Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 118.djvu/3953

 118 STAT. 3923 PUBLIC LAW 108–484—DEC. 23, 2004 (5)(A) The Comptroller General’s report recommends that the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development review the Agency’s ‘‘microenterprise results reporting’’ system with the goal of ensuring that its annual reporting is complete and accurate. (B) Specifically, the Administrator should review and reconsider the methodologies used for the collection, analysis, and reporting of data on annual spending targets, outreach to the very poor, sustainability of microfinance institutions, and the contribution of Agency’s funding to the institutions it supports. SEC. 3. MICROENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE. Chapter 2 of part I of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2166 et seq.) is amended by inserting after title V the following new title: ‘‘TITLE VI—MICROENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE ‘‘SEC. 251. FINDINGS AND POLICY. ‘‘Congress finds and declares the following: ‘‘(1) Access to financial services and the development of microenterprise are vital factors in the stable growth of devel- oping countries and in the development of free, open, and equitable international economic systems. ‘‘(2) It is therefore in the best interest of the United States to facilitate access to financial services and assist the develop- ment of microenterprise in developing countries. ‘‘(3) Access to financial services and the development of microenterprises can be supported by programs providing credit, savings, training, technical assistance, business develop- ment services, and other financial services. ‘‘(4) Given the relatively high percentage of populations living in rural areas of developing countries, and the combined high incidence of poverty in rural areas and growing income inequality between rural and urban markets, microenterprise programs should target both rural and urban poor. ‘‘(5) Microenterprise programs have been successful and should continue to empower vulnerable women in the devel- oping world. The Agency should work to ensure that recipients of microenterprise and microfinance development assistance under this title communicate and work with nongovernmental organizations and government organizations to identify and assist victims of trafficking as provided for in section 106(a)(1) of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7104(a)(1); Public Law 106–386) and women who are victims of or susceptible to other forms of exploitation and violence. ‘‘(6) Given that microenterprise programs have been successful in empowering disenfranchised groups such as women, microenterprise programs should also target popu- lations disenfranchised due to race or ethnicity in countries where a strong relationship between poverty and race or eth- nicity has been demonstrated, such as countries in Latin America. 22 USC 2211. VerDate 11-MAY-2000 13:54 Nov 10, 2005 Jkt 029194 PO 00000 Frm 00457 Fmt 6580 Sfmt 6581 C:\STATUTES\2004\29194PT4.001 APPS10 PsN: 29194PT4

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