British plans to sell a £28-million military air traffic control system to Tanzania, one of the poorest countries in the world, were condemned as "depressing" by a Labour MP yesterday, reports Rachel Donnelly.
Government ministers are considering an export licence for the defence firm BAe Systems to carry out the project. The deal has already been criticised by the World Bank as too expensive for a country with only eight military aircraft.
If the transaction goes through it would safeguard 205 BAe jobs on the Isle of Wight.
Reports in yesterday's Guardian suggested the Prime Minister, Mr Blair, is embroiled in a row with the Chancellor, Mr Gordon Brown, and International Development Secretary, Ms Clare Short, who believe Tanzania should use its £1.4 billion in debt relief for health and education rather than a defence programme.
Insisting the Cabinet should veto the project, Labour backbencher, Mr Tony Worthington, said: "We didn't cancel debt in order to take on more debt for military purposes."
A spokesman for Oxfam said $28 million could pay for 3.5 million children in Tanzania to go to school, or provide health care for two million Tanzanians.