Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 114 Part 1.djvu/305

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PUBLIC LAW 106-200—MAY 18, 2000 114 STAT. 269 that this Partnership is a companion to the policy goals set forth in this title. (b) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO PROMOTE ECONOMIC REFORMS AND DEVELOPMENT.— In addition to continuing bilateral and multilateral economic and development assistance, the President shall target technical assistance toward— (1) developing relationships between United States firms and firms in sub-Saharan Africa through a variety of business associations and networks; (2) providing assistance to the governments of sub-Saharan African countries to— (A) liberalize trade and promote exports; (B) bring their legal regimes into compliance with the standards of the World Trade Organization in conjunction with membership in that Organization; (C) make financial and fiscal reforms; and (D) promote greater agribusiness linkages; (3) addressing such critical agricultural policy issues as market liberalization, agricultural export development, and agribusiness investment in processing and transporting agricultural commodities; (4) increasing the number of reverse trade missions to growth-oriented countries in sub-Saharan Africa; (5) increasing trade in services; and (6) encouraging greater sub-Saharan African participation in future negotiations in the World Trade Organization on services and making further commitments in their schedules to the General Agreement on Trade in Services in order to encourage the removal of tariff and nontariff barriers. SEC. 123. OVERSEAS PRIVATE INVESTMENT CORPORATION INITIA- 19 USC 3733. TIVES. (a) INITIATION OF FUNDS. —It is the sense of the Congress that the Overseas Private Investment Corporation should exercise the authorities it has to initiate an equity fund or equity funds in support of projects in the countries in sub-Saharan Africa, in addition to the existing equity fund for sub-Saharan Africa created by the Corporation. (b) STRUCTURE AND TYPES OF FUNDS.— (1) STRUCTURE. —Each fund initiated under subsection (a) should be structured as a partnership managed by professional private sector fund managers and monitored on a continuing basis by the Corporation. (2) CAPITALIZATION.—Each fund should be capitalized with a combination of private equity capital, which is not guaranteed by the Corporation, and debt for which the Corporation provides guaranties. (3) INFRASTRUCTURE FUND.—One or more of the funds, with combined assets of up to $500,000,000, should be used in support of infrastructure projects in countries of sub-Saharan Africa. (4) EMPHASIS. —The Corporation shall ensure that the funds are used to provide support in particular to women entrepreneurs and to innovative investments that expand opportunities for women and maximize employment opportunities for poor individuals. (c) OVERSEAS PRIVATE INVESTMENT CORPORATION. —