Blair says time to help Africa is now or never

British Prime Minister Tony Blair, on a tour of major world capitals, said yesterday rich countries faced a now or never decision on tackling poverty in Africa.

"If we do not do it this year, it will not be done, in my view. So, this is the moment for decision," he told a news conference during a visit to Italy to drum up support for an initiative to give more aid to Africa.

Mr Blair wants the world's richest countries to stump up an extra $25 billion in aid a year and is pushing 100 per cent debt write-offs for the poorest nations. The initiative is to top the agenda when leaders of the Group of Eight (G8) industrialised nations meet in Scotland in July.

British government officials have indicated they are still far from securing a deal and besides Mr Berlusconi, Mr Blair will also see George W. Bush in Washington and the leaders of France, Germany and Russia in a hectic shuttle over the next month.

Critics say his tour smacks of panic as he seeks to salvage the G8 programme from US opposition. Diplomats say Mr Bush has no desire to pledge more cash.

Africa is "the only continent anywhere in the world that has gone backwards in the last 30 years", Mr Blair said. "There is also going to be responsibility on the African countries to take the measures necessary to help themselves. The African leaders are prepared to do this, they want to do it."

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi told reporters he fully backed Britain's initiative. But it was unclear whether this would translate into more cash, with Italy's humanitarian aid contributions declining in the last two years.

"Italy and Britain have a common position as far as the G8 and Europe is concerned," said Mr Berlusconi.

Irish rocker Bob Geldof, a close ally in Mr Blair's Africa campaign, slammed Italy at a conference in Rome and described its aid levels as miserly. Mr Geldof led the Live Aid rock concert in the 1980s to raise funds to relieve famine in Africa.

"You are the sixth richest country in the world. But you are the meanest," Mr Geldolf said.

Italy gives the smallest amount of aid contributions in real terms within the G8, and despite pledges to boost the handouts, they have actually dropped from some 0.2 per cent of gross domestic income (GNI) in 2002 to 0.16 per cent in 2003.