ECONOMIC GROWTH & TRADE

ORAL COMMUNICATIONSANA AHMAD6753

Economic growth is the increase in the amount of the goods and services produced by an ECONOMY over time. Broad-based economic growth is essential to sustainable, long-term development. 

So US AID creates the opportunities impoverished households need to raise their living standards, provides countries with the resources to expand access to basic services, and—most important of all—enables citizens to chart their own prosperous futures.

To overcome these challenges and advance rapid, sustained and broad-based growth, we are focused on:

Giving people access to markets, Making governments more efficient in how they spend their

money, Improving infrastructure like roads, bridges, water supply and

electrical grids, Working with private-sector companies to spur economic

development, Encouraging local channels of financing,

CHALLENGES FACED BY US

INFRASTRUTURE

PROBLEMS

For example, in Afghanistan, only about 30 percent of the people have access to reliable sources of electricity and just 27 percent have access to safe drinking water overall.

About 2.6 billion people in the developing world lack access to electricity full time.

Nearly 800 million people worldwide lack access to water, and about 2.5 billion people lack access to basic sanitation.

Approximately 1-1.5 billion people have no reliable phone service. Just over 20 percent of people in developing countries have access

to the internet.

EFFORTS DONE BY US TO OVERCOME PROBLEMS

USAID finances the design and construction of • energy, • roads, • communications • water infrastructure, • schools and • health facilities in more than 60 countries. Particular emphasis is placed on construction and rehabilitation of infrastructure in conflict and disaster-affected countries, such as Afghanistan, Pakistan and Haiti, where improved infrastructure improves stability and fuels economic recovery.

The USAID approach to infrastructure is more than just “bricks and mortar”.

PROJECTS.

Afghanistan’s newly commercialized national electric company in Kabul