UN Secretary-General António Guterres has said that energy companies and rich countries are “squeezing” poor countries by setting usurious and crippling fuel prices.

He made this comment in front of the leaders present at the fifth conference of least developed countries in Doha, Qatar.

Today (Sunday) the conference of least developed countries is going to start. Governments and heads of state of more than 40 least developed countries will participate in it.

Guterres said in front of the leaders present on Saturday (March 4) that rich countries should give 500 billion dollars every year to help poor countries trapped in a vicious cycle.

At that time he said that the current world system or global economic system is made by rich countries. This system is created for the benefit of rich countries.

Guterres strongly criticized what rich countries are doing to poor countries. He said, when the poor countries are under the crisis of limited resources, burdened with debt and still trying to overcome the most unequal shock in history due to the corona epidemic, then economic development has become very challenging for these countries. LDCs complain that the coronavirus vaccine is not distributed fairly. Mainly Europe and America got the vaccine. They are deprived by this.

Referring to the disaster caused by climate change, Guterres said that many challenges have appeared in front of poor countries without doing anything. This is causing a lot of damage to these countries. But they are getting little funds as compensation. This fund is like a drop of water in a bucket. While the big energy companies are making huge profits, it has become difficult for people in poor countries to eat a meal.

Bangladesh Time: 0948 hours, March 05, 2023
MHS