[ti:World Bank Head Sees Other Development Banks as Allies] [ar:Mario Ritter] [al:In The News] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]Slowing economic growth around the world [00:04.27]is endangering the World Bank's goal [00:07.52]of ending extreme poverty by the year 2030. [00:12.85]That is what World Bank President Jim Yong Kim said recently. [00:20.14]Mr. Kim said the goal remains within reach. [00:26.18]But he thinks extreme poverty will disappear only [00:32.78]if world leaders and financial and development agencies do their part. [00:40.57]What exactly is extreme poverty? [00:46.06]The United Nations says extreme poverty is a condition [00:52.45]in which basic human needs are not being satisfied or met. [00:58.55]These needs include having clean drinking water, food and an education. [01:07.10]Jim Yong Kim says there is good news. [01:12.59]He says the world has made some progress toward reaching the goal. [01:18.98]"Over 25 years, we've gone from nearly two billion people [01:22.64]living in extreme poverty to fewer than one billion." [01:26.18]Even with this progress, [01:28.43]nearly one billion people continue to live on less than $1.25 a day. [01:36.78]Slowing economic growth in industrial [01:42.72]and developing economies is affecting the fight against extreme poverty. [01:49.96]Mr. Kim suggests that one solution is to partner [01:56.22]with new financial institutions [01:59.37]such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank [02:04.07]and the New Development Bank. [02:07.12]"We at the World Bank Group see these development banks [02:10.36]as potentially very strong allies in tackling the enormous challenge [02:14.21]of bringing much needed infrastructure to the developing world." [02:18.16]Banking coalitions could help identify financing for transportation [02:25.13]and other infrastructure needs [02:27.73]that the World Bank alone cannot provide. [02:31.92]Amy Studdart is with the Center for Strategic [02:37.46]and International Studies in Washington, D.C. [02:41.45]"There's a huge infrastructure gap in Asia. [02:44.96]The World Bank itself estimates [02:48.11]that it was $2.5 trillion worth of investment [02:51.71]that needs to happen in South Asia and South East Asia along." [02:55.70]Many people are concerned that new lending agencies [03:00.65]will reduce the influence of existing ones like the World Bank. [03:06.64]But Mr. Kim says the issue is not influence. [03:12.33]"The fundamental issue for us is, [03:15.07]your enemy cannot be other institutions. [03:18.87]Your enemy has to be poverty." [03:20.58]The World Bank is expected to consider those issues [03:25.27]when world leaders meet at the United Nations later this year. [03:30.92]I'm Mario Ritter. [03:33.47]¸ü¶àÌýÁ¦Çë·ÃÎÊ51voa.com