Millennium Challenge Corporation 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This report is provided in accordance with section 608(d)(1) of the Millennium Challenge Act of 2003, Public Law 108-199, Division D (the ``Act''), 22 U.S.C. 7708(d)(1).

In accordance with Section 610(b)(2) of the Millennium Challenge Act of 2003 (Pub. L. 108-199, Division D), the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) is publishing a summary and the complete text of the Millennium Challenge Compact between the United States of America, acting through the Millennium Challenge Corporation, and the Republic of Senegal. Representatives of the United States Government and the Republic of Senegal executed the Compact documents on September 16, 2009.

This report to Congress is provided in accordance with Section 608(b) of the Millennium Challenge Act of 2003, as amended, 22 U.S.C. 7707(b) (the ``Act'').

The Millennium Challenge Corporation (``MCC'') is a U.S. Government agency created in 2004 to administer the Millennium Challenge Account. Its mission is to reduce poverty through the promotion of sustainable economic growth. Since 2004, MCC has signed Compact programs with eighteen partner countries ranging from $66 million to $698 million. In December 2008, the Government of the Republic of the Philippines through ``MCA-Philippines'' presented a proposal including six projects to MCC for potential Compact funding. This Request for Information (``RFI'') aims to solicit feedback from the private sector on the five proposed projects that are entering the due diligence phase.

The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) is reporting for the quarter October 1, 2008 through December 31, 2008 respect to both assistance provided under Section 605 of the Millennium Challenge Act of 2003 (Pub.L. 108-199, Division D (the Act)), and transfers or allocations of funds to other federal agencies pursuant to Section 619(b) of the Act. The following report shall be made available to the public by means of publication in the Federal Register and on the Internet Website of the MCC (https://www.mcc.gov) in accordance with Section 612(b) of the Act.

The Millennium Challenge Corporation, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, invites public comment on a proposed information collection request. Before a Federal agency can collect certain information from the public, it must receive approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Under procedures established by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, before seeking OMB approval, Federal agencies must solicit public comment on proposed collections of information, including extensions and reinstatements of previously approved collections. This document describes the collection of information on which the Millennium Challenge Corporation intends to seek OMB approval.

This report is provided in accordance with section 608(d)(1) of the Millennium Challenge Act of 2003, Public Law 108-199, Division D, (the ``Act''), 22 U.S.C. 7708(d)(1). The Act authorizes the provision of Millennium Challenge Account (``MCA'') assistance under section 605 of the Act to countries that enter into compacts with the United States to support policies and programs that advance the progress of such countries in achieving lasting economic growth and poverty reduction, and are in furtherance of the Act. The Act requires the Millennium Challenge Corporation (``MCC'') to take steps to determine the countries that, based on their demonstrated commitment to just and democratic governance, economic freedom, and investing in their people, as well as the opportunity to reduce poverty and generate economic growth in the country, will be eligible to receive MCA assistance during the fiscal year. These steps include the submission of reports to appropriate congressional committees and the publication of notices in the Federal Register that identify, among other things: 1. The countries that are ``candidate countries'' for MCA assistance during FY09 based on their per-capita income levels and their eligibility to receive assistance under U.S. law, and countries that would be candidate countries but for specified legal prohibitions on assistance (section 608(a) of the Act; 22 U.S.C. 7708(a)); 2. The criteria and methodology that the Board of Directors of MCC (the Board) will use to measure and evaluate the relative policy performance of the candidate countries consistent with the requirements of section 607 of the Act in order to select ``MCA eligible countries'' from among the ``candidate countries'' (section 608(b) of the Act, 22 U.S.C. 7708(b)); and 3. The list of countries determined by the Board to be ``MCA eligible countries'' for FY09, with justification for eligibility determination and selection for compact negotiation, including which of the MCA eligible countries the Board will seek to enter into MCA compacts (section 608(d) of the Act, 22 U.S.C. 7708(d)). This is the third of the above-described reports by MCC for fiscal year 2009 (FY09). It identifies countries determined by the Board to be eligible under section 607 of the Act for FY09 (22 U.S.C. 7706) and countries with which the Board will seek to enter into compacts under section 609 of the Act, as well as the justification for such decisions.