Tunis — Mr. Donald Kaberuka, President of the African Development Bank has been appointed Commander of the National Order of Mali by President Amadou Toumani Touré.
«Today it is the whole of the African Development Bank that has been honored through this modest being", President Kaberuka told the press following his decoration. "This is an honor for me, for the Bank and for its staff, whose exemplary efforts are being recognized here. This distinction, which I accept with great emotion, attests to our exemplary relations and should spur us on to work harder for the development of our continent. »
In addition to being received in audience by the President of the Republic of Mali, Mr. Amadou Toumani Touré, President Kaberuka has had discussions with the Prime Minister and the heads of the country's administration and institutions. The discussions primarily concerned the strengthening of cooperation between AfDB and Mali.
In accordance with the practice he has adopted since he assumed office at AfDB in 2005, President Kaberuka's official visit to Mali also involved a project visit-an opportunity to gauge the actual impacts of the institution's projects. In that regard, he expressed satisfaction with the outputs of the major hydro-agricultural infrastructure financed by AfDB in Mali under the Moyen Bani Plain Development Project which includes the Talo Sill. The Talo Sill is an imposing water harnessing structure, but also serves as a river crossing point to facilitate the producers' access to the marketing and consumption centers, and it contributes to food security, increasing the incomes of the project area populations and improving their health and social conditions. A shining example of AfDB Mali cooperation, the Talo Sill was inaugurated by President at the beginning of the year.
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Among the major operations in the AfDB pipeline for Mali, the Markala Agro-industrial Sugar Project holds great significance for the institution. Based on public-private partnership, this operation, like the Talo Sill, is multidimensional: creating major employment opportunities, stepping up exports, improving the populations' income and living conditions While this intervention marks a revival of ADB operations in the Malian private sector, President Kaberuka stressed the need to enhance the business climate to attract investment.
From the start of its operations in Mali in 1970, the AfDB Group has awarded the country 92 loans and grants for a total amount net of cancellations of approximately CFAF 476 billion, making the AfDB one of its leading development partners. This privileged position is also reflected in the volume of the Bank's active portfolio in the country which stands at USD 400 million (approximately 165 billion CFAF). The recent opening of the country office has strengthened the AfDB presence in Mali and improved portfolio management. The President explained to his Malian hosts that the opening of the office was just part of a vast decentralization programme aimed at deploying 25 regional or national offices all over the continent and gradually extending their authority.
