge Corporation, a U.S. Government agency designed
to work with developing countries, is based on the principle that aid is
most effective when it reinforces sound political, economic, and social
policies that promote poverty reduction through economic growth. For
more information, please visit
www.mcc.gov.
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http://www.mcc.gov/mcc/press/releases/release-052810-mccapprovestimor.shtml
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