A consistent friend Germany offers more aid [Archives:2002/44/Business & Economy]

BY MAHYOUB AL-KAMALI
YEMEN TIMES STAFF
Yemen continues to be the benefactor of generous financial aid from Germany.
As part of the German government’s program to reduce poverty in the Third Word, this year it will give Yemen DM 75 million, compared to DM 45 million last year.
The German government has also increased its aid to Yemen by adding DM 300 million for future projects to reduce poverty. Projects supported by Germany focus on health, drinking water, sewage systems and development for women and children.
The projects also cover vocational education because of its close relation to the development of the workforce, improvement of the workforce’s skills and training of development specialists.
Extending care to vocational education is expected to result in growth of the Yemeni labor market by providing a workforce capable of handling skills of the free market.
It’s hoped that vocational education will help cut unemployment, from about 38 per cent, currently, to 22% by 2005.
This could be realized through employment of professionals in industrial fields. Germany’s cooperation with Yemen has a direct relationship to the improvement of social services.
A number of German institutions are offering their technical support for the implementation of projects and expertise necessary for fighting poverty to 2015. The most important German establishments working in Yemen are:
-Technical Cooperation Establishment, GTZ,
-German Development Establishment, DED,
-Construction Bank,
-Program on fighting poverty in the world
These institutions hold workshops related to developing worker skills, implementation of social projects, reproductive health and women’s health care.
German institutions have taken part in meetings of the International Conference on Poverty recently held in Sana’a, attended by Bolivia, Mozambique, Vietnam and Yemen, as well as some international organizations.
In response to a call by the UN to fight poverty in Yemen, the German institutions sent detailed plans of the German government’s program, and how Yemen would benefit.
Germany’s support for Yemen is among the most important assistance the donor countries offer in return for trade cooperation, that is still limited despite the availability of opportunities for increasing German exports to Yemeni markets, and exporting more Yemeni products to the German market.
Exchange of visits by officials from the two countries, and agreements have been made to establish more partnerships among Yemeni and German businessmen.
Still, the events of September 11 in the United States have slowed the flow of some German capitals to Yemen through, for example, tourism. Fewer German tourists are visiting Yemen.
This situation should urge the Council for Tourist Promotion to draw up a program inside the German tourist market in a bid to restore confidence in Yemen and its tourist landmarks.

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