The U.S. government has launched Connect Africa, a program that will invest more than $1 billion in projects to improve transportation, communications, and value chains across the continent.
The U.S. government will carry out the initiative through its development finance branch, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation. Over the next three years, OPIC plans to finance projects with companies in Zambia, Rwanda, South Africa, Kenya and Uganda.
Early this month, OPIC committed $100 million in financing to a cellular communications company that will upgrade and expand telecommunication networks in Uganda, Gambia, Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In Uganda, OPIC will invest $58 million in projects that include a hydro power plant.
The $1 billion in financing is small compared to $60 billion that China has promised to invest in Africa.
美国政府开启了一个名为“连接非洲”的项目，这个项目将投资10亿多美元，来改善整个非洲大陆的交通、运输和产业链。
这个项目将由政府旗下的海外私人投资公司(OPIC) 负责。在未来三年，海外私人投资公司将为赞比亚、卢旺达、南非、肯尼亚、乌干达这些国家的项目提供资金。
本月早些时候，OPIC承诺将为一个电信通讯公司融资一亿美元，该公司将升级并扩大乌干达、冈比亚、塞拉利昂和刚果的电讯网络。
在乌干达，OPIC将为项目投资5800万美元，其中包括一个水电站。
美国10亿美元的资金相较于中国承诺的对非洲600亿美元的融资要少得多。