Call for Observation: May 4, 2010, Asian Day of Action Against Privatization of Essential Services

PRESS RELEASE

[Dhaka, May 3, 2010] VOICE, rights-based research and advocacy organization based in Dhaka called for solidarity to observe the Asian Day of Action against Privatization of Essential Services. The Asia Pacific Movement on Debt and Development (APMDD) and the Campaign Network on the Right to Essential Services and Natural Resources (RTRS) declared May 4 as the Asian Day of Action Against Privatization of Essential Services while VOICE being its members called for strengthening civil society voices against blanket privatization of essential services including heath and education. The day of action coincides with the 43rd Annual Governors Meeting of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Taskent, Uzbekistan. The observation of the day aims at standing against the ADB’s role in privatizing water, power, and other essential services in the region.

Ahmed Swapan Mahmud, executive director of VOICE urges all sects of society to resist and oppose the imposition and financing of privatization of water and power and other essential services. He said that due to privatization process in Bangladesh, people have already been affected and the poor became the worst sufferers. He further added to stop financing private sector monopolization of
water, power, health and education sectors in Bangladesh.

Lidy Nacpil, the coordinator of Asia Pacific Movement on Debt and Development (APMDD) also the initiator of the Action Day, expressed her solidarity and demanded to continue struggle in realizing people’s rights to essential services opposing corporatization and privatization of essential services.
VOICE and APMDD including its members in the region put 4-points demands for the International Financial Institutions (IFIs) and Governments:

1. IFIs, especially the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and Asian Development Bank should stop and reverse their policies imposing privatization and liberalization of essential services.
2. The IMF, World Bank and ADB to give reparations for the continuing negative impacts of the privatization policy on peoples’ communities, health, food and livelihood, and environment.
3. All governments should stop and reverse the privatization of essential services.
4. All governments should recognize and ensure peoples’ rights and access to sufficient, affordable, clean, water and adequate, reliable, affordable, and sustainable power services and energy.

Also the civil society members and NGOs are urged to raise voices against unjust domination of the international financial institutions and to uphold people’s right to access water and power services along with demand for reparations for destruction of lives and environment.
For further details :

Farjana Akter
Programme Coordinator, 01712-990078