MCC and Mongolia Break Ground on $93 Million Infrastructure Project

The government of Mongolia and MCC broke ground on a $93 million Advanced Water Purification Plant (AWPP) on August 20 in Mongolia's capital city of Ulaanbaatar.

The President of Mongolia Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh invited U.S. Ambassador to Mongolia Michael Klecheski, MCC's Deputy Resident Country Director Eric Guetschoff, and members of the Millennium Challenge Account-Mongolia (MCA-Mongolia) to celebrate starting the first major infrastructure project in the $350 million Mongolia Water Compact.

"Today marks a new chapter in the United States' partnership with the people of Mongolia," said MCC's Deputy Chief Executive Officer Alexia Latortue. "Once operational, this purification plant will help alleviate the strain on groundwater aquifers along the Tuul River and provide the critical water resources needed to support the everyday wellness and economic growth of Mongolians."

The new state-of-the-art AWPP will supply up to 50 million cubic meters of water annually, boosting the bulk water supply production capacity in Ulaanbaatar by 65 percent over its lifetime. The AWPP is part of a phased, five-year compact that will ultimately increase Ulaanbaatar's water supply production capacity by 80 percent.

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On Development Podcast: Episode 4: This is part two of a conversation between Aysha House, MCC's Vice President of Congressional and Public Affairs; Shawn Baker, the United States Agency for International Development's Chief Nutritionist; and MCC's Katerina "Kat" Ntep, Deputy Vice President of Sector Operations, on the intersectionality between nutrition, conflict, and climate.

Alice Albright Named as Intended Nominee for MCC CEO

President Biden announced his intent to nominate Alice Albright to be Chief Executive Officer of MCC. Albright is the Chief Executive Officer of the Global Partnership for Education's Secretariat and served in the Obama Administration from 2009 – 2013 as the Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer of the Export-Import Bank of the United States.

Ghana's Power Sector:
Q&A with Dr. Enyonam Kpekpena

Through the $308 million Ghana Compact, MCC is investing in programs that will create opportunities for women to pursue and achieve their professional aspirations in male-dominated fields. One way is by creating platforms for women employed in the power sector to voice their concerns, exchange ideas and solutions, and network.

Report: U.S. Spent Nearly $300 Billion
In Foreign Aid FY13-18

According to Forbes, the American taxpayer has been generous to foreign countries. Each year, the U.S. spent about $47 billion. Half the aid went to Africa and the Middle East in FY2018, the latest year available for these statistics. Between the years 2013 and 2018, nearly $300 billion in U.S. taxpayer money flowed as "aid" to countries outside the United States. (Forbes)

Challenge of the Millennium

Politicians have weaponized the US-supported Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) infrastructure grant, and the much-needed project is stuck. An agreement for the $500 million project was signed by the Nepali Congress (NC) Finance Minister Gyanendra Bahadur Karki four years ago. But since then, it has become a political football. (Nepali Times)

Decolonizing West African Food

When asked "Where is imperialism in Africa?" former president of Burkina Faso Thomas Sankara said the answer was simple. "Look at your plates, at the imported grains of wheat, rice, and millet—that is imperialism." Sankara's advocacy for African self-dependence was considered revolutionary in the 1980s, but today, his message is championed across Western Africa as chefs begin to liberate their craft from the pall of history. (CN Traveler)

U.S. Treasury to Oppose Development Financing for Most Fossil Fuel Projects

The U.S. Treasury Department issued new energy financing guidance to multilateral development banks on August 16th, saying the United States would oppose their involvement in fossil fuel projects except for some downstream natural gas facilities in poor countries, "strongly opposing" coal energy projects across the entire coal value chain from mining, transport to power generation. (Reuters)

Voices of the Climate Crisis

All countries must take bold and ambitious action and must work together to combat the climate crisis. COP 26 in Glasgow will be a pivotal moment to accelerate our efforts. Secretary Antony Blinken, Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, and Principal Deputy Spokesperson Jalina Porter are joined from voices around the world underscoring the urgency of meeting this moment by ramping up our climate efforts now. (U.S. Department of State)

Thursday, September 16: International Visitor Leadership Program
Associate Director for Selection, Eligibility, and Policy Performance Naureen Haque will participate in the discussion Transparency and Accountability in Government hosted by the State Department's The International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP). They will discuss MCC's work with countries in Africa with a small group of participants from Africa.

Tuesday, September 21: EXIM Annual Conference
Acting CEO Mahmoud Bah will participate in EXIM's 2021 Annual Conference, which will bring together leaders in business, economic policy, and government to engage in important conversations around global issues. This year's conference theme is Building Back Together, emphasizing how collaboration between industry and government can fuel economic recovery. ACEO Bah will join a plenary discussion titled "Supporting U.S. Government Initiatives through Interagency Collaboration" on how federal agencies work together to support climate-related projects and the Build Back Better World (B3W) initiative.

Tuesday, September 28: ANDE Annual Conference
MCC will sponsor the Aspen Network for Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE). This will highlight our blended finance work, innovative approaches to incorporating entrepreneurs into our programs, and seek feedback on MCC's newly developed leverage grants facilities toolkit. The ANDE Annual Conference is the leading venue for discussions with small and growing businesses and development entrepreneurs across the MCC portfolio.