Press Releases

MCC Threshold Official visits Tanzania

October 3, 2007

Malik Chaka, an official with the U.S. Government’s Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), paid a visit to Tanzania this week to assess progress in the implementation of Tanzania’s Millennium Challenge Account Threshold Program. The Threshold Program is a 2-year $11.15 million anti-corruption effort managed by USAID and funded by MCC.

As Chaka explains, “Threshold Programs are designed to help countries shore up weaknesses in certain indicators that will make them more competitive for MCC Compact Programs. In Tanzania’s case, improvement was needed in the control of corruption indicator.” Since becoming eligible for a Threshold Program, however, Tanzania has performed well enough on this indicator to qualify for an MCC Compact Agreement. The Compact Agreement will devote resources valued at $698 million to improving the country’s roads, irrigation systems, and power supply grid. “In the mean time,” says Chaka, “the Threshold program is expected to help Tanzania continue to improve its performance on the control of corruption indicator.”

The Threshold Program is supporting civil society to advocate for anti-corruption reform, building capacity in key legal sector institutions such as the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau, assisting the Government of Tanzania fight money laundering, and helping to reform public procurement.

During his three-day visit, Mr. Chaka participated in a roundtable discussion with journalists on the role of the media in fighting corruption. He also paid visits to the Director General of the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau, the CEO of the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority, and the newly-appointed Commissioner of Tanzania’s Financial Intelligence Unit.

Chaka previously lived in Tanzania for five years on the early 1970s as an aid worker, and is a fluent speaker of Swahili. “Tanzania holds a special place in my heart,” he says.