MEDIA REACTION ON DEBT FORGIVENESS, JULY 28, 2005

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 001564

SIPDIS

DEPT. FOR WHA/PD; IIP/G/WHA DIPASQUALE; AND IIP/T/ES
DEPT. FOR PM AND EB/TRA
DEPT. FOR WHA/EPSC, WHA/PPC AND WHA/CEN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP KPAO PGOV MASS EAID HO
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ON DEBT FORGIVENESS, JULY 28, 2005



1. On 07/28 the Tegucigalpa-based moderate daily "El
Heraldo" carried an op-ed by Dr. Nicolas Odeh-Nasrala
entitled "Debt Forgiveness and Poverty Reduction." "In a
television forum on the use of debt relief funds, the
president of BCH (Honduran Central Bank),Gustavo Alfaro,
representatives of FONAC, and representatives of the
consultative board of the Poverty Reduction Strategy made
some sensible and patriotic statements. They also
acknowledged the importance of health and education."

"The discussion was insufficient and did not focus enough on
job creation, which is a source of wealth and the natural
antidote to poverty. Personal security and judicial issues
were mentioned in that they are favorable for investment and
job creation. However, no specific private or public
investment was discussed."

"We shouldn't stand still and wait for foreign investment to
come to us. If we have the resources, we ourselves should
invest in projects such as public infrastructure, massive
private food industries, sugar cane, and organic fuel. We
should handle public investment the same way we handle
private investment."

Tuebner