Sec. 30272. Increasing the competitiveness of the United States in Africa
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/bill/117/hr/4521/eh/section-30272·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
In this section, the term appropriate committees of Congress means— the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on Appropriations, and the Committee on Finance of the Senate; and the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on Appropriations, and the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives. Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Commerce, the Attorney General, the United States Trade Representative, the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, and the leadership of the United States International Development Finance Corporation, submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report setting forth a multi-year strategy for increasing United States economic competitiveness and promoting improvements in the investment climate in Africa, including through support for— democratic institutions and the rule of law, including property rights; and improved transparency, anti-corruption efforts, and good governance.
The strategy submitted pursuant to subsection
(a)shall include— a description and assessment of barriers to United States investment in Africa for United States businesses, including a clear identification of the different barriers facing small-sized and medium-sized businesses, and an assessment of whether existing programs effectively address such barriers; a description and assessment of barriers to African diaspora investment in Africa, and recommendations to overcome such barriers; an identification of the economic sectors in the United States that have a comparative advantage in African markets; an assessment of additional foreign assistance needs, including democracy and governance and rule of law support, to promote a conducive operating environment in priority countries; establishing a dialogue on security, development, and environmental issues of mutual interest; and a plan to regularly host a United States-Africa Leaders Summit to promote strategic engagement and security in Africa. The Comptroller General of the United States shall— conduct a review of the number of Foreign Commercial Service Officers and Department of State Economic Officers at United States embassies in sub-Saharan Africa; and develop and submit to the appropriate congressional committees an assessment of whether human resource capacity in such embassies is adequate to meet the goals of the various trade and economic programs and initiatives in Africa, including the African Growth and Opportunity Act and Prosper Africa.