INVESTMENT AND DEVELOPMENT in the Eastern Cape could be given a boost following a resolution by the Group of Eight leading nations launch a detailed development plan for Africa over the next year. G8 leaders meeting in Milan released a statement committing themselves to an action plan for impoverished African nations. The proposal will cover several areas: democratisation, conflict prevention and reduction, human development, particularly health and education, information and communication technology, the fight against corruption, stimulating private investment, increasing trade within Africa. A concrete timetable will be in place for next year's summit. Representatives of 8-10 African nations, including Nigeria, Algeria, South Africa and Senegal, will establish a working party to develop a "concrete plan" with officials nominated by the G8 leaders. "Ideally we would have eight G8...and eight Africans but obviously if they want to nominate 10 or 12 we won't stand in their way," the official said. As a key participant in the talks, South Africa will be in a good position to ensure that provinces like the Eastern Cape are among the African regions that benefit from the G8 plans. Between them, Blair and Chretien will have the chance to meet most African leaders in October at a Commonwealth summit in Australia and a gathering of French-speaking nations in Lebanon. Blair and Chretien discussed the need for African nations to take responsibility for their problems, for example by boosting their education budgets. Africa accounts for 19 of the 23 nations which have so far qualified for the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative that the G7 helped launch in 1996. HIPC has resulted in the cancellation of $53 billion of debt. The G8 also promised $1.2 billion for a global AIDS fund, much of which will go to Africa.