WASHINGTON—CUNA has told Congress it supports more money for a cooperative funding program and procurement reform at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
The trade association expressed its support in a letter to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in conjunction with a hearing on the FY2022 USAID budget.
“In fiscal year 2021, Congress provided an appropriation of $18,500,000 to be available for cooperative development programs of USAID,” the letter states. “The Cooperative Development Program (CDP) is a global initiative that focuses on building capacity of cooperative businesses and cooperative systems for self-reliance, local ownership, and sustainability. This year, we respectfully urge you to increase the funding for these programs to $20 million.
“With their specialized expertise, CDP’s implementing partners have advanced cooperative businesses and systems in more than 18 countries in Africa, Latin America, and Asia,” the letter continues. “Activities are targeted to strengthen cooperative businesses in several ways including improved governance, capitalization, gender empowerment, youth engagement, financial management, market performance, and advocacy.”
Benefits of Program
During the life of the program, activities have supported more than 500 cooperatives and credit unions with a combined savings of $495 million, CUNA said, adding that over the same time period the program has also:
- Provided health insurance and services to more than 42,000 people in Uganda
- Leveraged more than $95 million of investments for cattle cooperatives in South Africa
- Increased member equity among cacao cooperatives in Ecuador, Peru, and the Dominican Republic by more than $4 million
- Reformed cooperative law and regulation in Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya
The letter also requests Congress ensures that USAID addresses USAID procurement in ways that will “ensure a fair access by smaller U.S. private voluntary and not-for-profit organizations.”