Washington (EFE).- The new senior managing director of the World Bank, Axel van Trotsenburg, asked not to forget the “long-term” challenges of Latin America while addressing current challenges, such as high inflation or the increase in poverty.
“I have always thought that Latin America has enormous potential, but sometimes the policies are not continuous, which creates progress in fits and starts, and that has adverse effects on the investment climate and (generates) lower growth projections,” he said. number two of the development bank in an interview with EFE.
This same Tuesday, the World Bank projected that the region will grow by 1.4% in 2023. Although the figure is one tenth higher than that forecast in its previous report on the continent, growth continues to be below the agency’s expectations.
The head of the development bank for Latin America, William Maloney, then explained to EFE that the profits will not be enough to significantly reduce poverty on the continent, one of its greatest challenges.
In this sense, Van Trotsenburg emphasized the case of Argentina, whose high inflation (102.5% in February) is “the worst enemy of the poor.”
The economist defended the work of the World Bank in the country, where it has launched a “very robust” investment program that focuses mainly on these long-term challenges, such as the development of services and infrastructure or the improvement of working conditions.
Specifically, he explained that programs worth 2,000 million dollars have been implemented and are being carried out satisfactorily, and he assured that collaboration with the authorities has been excellent.
“These investments (ranging from the improvement of the railway systems to the expansion of access to drinking water) are going to give a very good result for the population,” he defended.
