Millennium Challenge Corporation January 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). 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.