[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 223 (Monday, November 18, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58702-58703]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-29461]
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OVERSEAS PRIVATE INVESTMENT CORPORATION
Public Hearing
AGENCY: Overseas Private Investment Corporation.
ACTION: Notice of public hearing.
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SUMMARY: This notice sets forth the schedule and requirements for
participation in an annual public hearing to be conducted by the
Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) on December 12, 1996.
This hearing is required by the OPIC Amendments Act of 1985, and this
notice is being published to facilitate public participation. The
notice also describes OPIC and the subject matter of the hearing.
DATES: The hearing will be held on December 12, 1996, and will begin
promptly at 2 p.m. Prospective participants must submit to OPIC before
close of business November 28, 1996, notice of their intent to
participate.
ADDRESSES: The location of the hearing will be: Overseas Private
Investment Corporation, 1100 New York Avenue NW., 12th Floor,
Washington, DC. Notices and prepared statements should be sent to
Harvey Himberg, Financial Management and Statutory Review Department,
Overseas Private Investment Corporation, 1100 New York Avenue NW.,
Washington, DC 20527.
Procedure
(a) Attendance; Participation. The hearing will be open to the
public. However, a person wishing to present views at the hearing must
provide OPIC with advance notice on or before November 28, 1996. The
notice must include the name, address and
[[Page 58703]]
telephone number of the person who will make the presentation, the name
and address of the organization which the person represents (if any)
and a concise summary of the subject matter of the presentation.
(b) Prepared Statements. Any particular wishing to submit a
prepared statement for the record must submit it to OPIC with the
notice or, in any event, not later than 5 p.m. on December 5, 1996.
Prepared statements must be typewritten, double spaced and may not
exceed twenty-five (25) pages.
(c) Duration of Presentations. Oral presentations will in no event
exceed ten (10) minutes, and the time for individual presentations may
be reduced proportionately, if necessary, to afford all prospective
participants on a particular subject an opportunity to be heard or to
permit all subjects to be covered.
(d) Agenda. Upon receipt of the required notices, OPIC will prepare
an agenda for the hearing setting forth the subject or subjects on
which each participant will speak and the time allotted for each
presentation. OPIC will provide each prospective participant with a
copy of the agenda.
(e) Publication of Proceedings. A verbatim transcript of the
hearing will be compiled. The transcript will be available to members
of the public at the cost of reproduction.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: OPIC is a U.S. Government agency which
provides, on a commercial basis, political risk insurance and financing
in friendly developing countries and emerging democracies for
environmentally sound projects which confer positive developmental
benefits upon the project country while creating employment in the U.S.
OPIC is required by section 231A(b) of the Foreign Assistance Act of
1961, as amended (``the Act'') to hold at least one public hearing each
year.
Among other issues, OPIC's annual public hearing has, in previous
years, provided a forum for testimony concerning section 231A(a) of the
Act. This section provides that OPIC may operate its programs only in
those countries that are determined to be ``taking steps to adopt and
implement laws that extend internationally recognized worker rights to
workers in that country (including any designated zone in that
country).''
Based on consultations with Congress, OPIC complies with annual
determinations made by the Executive Branch with respect to worker
rights for countries that are eligible for the Generalized System of
Preferences (GSP). Any country for which GSP eligibility is revoked on
account of its failure to take steps to adopt and implement
internationally recognized worker rights is subject concurrently to the
suspension of OPIC programs until such time as a favorable worker
rights determination can be made.
For non-GSP countries in which OPIC operates its programs, OPIC
reviews any country which is the subject of a formal challenge at its
annual public hearing. To qualify as a formal challenge, testimony must
pertain directly to the worker rights requirements of the law as
defined in OPIC's 1985 reauthorizing legislation (P.L. 99-204) with
reference to the Trade Act of 1974, as amended, and be supported by
factual information.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THE PUBLIC HEARING CONTACT:
Harvey A. Himberg, Financial Management and Statutory Review
Department, Overseas Private Investment Corporation, 1100 New York
Avenue NW Washington, DC 20527 (202) 336-8614 or by facsimile at (202)
218-0177.
Dated: November 13, 1996.
Richard C. Horanburg,
Department of Investment Development.
[FR Doc. 96-29461 Filed 11-15-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3210-01-M
