Competence within the Federal Government lies with the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. Ongoing contact with the governments of the developing countries is the responsibility of Germany’s representations abroad. Implementation of projects is usually handled by the Development Loan Corporation in cases involving financial cooperation and by the Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GTZ) in most cases involving technical cooperation. German business and industry are informed of opportunities to provide supplies and services within the framework of financial and technical cooperation projects, and especially of upcoming invitations to tender and prequalification procedures.

Under the current federal budget, the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development has been allocated cash appropriations of DM 2.5 billion forfinancial cooperation (FC) and DM 2.4 billion for technical cooperation (TC). Of significance are the budget’s appropriations for commitments; within the framework of these the Ministry can make commitments which are binding under international law and which will for the most part be fulfilled from cash appropriations of the following years. The 1 997 appropriations for commitments total DM 2.5 billion for financial cooperation and DM 1.3 billion for technical cooperation.