Ex-World Bank Director Paul Collier supports re-negotiation

Speaking at the Battle of Ideas last weekend, Paul Collier, former Director of the Development Research group at the World Bank and more recently senior advisor to the Blair Commission on Africa, argued that the Development Agreements signed by Zambia with copper mining companies were a disgrace, and should be re-negotiated. Collier who has recently attracted attention with his book, 'The Bottom Billion' blamed his former employers at the World Bank for posting their most junior economists as advisors on the privatisation. Collier claimed that he is actively campaigning on this issue. I will try to follow up to see what that means, and will post on this blog if I get a reply.