Angola | World Bank

Angola - Municipal Health Service Strengthening (Revitalizacao) Project

2009-11-23T05:00:00.000Z

Angola - First Phase of the Emerqency Multisectorial Recovery Project : procurement plan

2009-11-03T05:00:00.000Z

Angola - Local government discretion and accountability

2009-11-03T05:00:00.000Z

Angola has recently embarked on the decentralization process and counts with political will and commitment at the center. Various political decisions have been made to strengthen local administrative and fiscal systems, build human capacity and deepen the role of civil society. These decisions are consistent with the overarching government vision laid out in the medium term government strategy (2009-13) and the long-term National Development Strategy, both of which identify decentralization and delivering basic services at the lowest administrative level as priorities. Another important step forward has been the approval of the Local Administration Law - Decree 02/07, which reduces the dependence of the provinces on the central government, foresees a gradual process of administrative de-concentration and transfer of resources to sub-national governments, and acknowledges the value of participation in the development process. The authors analyze accountability and discretion challenges at the local level by employing a diagnostic framework. The analysis focuses on the differences between the legal policy framework and the de facto adherence to its policies, with particular attentiveness to the opportunities and challenges posed by the fast-paced reform environment in the country.

Status of projects in execution (SOPE) - FY09 : Africa region - Angola

2009-10-08T04:00:00.000Z

The Status of Projects in Execution (SOPE) report for FY09 provides information on all International Bank and Rural Development (IBRD)/International Development Association (IDA) projects that were active on June 30, 2009. The report is intended to bridge the gap in information available to the public between the project appraisal document, disclosed after the Bank approves a project, and the implementation completion report, disclosed after the project closes. In addition to the project progress description, the FY09 SOPE report contains project level comparisons of disbursement estimates and actual disbursements, and a table showing the loan/credit/grant amount and disbursements to date for all active projects.

The project ANGOLA: PUBLIC FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT -2 has changed to Dropped

2009-10-02T04:00:00.000Z

The project ANGOLA: PUBLIC FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT -2 has changed to Dropped. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

Doing business 2010 : Angola - comparing regulation in 183 economies

2009-09-22T04:00:00.000Z

Doing Business 2010 is the seventh in a series of annual reports investigating regulations that enhance business activity and those that constrain it. Doing Business presents quantitative indicators on business regulations and the protection of property rights that can be compared across 183 economies, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, over time. This paper presents the summary Doing Business indicators for Angola. The paper includes the following headings: introduction and aggregate rankings, starting a business, dealing with construction permits, employing workers, registering property, getting credit, protecting investors, paying taxes, trading across borders, enforcing contracts, closing a business, and Doing Business 2010 reform.

Status of projects in execution (SOPE) - FY07 : Angola

2009-09-10T04:00:00.000Z

The Status of Projects in Execution (SOPE) report for FY07 provides information on all International Bank and Rural Development (IBRD)/International Development Association (IDA) projects that were active on June 30, 2007. The report is intended to bridge the gap in information available to the public between the project appraisal document, disclosed after the Bank approves a project, and the implementation completion report, disclosed after the project closes. In addition to the project progress description, the FY07 SOPE report contains project level comparisons of disbursement estimates and actual disbursements, and a table showing the loan/credit/grant amount and disbursements to date for all active projects.

Status of Projects in Execution (SOPE) - FY06 : Africa - Angola

2009-09-04T04:00:00.000Z

The Status of Projects in Execution (SOPE) report for FY06 provides information on all International Bank and Rural Development (IBRD)/International Development Association (IDA) projects that were active on June 30, 2006. The report is intended to bridge the gap in information available to the public between the project appraisal document, disclosed after the Bank approves a project, and the implementation completion report, disclosed after the project closes. In addition to the project progress description, the FY06 SOPE report contains project level comparisons of disbursement estimates and actual disbursements, and a table showing the loan/credit/grant amount and disbursements to date for all active projects.

Status of projects in execution (SOPE) - FY05 : Africa region - Angola

2009-08-31T04:00:00.000Z

The Status of Projects in Execution (SOPE) report for FY05 provides information on all International Bank and Rural Development (IBRD)/International Development Association (IDA) projects that were active on and beyond June 30, 2005. The report is intended to bridge the gap in information available to the public between the project appraisal document or program document, disclosed after the Bank approves a project, and the implementation completion report, disclosed after the project closes. For each project basic information is given, as well as relevant dates including Board approval, signing, effectiveness, mid-term review, and closing dates. In addition, the FY05 SOPE report contains project level comparisons of disbursement estimates and actual disbursements, and a table showing the loan/credit/grant amount and disbursements to date for all active projects.

Status of projects in execution (SOPE) - FY08 : Africa region - Angola

2009-08-12T04:00:00.000Z

The Status of Projects in Execution (SOPE) report for FY08 provides information on all International Bank and Rural Development (IBRD)/International Development Association (IDA) projects that were active on June 30, 2008. The report is intended to bridge the gap in information available to the public between the project appraisal document, disclosed after the Bank approves a project, and the implementation completion report, disclosed after the project closes. In addition to the project progress description, the FY08 SOPE report contains project level comparisons of disbursement estimates and actual disbursements, and a table showing the loan/credit/grant amount and disbursements to date for all active projects.

Angola - Emergency Demobilization and Reintegration Project

2009-08-05T04:00:00.000Z

Ratings for the Emergency Demobilization and Reintegration Project for Angola were as follows: outcomes were satisfactory, the risk to development outcome was low or negligible, the Bank performance was satisfactory, and the Borrower performance was moderately satisfactory. Some lessons learned included: the creation of a favorable environment was conducive to the political and national reconciliation success. Contributing to this success was: the adoption of an amnesty law, the program's strong emphasis on community participation (civil society, churches), the involvement of various sectors and institutions in the demobilization process, the continued dialogue with the former belligerent groups, large sensitization campaigns, the promotion of citizenship principles, and the promotion of a permanent involvement of National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) into the full Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) process. The experience of the project highlighted the importance of locally defining each reintegration support intervention, starting from the local context, the demand of services and the profile of the target group, stimulating the permanence of ex-militaries in rural areas, and reinforcing the skills at various endogenous and exogenous knowledge levels. A strong and permanent involvement of the local authorities also proved valuable for the project. Local authorities were key players into the reintegration process and were widely involved in the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) of ex-militaries' reintegration support. The involvement of local authorities represented an efficient and permanent follow-up of reintegration support and facilitated the reconciliation and the promotion of peace at the community level.

The project 3rd Social Action Fund (FAS III) has changed to Closed

2009-07-02T04:00:00.000Z

The project 3rd Social Action Fund (FAS III) has changed to Closed. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The Third Social Action Funds (FAS III) aims to achieve improved, expanded and sustainable utilization of basic social and economic services and to support a governance system where local government and communities can gradually become mutually accountable. The following are components to the project: Component I (a): Community Development (CD). Applying a CDD approach, this component would finance local initiatives to build and restore social and economic infrastructure based on communities' own identification, prioritization, implementation and maintenance of small-scale sub-projects. It will expand and improve access, management and sustainable use of basic social and economic infrastructure, improve governance and build social capital. The CD component will give increasing control over decisions and resources to community groups and local level institutions, including local government; build organizational capacity, and develop accountability mechanisms between communities and formal support institutions. Component I(b): Conflict Impact and Vulnerability Assessment (CIVA). Component I (a) fosters human capital building by bringing communities together to design and implement physical capital rehabilitation, and by building community capacity. However, at the time of project preparation, it is uncertain how the particularity of the post-conflict context constrains or fosters social capital building, which is one of the principal project development objectives. Component II: Municipal Development (MD). The MD component will contribute towards the achievement of the twin overall objectives of the FAS III program by assisting municipal governments (including municipal administrations and municipal councils) with capacity development and financial resources to become proficient in the provision of social and economic services to communities.

The project AO-Emerg MS Recovery ERL (FY05) has changed to Closed

2009-07-02T04:00:00.000Z

The project AO-Emerg MS Recovery ERL (FY05) has changed to Closed. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The overall purpose of the Angola Emergency Multisector Recovery Program Project, (EMRP), to be implemented in two phases (Phase 1 and Phase 2), is to help build the foundation for long- term reconstruction, economic rehabilitation, and the reestablishment of state administration throughout the country. The specific objectives of the program are to assist the government to (a) improve rural incomes and enhance food security in the provinces most affected by the conflict, (b) improve access to essential education and health services in the provinces most affected by the conflict, (c) reconstruct and rehabilitate critical infrastructure, and (d) strengthen capacity of government at all levels toformulate, prepare, implement, and manage medium and long-term development programs. Phase 1 includes activities to prepare Phase 2; Phase 2 contains actions to prepare follow-on sectoral projects to meet the needs of the country during its development phase. The program comprises four components: (a) rural development and delivery of social services; (b) rehabilitation and reconstruction of critical infrastructure (roads and bridges, electricity, water supply, and urban infrastructure); (c) capacity building, institutional strengthening and development of sector strategies; and (d) management and monitoring of the program and project, and preparation of the next steps.

Angola - Municipal Health Service Strengthening (Revitalizacao) Project

2009-05-11T04:00:00.000Z

Angola - Health Service Delivery Project : environmental assessment

2009-05-08T04:00:00.000Z

The objective of the Health Service Delivery Project for Angola is to improve the population's access to and quality of maternal and child health care services. Negative measures include: waste management, natural habitats, forests, pest management, and safety of dams. Mitigation measures include: a) strengthening of municipal health services at the primary level through training and provision of drugs and supplies; b) scaling up of population-based outreached services; c) improving community interventions through training; and d) improving obstetric care through rehabilitation and construction of delivery rooms in health centers and posts, construction of houses for health professionals at provincial and municipal levels, goods and equipment for pre-natal care, family planning, and delivery rooms, and delivery kits; and e) improving hospital waste management disposal.

Angola - Local Development Program Project : indigenous peoples planning framework

2009-05-06T04:00:00.000Z

The objective of the Local Development Program Project for Angola is to contribute to increase equity in access to basic services among targeted municipalities. Negative measures include: the large number of closely knit tribal communities which previously had formed the bulk of the country's population and had settled mostly in clusters along the edges of the country's roads and railway lines, were almost completely scattered. The San population that previously lived in the towns of Caracula, Munhino, Cuto, Garganta, Bibala, Caitou, and Camucuio completely disappeared, by 2007. The San that had occurred in the area of Caconda, Moco, Cambongue, Chinguenda, and Chicomba towns before the civil war, have since also completely disappeared. They had moved to in a new area in and around the towns of Muamba, Cacula, and Hoque. A small group of approximately 150 individuals lived in a 15 kilometer band stretching northwards from just north of Camba, all along the western banks of the Cunene River up to Mulondo, including the towns of Muriatecholo, Santa Terizinia and Quiteve. Due to the destruction of infrastructure, some areas were not accessible and therefore San population numbers and current locations could not be identified or confirmed. Mitigation measures include: 1) strengthen municipal capacity so that local institutions can plan, manage, and sustain improved infrastructure and service delivery facilities, and devolve responsibilities to local institutions and stakeholders as capacity is improved; 2) facilitate access to timely and relevant information to all stakeholders regarding program contents and rules, institutional responsibilities, and examples of emerging good practice; and 3) access public resource using simple rules and procedures, while providing performance-based incentives and disincentives which are easy for local agents to understand and apply.

Angola - Municipal Health Service Strengthening Project

2009-05-06T04:00:00.000Z

Angola - Water Sector Institutional Development Project : procurement plan

2009-04-22T04:00:00.000Z

Angola - Local Development Program Project

2009-03-26T04:00:00.000Z

World Bank and African Development Bank brief business people in Southern Sudan how to bid for project tenders

2009-02-12T19:45:00.000Z

Juba, Southern Sudan, February 12, 2009 – Business people in Southern Sudan on February 12, 2009 had the opportunity to learn about how to bid for tenders to implement projects supported by the World Bank administered Multi-Donor Trust Fund for Southern Sudan (MDTF-SS) and those financed by the African Development Bank (AfDB).

The entrepreneurs who were invited to the Sudan Business Outreach Workshop jointly organized by the World Bank and the AfDB in Juba were briefed on the procurement rules of the two banks and how to apply the Interim Public Procurement and Disposal Regulation of the Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS).

The Acting World Bank Sudan Country Manager and Manager of the World Bank Southern Sudan Program, Dr Laurence Clarke, underlined the importance of the business people in helping the Sudan to fight poverty. He advised them to master the procurement rules that are designed not to create obstacles but to protect their businesses and the Government from fraudulent practices.

The Resident Representative of the AfDB in Sudan, Mr. Famara Jatta said in his lecture to the business people that although the AfDB currently does not lend money to Sudan because of the arrears, the GoSS is eligible for the bank’s Fragile States Facility. From this facility the AfDB has been able to finance three seminars and this business outreach workshop together with the World Bank. According to him the AfDB also supports the sescondment of a Senior Policy Advisor to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning and a Taxation Consultant working to establish a unified GoSS-State tax collection mechanism.

Invited to the workshop were about 200 participants including business people of various specializations, senior civil servants and other development partners. The participants exchanged views and ideas to foster interactions between the banks and the entrepreneurs and the Government with the view to find ways to accommodate domestic contractors who might not be able to internationally compete for tenders.

Call for Action to Mitigate Effects of the Financial Crisis on Africa

2009-02-05T21:38:43.000Z

Contacts:
In Addis Ababa: Gelila Woodeneh: 1 (251) 62 77 00
gwoodeneh@worldbank.org
In Washington, DC: Herbert Boh: (1) 202 473- 3548
hboh@worldbank.org

ADDIS ABABA, February 4, 2009 – African economies, which were on the verge of turning the corner following more than a decade of faster and steadier economic growth, now desperately need new funding to mitigate contagion from the global financial crisis, the World Bank said Tuesday.

“We call on rich countries to keep Africa in mind as they design programs to help their economies weather the financial crisis,” the World Bank’s Vice-President for the Africa Region, Obiageli Ezekwesili, said during a video press conference from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where she was attending the African Union summit.

Connected via video to journalists in 21 other African capitals, Ezekwesili said it was crucial for wealthier nations not to focus on “insular” domestic responses to the crisis. She reiterated a call made earlier by World Bank President Robert Zoellick for donor countries to devote 0.7 percent of the amount of their stimulus packages to a Vulnerability Fund for Africa.

She explained that the Fund would direct spending to projects that are urgently needed to avert the growing unemployment, now building across Africa, as a result of the closure of mining operations, the suspension or cancellation of projects in sectors hardest-hit by a reversal of private capital flows, and tighter public budgets, the fall in commodity prices, and the shrinking of revenue from tourism and remittances.

The Fund would also finance safety net programs, attending to the basic needs of the poorest of the poor: health, education, school feeding projects, basic inputs for farmers, etc. It would help sustain the flow of credit to small and medium-sized enterprises, which are the engines of growth, job and wealth creation.

The Fund, which the World Bank is asking the G20 summit expected to hold in London next April 2 to help set up, would support investments in infrastructure projects that can build a foundation for future productivity and growth in Africa and other poor countries.

To sustain support for aid and the kind of fresh funding proposed under the Vulnerability Fund, Ezekwesili urged African governments to stay the course of public sector reforms; helping to build more capable states; train and retain competent civil servants who demonstrate integrity and tackle inefficiencies in state bureaucracies.

She called on African governments to improve the efficiency of public expenditures, pointing to the need to scrap subsidies that benefit those Africans who do not need them, for those that are better targeted in favor of the poor. A staggering one half of Africa’s US$40 billion annual financing gap for much-needed infrastructure could be closed by improving the efficiency in the way the public service functions.

She urged resource-rich countries, to improve adherence to transparency and accountability mechanisms; to ensure that revenue from natural resources are invested in sustainable poverty alleviation programs; to promote pro-poor growth and to diversify their economies beyond non-renewable sources of wealth.

“Countries like Zambia and other mineral-rich African nations must articulate a development strategy and make policy choices that would guarantee prosperity for ‘a Zambia without copper’,” the World Bank Vice President said, in reply to a question from a Lusaka-based journalist. She said citizens’ groups, the media and parliaments must all play more active roles in holding governments and donors accountable.

“The citizens of Africa are the continent’s most valuable asset,” Ezekwesili said, stressing the importance of tertiary education in building Africa’s skills to compete in a truly globalized economy. She said education, innovation and the technological leap-frogging offered by ICTs (information and communications technology) would help those African economies that invest in them to build the knowledge economy of the future.

“Those who can pay should pay but governments should provide scholarships and other forms of assistance to ensure that poor students who deserve to can attend university,” Ezekwesili said, in response to a question on tertiary education in Tanzania.

She acknowledged the need for governments to stick only to those things they do best – allowing space for the private sector to thrive in what businesses do.

“Governments cannot abandon their regulatory role, especially when it comes to ensuring that their financial sectors work efficiently,” Ezekwesili said.

Some analysts have blamed ineffective regulatory mechanisms for the current global financial crisis.

Initially underestimated, contagion from what started as a crisis in the US subprime mortgage sector, poses a real threat of rolling back gains in poverty alleviation in Africa that had been fuelled by healthy growth rates ranging from 5.9 percent to 8.1 percent for about 65 percent of Africa’s population during 1997-2007. Although still fragile, that growth had clearly broken with a past marked by the economic collapse of the decade 1975-1985 and the stagnation experienced in 1985-1995. Ensuring that Africa also benefits from initiatives to stimulate economies in the North would help restore that growth and return Africa and the world to a path of prosperity.

For more information about the work of the World Bank in Africa, visit:
www.worldbank.org/afr

Angola - Local Development Program : resettlement plan

2009-02-03T05:00:00.000Z

The objective of the Local Development Program for Angola is to achieve improved, expanded and sustainable utilization of basic social and economic services and to support a governance system where local government and communities can gradually become mutually accountable. Some of the negative impacts and their mitigation measures are: 1) all possible means will be used to ensure that no people are harmed in any way by project preparation and implementation activities and project outcomes; 2) displace person (DPs) will be informed about their options and rights pertaining to displacement, restoration and relocation and about grievance mechanisms available to them; 3) lack of legal rights to land and assets occupied or used will not preclude a DP from entitlement to restoration and relocation measures; 4) restoration, relocation and rehabilitation measures will be as fair as possible to all parties concerned; 5) where restoration, in cash or kind, is provided for loss of assets, access to assets or damage caused to assets it will be provided on the basis of full replacement cost and will include necessary additional costs incurred to achieve full restoration; 6) where replacement land is to be provided it will have a combination of productive potential, location advantages, accessibility, availability of services and other factors at least equivalent to the advantages of the original site and will be as near as possible to the original site; 7) DPs that are physically relocated will be provided with relocation assistance during relocation. Where necessary or appropriate, development assistance, such as land preparation and training, will be made available to beneficiaries in addition to restoration and relocation measures; 8) the costs, in cash or kind, associated with replacement and restoration of losses will be borne by the beneficiary community as negotiated with DPs; and 9) construction work will not commence until DPs have been satisfactorily provided with replacements for assets lost and/or relocated.

Angola - Local Development Program : environmental and social management framework

2009-02-03T05:00:00.000Z

The development objective of the Local Development Program for Angola is to achieve improved, expanded and sustainable utilization of basic social and economic services and to support a local governance system where local government and communities can gradually become mutually accountable, in accordance with the objectives drawn by the Plano de Desenvolvimento de Medio Prazo/Medium Term Development Programme (PDMP) strategy. Negative impacts include: i) loss of natural vegetation or sensitive habitats, loss of uninhabited or productive land, damage to assets, such as latrines, fencing, etc, soil erosion and water logging; ii) nuisance to local residents during construction from noise; iii) localized soil and water (if a small stream is nearby) pollution from incorrect storage and handling of diesel fuel and used engine oil may occur; iv) health risks and negative aesthetic impacts created by the accumulation of solid wastes due to construction activities and workforce during construction; v) improper hygienic conditions; vi) drainage channels becoming blocked with debris (e.g. plastic bags) resulting in impeded drainage and localized flooding; and vii) disturbance to human communities and natural vegetation. Mitigation measures include: 1) locate site and organize construction work in order to avoid destruction of natural vegetation or sensitive habitats; 2) awareness campaigns for workers to avoid destruction of vegetation or sensitive habitats wherever possible to avoid removal of trees or other intact vegetation by workforce or circulation of heavy machinery; 3) establish timetable for noisy works and inform residents; 4) carefully select storage area for diesel and ensure proper storage and handling of fuels to prevent localized pollution of soils; 5) remove and dispose of solid waste in suitable sites. Non-hazardous wastes can be disposed of in a locally dug pit and covered with top soil on closure; 6) training for managers in proper maintenance and cleanness of the buildings and surrounding area; 7) maintenance of sanitary conditions through provision of latrines, adequate water supply, and proper drainage; and 8) the site selection for water point should avoid depressions or low-lying poorly drained sites as well.

The project Emergency Demobilization and Reintegration Project has changed to Closed

2009-01-01T05:00:00.000Z

The project Emergency Demobilization and Reintegration Project has changed to Closed. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The overall objective of the Emergency Demobilization and Reintegration Project in Angola, will be to help consolidate economic stability in the country, and in the greater Great Lakes region. The program will focus on demobilization of ex-combatants, and help support their return into civilian life, and, facilitate the reallocation of Government expenditure from military, to social and economic sectors. It is expected the project will have a significant impact on poverty reduction, by establishing more secure conditions in rural areas, thus encouraging the resumption of productive lives in the rural economy, and, will further free additional national resources for investment in social, and economic sectors. Additionally, investments in human capital development of ex-combatants, will further enhance the implementation capacity of community-based development organizations. The main components include demobilization through specific modules, based on an identification card system, a program benefit card, and socioeconomic profiling, to provide transitional assistance in cash, or in-kind; reintegration, through the provision of counseling, and information for potential job opportunities, and assistance in securing employment, as well as educational, or skills improvements within vulnerable groups; and, institutional, and program development, supervised through a program coordinator at high Government levels, but whose implementation shall be the responsibility of a single civilian agency.

Consultations on the Bank Web Site

2008-12-09T15:37:38.000Z

Dear reader,

A few years ago, the World Bank’s Web site was noted as a leader among development organizations’ websites. As technology has rapidly advanced and user expectations evolved, our Web site too needs to change and adapt.

You come to our Web site because you are looking for the latest information on development. Our project information, data and research assist you in tackling your challenges or keeping up on the Bank’s activities.

Now we’re catching up. We are revamping our Web site and expanding our online capabilities to better satisfy our business needs and meet audience demands.

We’re examining all aspects of the site—content, technology, business needs and audience demands—to figure out what needs to stay, be improved or be removed.

This is a complex undertaking. We are currently gathering information to determine requirements for our future site.

Through our open online consultation, we are looking for comments from anyone who wishes to discuss their information needs and any difficulties they encounter with the site. The online consultation period ends on December 31, 2008.

All feedback we receive will inform the future design and functionality of the Web site by informing Bank management on audience needs.

Our ultimate goal is to make the Web site better support the institution’s mission of fighting global poverty and helping countries develop.

Your feedback will bring us closer to this goal.

Thank you,

Angie Gentile
Managing Editor, www.worldbank.org

Angola - Investment climate assessment

2008-11-26T05:00:00.000Z

Successive armed conflicts, which lasted almost three decades after independence, have devastated Angola and its economy. However, since the peace accord of April 2002, Angolans have begun a transition toward national reconciliation and lasting peace. For the Government of Angola (GoA), one of the main challenges ahead is to reconstruct the economy and reunite society after a war that has left its most visible marks on the millions of displaced that are returning to their areas of origin and demobilized former combatants that will need to be reintegrated into society. Peace in Angola has come hand in hand with a surge in Gross National Income (GNI) per capita over the past years: per capita GNI rose from USD 470 in 2001 to about USD 1,980 in 2006, primarily as a result of increased oil production and revenue. Even though the national income is currently above the average level in Sub-Saharan Africa, Angola was nonetheless ranked 161st out of 177 countries in the United Nations Human Development Index (HDI) of 2006. This underscores the magnitude of Angola's challenges in the social sphere. The World Bank's Interim Strategy Note (ISN) of February 2005 was set to support the government's program for 2005-2006 and emphasized the need to encourage the private sector's role through a stronger public/private dialogue frame work and a more propitious operating environment for the private sector. The World Bank's ISN of May 2007 reinforced this need, whilst at the same time recognizing that there has been progress: 'the GoA has adopted legislation to streamline the regulatory framework and clarify land rights and has improved customs procedures. It has also taken steps to improve access to financial services, including microfinance, by allowing new entrants into the market. Investments in infrastructure, including roads, railways, and electricity generation and transmission will also improve the investment climate'.

Survey of ICT and education in Africa : Angola country report

2008-11-13T05:00:00.000Z

This short country report, a result of larger Information for Development Program (infoDev) - supported survey of the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in education in Africa, provides a general overview of current activities and issues related to ICT use in education in the country. Three decades of civil war have decimated the country's infrastructure and education system with large sections of the population still in dire straits, and high numbers of school-age children are out of school. Amid these challenges, the government has established a National Commission on Information Technology, now called the National Information Technology Agency, which has been given the task of developing a national ICT policy. There are a few programs and projects specifically on ICTs in education in the country, although these are largely small-scale, short-term initiatives.

The project ANGOLA: PUBLIC FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT -2 is now in the pipeline.

2008-10-21T04:00:00.000Z

The project ANGOLA: PUBLIC FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT -2 is now in the pipeline. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

Global Food and Fuel Crisis Will Increase Malnourished by 44 Million

2008-10-08T17:30:00.000Z

Contacts:
In Washington :Carl Hanlon 202-473-8087; chanlon@worldbank.org;
Philip Hay 202-473-1796
phay@worldbank.org

WASHINGTON, October 8, 2008 – High food and fuel prices will increase the number of malnourished people around the world in 2008 by 44 million to reach a total of 967 million, a report from the World Bank says.

While food and fuel price increases may have moderated in recent months, prices remain much higher than previous years and show few signs of declining significantly, according to the report entitled “Rising food and fuel prices: addressing the risks to future generations”. Poor families around the world are being pushed to the brink of survival, causing irreparable damage to the health of millions of children. As families cut back on spending, there are also grave risks for the educational performance of poor children.

“While people in the developed world are focused on the financial crisis, many forget that a human crisis is rapidly unfolding in developing countries. It is pushing poor people to the brink of survival,” said World Bank Group President Robert B. Zoellick. “The financial crisis will only make it more difficult for developing countries to protect their most vulnerable people from the impact of rising food and fuel costs.”

The report, due to be presented on Sunday to the Development Committee at the Annual Meetings of the World Bank and IMF, says the food and fuel crisis could have long term effects on poor people and countries. Malnourished children cannot develop into healthy adults and become productive members of society who can contribute to the growth needed to lift themselves and their country out of poverty.

The report says priority should be given to a series of targeted measures. These include:

Making existing targeted cash (or near cash) transfer programs more generous;
Getting nutrition to infants and pregnant women;
expanding so-called ”in-kind” food distribution programs including school feeding and the distribution of fortified calorically dense food;
using fee waivers, lifeline-pricing and other forms of targeted subsidies for poor users/consumers; and
introducing additional measures to prevent children from dropping out of school, such as fee waivers, subsidies for school inputs, or cash transfers.

The report also argues that allocating the necessary amount of budget to finance an expansion of safety net programs may require pruning less-priority spending in other areas. But it notes that well-designed safety net programs do not have to be prohibitively expensive to be effective. Some of the most successful programs in the world cost well under 1 percent of Gross Domestic Product. Moreover, investing in safety net programs now will give governments new tools to address not just the current crisis, but future ones as well.

In May, the World Bank launched a $1.2 billion rapid financing facility to help poor countries cope with the food crisis. Since then, around US$850 million has been committed to finance seeds, plantings, and feeding programs. In April, Zoellick called for a New Deal for Global Food Policy that included short, medium and long-term measures to provide immediate help to poor people and farmers while increasing food production.

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For more information on the Bank's work in nutrition, please visit: www.worldbank.org/nutrition

and for more on social safety nets, click here: www.worldbank.org/safetynets

The project Market Oriented Smallholder Agriculture Project has changed to Active

2008-08-06T04:00:00.000Z

The project Market Oriented Smallholder Agriculture Project has changed to Active. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The Market Oriented Smallholder Agriculture Project for Angola development objective is to increase agricultural production through provision of better services and investment support to rural smallholder farmers in selected comunas and municipios of targeted Provinces of Bie, Huambo and Malanje. There are three components to the project. The first component of the project is capacity building. This component will strengthen the technical, institutional, managerial and marketing skills of smallholders and their organizations, as well as of services providers and other stakeholders involved in agricultural production and value chains, to more effectively operate in a market-driven environment and to prepare for the agricultural investment support opportunities under component second. The second component of the project is agricultural investment support. This component will provide demand-based support, in the form of matching grants, to rural communities and smallholder groups and associations, for village productive infrastructure and agricultural production, processing and marketing sub-projects. The third component of the project is project management. This component will manage the project and use resources in accordance with the project objectives and procedure.

The project Water Sector Institutional Development Project has changed to Active

2008-08-03T04:00:00.000Z

The project Water Sector Institutional Development Project has changed to Active. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The objective of the Water Sector Institutional Development Project for Angola is to strengthen the institutional capacity and efficiency of agencies in the water sector to improve access and reliability of water service delivery. There are four components to the project. The first component is the development of institutions in the water supply and sanitation sub-sector. The objective of this component is to strengthen the institutional framework for the water supply sub-sector at both the central and regional levels. The second component is the water resources management. The objective of this component is to support the strengthening of the institutional framework for the water resources management sub-sector. The third component is the rehabilitation of water supply systems. The objective of this component is to support the physical rehabilitation of selected urban water supply systems due to the critical need to reverse many years of inadequate investments and maintenance. This objective will be achieved through two sub-components: (1) the construction of approximately 240 kilometers of water supply networks and about 72,000 domestic house connections; and (2) the preparation of technical cadastre and implementation of an information system. Finally, the fourth component is the capacity building and change management. The overall objective of this component is to strengthen the ability of government to improve efficiency of water supply in Angola by engaging stakeholders, managing and communicating change, and improving the abilities of individuals to play their parts, especially at management but also at technical levels.

Angola: Market-Oriented Smallholder Agriculture Project

2008-07-31T21:57:34.000Z

WASHINGTON, July 31, 2008 - The following project was approved today by the World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors:

IDA Credit: US$30 Million

TERMS: Maturity= 35 years; Grace= 10 years

Project Description: The Market-Oriented Smallholder Agriculture Project for Angola aims to increase agricultural production by providing better services and investment opportunities to smallholder farmers in selected comunas and municipios in Bie, Huambo and Malanje Provinces. The project will strengthen the technical, institutional, managerial and marketing skills of service providers, smallholder farmers and their organizations, and other stakeholders involved in agricultural production and value chains, so they can more effectively operate in a market-driven environment and prepare for the project’s agricultural investment program. The investment program will provide demand-based, matching grants to rural communities and smallholder groups and associations for village infrastructure and for agricultural production, processing and marketing.

Media Contact

Rachel McColgan at (202) 473-9712

rmccolgan@worldbank.org

For more project information please visit:

http://web.worldbank.org/external/projects/main?pagePK=64283627&piPK=73230&theSitePK=40941&menuPK=228424&Projectid=P093699

For more information, please visit the Projects website.

Angola: Water Sector Institutional Development Project

2008-07-31T21:55:43.000Z

WASHINGTON, July 31, 2008 - The following project was approved today by the World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors:

IDA Credit: US$57 Million

TERMS: Maturity= 35 years; Grace= 10 years

Project Description: The Water Sector Institutional Development Project for Angola aims to strengthen the institutional capacity and efficiency of agencies in the water sector in order to improve access to and reliability of water services. The project will support (a) the development of institutions in the water supply and sanitation sub-sector, (b) management of water resources, (c) rehabilitation of water supply systems, and (d) capacity building and change management. The project will achieve these aims by engaging stakeholders, managing and communicating change, and improving the abilities of individuals to play their parts, especially at the management and technical levels.

Media Contact

Rachel McColgan at (202) 473-9712

rmccolgan@worldbank.org

For more project information please visit:

http://web.worldbank.org/external/projects/main?pagePK=64283627&piPK=73230&theSitePK=40941&menuPK=228424&Projectid=P096360

For more information, please visit the Projects website.

The project Health Service Delivery Project (HSDP) is now in the pipeline.

2008-06-26T04:00:00.000Z

The project Health Service Delivery Project (HSDP) is now in the pipeline. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

New report on economic growth offers lessons on achieving sustained, high economic growth

2008-05-21T17:11:32.000Z

Contacts:

In Washington:

Maya Brahmam at +1-202-473-6231 or email at mbrahmam@worldbank.org

WASHINGTON, May 20, 2008 – The World Bank Group welcomes a new report by the independent Commission on Growth and Development, a global panel of eminent experts, which reveals important lessons from countries that have achieved high, long-term economic growth. The experts say the lessons learned could help policy makers in developing countries as they seek to set their countries on a steady growth path.

The Growth Report: Strategies for Sustained Growth and Inclusive Development says integration into the world economy, maintaining high rates of savings and investment, and committed, capable governments are among the key features of countries that have sustained growth rates above 7 percent for 25 uninterrupted years since World War II.

"This report underscores to the development community that one size doesn’t fit all." said World Bank Group President Robert B. Zoellick. I am especially pleased that it draws on input from first class practitioners and leaders who have hands-on pragmatic and practical experience of making inclusive development a success. This will help enrich the thinking and practice of the World Bank Group as well as others in the development field.” “

High, long-lasting growth is not easily achieved, but the report by some of the world’s top policy-makers and thinkers, believes it can be reproduced in developing countries, giving them a chance to reduce poverty and improve opportunity and quality of life for their citizens.

“We are acutely aware that there are no silver bullets to create long-running, inclusive growth, and that no single paradigm exists,” says Commission Vice Chair Danny Leipziger, who is also Vice President for Poverty Reduction and Economic Management at the World Bank. “While seeking to identify those key elements that can lead to long running and inclusive growth, the report is clear that policy makers will need to customize and experiment with polices rather than follow any rigid set of guidelines.”

Commission Chairman Michael Spence said: " What makes the report so unique is that it was prepared by policymakers, many from developing countries, who have been in the trenches themselves and have learned what works and why. It is these commissioners who are now providing their insights to the next generation of policymakers on ways to improve growth prospects and the quality of life in the poor parts of the globe."

Spence is one of two Nobel Laureates on the 21-member commission comprising leaders from business, government and academia. The Commissioners come from 18 countries that include a broad mix of developing, emerging and developed economies, as well as small island states and populous, large countries.

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To download full report click here:

http://www.growthcommission.org/

World Bank Broadens Transport Agenda

2008-05-21T17:00:00.000Z

Contacts
In Washington:
Roger Morier (202) 473 5675, rmorier@worldbank.org
Anna Piasecka (202) 458 7027, apiasecka@worldbank.org

WASHINGTON, D.C., May 21, 2008 – The World Bank Group today launched a new transport business strategy for 2008-2012 that will help partner countries establish the governance, strategies, policies and services to deliver transport for development in a way that is economically, financially, environmentally and socially sustainable.

Called Safe, Clean, and Affordable… Transport for Development, the business strategy strengthens the alignment of the transport sector approach with the Millennium Development Goals adopted by the United Nations in 2000. At the same time, it widens the directions and deepens the routes that will be taken to meet the evolving development agenda. It gives more attention to emerging trends, such as trade globalization, urbanization of populations; rising concerns about climate change, the increase in traffic congestion; and the recognition of access as a key to both economic opportunity and good governance.

“In striving to achieve its development objectives—and foremost to eradicate poverty—the World Bank Group is mobilizing the transport sector to the fullest possible extent,” said Katherine Sierra, World Bank Vice President for Sustainable Development. ”To that end, the transport business strategy aligns Bank Group instruments along a few key strategic directions that will pave the way to truly sustainable development, one where transport plays a crucial role.”

“In a world with rising levels of greenhouse gases, poor road safety, and the too-frequent spread of communicable diseases along international routes, transport must be looked at anew. A coherent way forward requires innovative thinking and cooperation among sectors to optimize the role of transport without jeopardizing personal and commercial mobility.”

The Bank Group consulted widely in preparing its new business strategy, seeking contributions from over 75 transport development partners, governments, professional institutions, civil society organizations, multilateral and bilateral donors, and putting an early draft on its external website for four months to elicit public comments.

Safe Transport
Acknowledging the importance of transport for achieving public health outcomes within the Millennium Development Goals, the strategy stresses the need to mitigate the spread of HIV/AIDS, and to address safety in all transport modes, especially road transport. It also addresses the safety issue in air transport which, although globally much safer, still shows a safety record significantly affecting growth and investment prospects in some regions, in particular Sub-Saharan Africa. Transport and supply-chain security has also become a major issue in ensuring fair access of developing country exports to developed markets, and needs to be addressed as a new global public good.

“Road crashes kill an estimated 1.2 million people a year and injure 50 million more, disproportionately affecting the poor,” said Anthony Bliss, Lead Road Safety Specialist, Program Coordinator for the World Bank’s Global Road Safety Facility. “We are placing special emphasis on road safety, extending our support to include not only road safety components embedded in road infrastructure projects, but also larger stand-alone projects to formulate national policies and strategies that would improve road safety across the board. We will also pursue cross-sectoral approaches, such as including pre-hospital components in road programs and road safety components in health programs.”

Clean Transport
Urban air pollution, 90 percent of it generated by motor vehicles, kills an estimated 800,000 people each year. Transport now produces approximately 15 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Reflecting the contribution of transport to the wider environmental aims of the Millennium Development Goals, the strategy encompasses the transport-energy-environment nexus, from the energy consumption to the emissions and climate change impact perspectives. Going forward, the World Bank Group will be working to help restrain transport energy consumption. It will be assessing and controlling transport projects emissions, favoring shifts to low carbon modes.

“We are setting guidelines for environmentally effective transport planning and decision making,” said Jamal Saghir, Director, Energy, Transport and Water Department and Chair of the Transport Sector Board. “We are seeking ways to mitigate the effects of transport on the climate—and the effects of climate change on transport asset. We intend to build climate change issues into transport project appraisals where appropriate.”

Affordable Transport
An estimated 1 billion people in low-income countries lack access to an all-weather road. Affordable transport can enhance mobility and inclusion. It can promote social, economic, and political integration, by keeping a country together despite geographic disparities, by overcoming potential disputes over access to resources, and by defusing the seeds of conflict that sometimes arise from feelings of isolation.

Marc Juhel, Sector Manager for Transport stressed the fact that affordability concerns not only the rural and urban poor, but also the whole freight economy, aiming at improving competitiveness to foster stronger economic growth:

“The strategy stresses the need for better knowledge and control of transport costs, for both passengers and freight, on domestic and regional, urban and rural settings. The implementation of an effective urban transport strategy, reaching out to the growing urban poor population, is a key element of this approach. On the freight side, the cooperative work on trade and transport facilitation—in particular on customs and transit issues—will be strengthened.”

World Bank contribution to transport over previous decade
Since the Bank’s 1996 transport strategy, Sustainable Transport, was endorsed by the World Bank’s Board of Directors, the Bank Group has committed around US$42 billion for more than 530 dedicated transport operations and transport components in over 500 non-transport specific projects in more than 100 client countries. Lending in fiscal year 2007 (July 1, 2006 – June 30, 2007) reached over US$5 billion, amounting to 20 percent of World Bank Group new annual commitments.

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View the transport business strategy—Safe, Clean, and Affordable… Transport for Development at: http://www.worldbank.org/transport

The project Local Development Program is now in the pipeline.

2008-05-07T04:00:00.000Z

The project Local Development Program is now in the pipeline. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

World Bank Group President Appoints Vice President of Institutional Integrity

2008-05-05T18:00:00.000Z

Contacts:
In Washington: Carl Hanlon (202) 473 8087
chanlon@worldbank.org

WASHINGTON, D.C. May 5, 2008 – World Bank Group President Robert B. Zoellick has named South African Leonard McCarthy to head the Bank’s Department of Institutional Integrity (INT). McCarthy has earned international recognition for investigations and prosecutions of individuals engaged in corruption as head of South Africa’s Directorate of Special Operations.

“Leonard McCarthy is recognized worldwide for his integrity, independence, and effectiveness in fighting corruption and strengthening good governance,” says Zoellick. “This is the first time that the Department of Institutional Integrity will be headed at the level of Vice President, and McCarthy brings to the post stature, skill, and tested experience. This post is critical for our work, reputation, and fiduciary duty. I am confident that he will bring effective leadership to our highest obligation to protect the Bank’s assets and hold people, businesses, and governments responsible if they steal from the poor.”

McCarthy’s work with South Africa's National Prosecuting Authority has included investigating and prosecuting high profile cases of financial crime, organized crime, and high-level corruption. He has worked closely with African governments and law enforcement officials across the globe to expose and prosecute transnational financial crime. McCarthy was formerly a Director of Public Prosecutions appointed by President Nelson Mandela.

An experienced trial lawyer, he has held numerous positions in government, including Investigating Director in the Office for Serious Economic Offenses, Deputy Attorney General in Cape Province and Senior Public Prosecutor. He holds a Bachelor of Laws Degree from the University of South Africa in Cape Town.

Following talks with the South African government, President Mbeki has agreed to release McCarthy from service, to take up the position at the World Bank on June 30, 2008.

“I am honored to receive this appointment and to be joining the World Bank, I believe strongly in its vision, said McCarthy. “President Zoellick has made clear to me the strong emphasis he places on INT’s role, its need for strong, highly skilled people who will both pursue investigations and integrate anti-corruption work into Bank projects across the world. I am committed to delivering results and building on INT’s work to strengthen financial due diligence and ensure that precious development resources benefit people who need them most.”

McCarthy was selected from a list of candidates assessed by an internal search committee with the addition of former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker, who led a review of INT last year. In his report Volcker called for greater attention to protect against corruption in designing and implementing Bank programs.

Mr. Volcker has welcomed the fact that: “the Bank is now implementing the recommendations of the Panel he chaired, importantly including elevating the head of INT to the level of vice president.”

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World Bank Marks World Press Freedom Day with Study on Broadcasting and Development

2008-05-02T12:30:00.000Z

Contact:

In Washington: Christopher Neal, (202) 473-2049

Cneal1@worldbank.org

MAPUTO, May 2, 2008—The World Bank marked World Press Freedom Day by launching a study outlining conditions under which radio, television and online broadcasting can fulfil a vital role in development by making governments accountable, and giving voice to the world’s poor.

“Huge numbers of people, including those who can’t read, have access to broadcast media,” said Kreszentia Duer, of the World Bank Institute (WBI), who presented the study, Broadcasting, Voice and Accountability, at a conference here on freedom of expression hosted by UNESCO. “In countries with strong oral traditions, community broadcasting can enable people to share information and raise issues with a large audience, and hold government officials to account. This makes broadcasting a powerful tool for enhancing governance and promoting development.”

The 400-page study, subtitled A Public Interest Approach to Policy, Law and Regulation, is the result of five years of research by six media experts, including Ms. Duer, Steve Buckley, president of the World Association of Community Broadcasters; Toby Mendel, ARTICLE 19, Global Campaign for Free Expression; Seán Ó Siochrú, founder of the Campaign for Communication Rights in the Information Society; Monroe E. Price, of the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania; and Marc Raboy, of Canada’s McGill University.

The study reviews broadcasting practices and regulations around the world, and identifies those which produce an “enabling environment” for broadcasting that is free, independent and pluralistic. These characteristics are essential, the report says, for broadcasting to perform an effective role in giving people voice, and ensuring government accountability.

Drawing from their research, the authors propose standards on freedom of expression, access to information, use and misuses of defamation law, content rules and limits to free speech, and the regulation of journalists. The study also offers guidelines on best practice for broadcast regulators, as well as the respective roles of public service, community non-profit, and commercial private sector broadcasters, all of which, it argues, should be present in a healthy media environment.

Co-author Steve Buckley notes that increased movement towards democracy in developing countries opens the way to build broadcasting that serves the public interest.

“Countries that are opening their economies, democratizing, and decentralizing public service delivery are looking for guidance on how to involve citizens in decisions that affect them,” he said. “Broadcasting, enabled by the right regulation and conditions, can empower groups through bottom-up participation.”

The book cites countries that have developed systems to enhance the quality and diversity of media content, while fully respecting freedom of expression, and identifies ways in which government regulation can expand access to broadcast media. Community broadcasting, for example, can be encouraged through special licensing arrangements that guarantee fair and equitable access to radio frequencies and financial support.

“This book focuses on useful proactive approaches to setting up, sustaining, and governing broadcasting systems across the world,” said Ruth Teer-Tomaselli, UNESCO Chair in Communication for Southern Africa at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. “It’s based on sound scholarship and provides practical advice for policymakers, media scholars and broadcasters alike.”

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For more information, please visit:

http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/WBI/0,,contentMDK:21747844~pagePK:209023~piPK:207535~theSitePK:213799,00.html

To order: http://publications.worldbank.org/ecommerce/catalog/product?item_id=8100893

Youssou N’Dour Joins Top World Bank Officials in Calling for Immediate Action to Conquer Malaria

2008-04-24T17:41:29.000Z

Contact:

Carol Hooks: +1 202 458 9346

chooks@worldbank.org

Beldina Auma: +1 202 458 7307

baumaowuor@worldbank.org

WASHINGTON, April 24, 2008 – The World Bank and partners in the global war against malaria are calling for an intense push to eliminate malaria as a major public health problem and end deaths from this ancient disease. This week, the Bank invited world music superstar Youssou N’Dour to perform before African ambassadors, Roll Back Malaria partners, Bank staff, and other distinguished guests. The occasion? World Malaria Day—an opportunity to focus attention on the challenge and opportunity malaria presents for those most directly affected and those able to help do something about it.

From his place at the top of the music charts, Youssou is doing his share, by reaching out to everyone from African youth who enjoy his music and have young siblings at risk, to world leaders who can apply vast resources to the problem. “The world has started a war against malaria, a war we can all win. We have a grand alliance, called Roll Back Malaria. Allies like the World Bank, the Global Fund, the U.S. and the U.N. are doing more. And on the first World Malaria Day, we have presidents and even basketball players involved. The high-level attention to malaria is just what we wanted when we started the Africa Live malaria concert in 2005, but it's still not enough. Mosquitoes don't care about visas—we need cross-border efforts like the Zambezi region proposes. With efforts like that, we can eliminate malaria," Youssou said.

Commitment from Africa and current partners is at an all-time high. Youssou, the World Bank, and partners across the globe are calling on others to join this winnable fight.

Malaria is preventable and treatable, but a million or more people – mostly African children – still die from it every year.

“The good news however, is that more African countries are showing that it is in fact possible to control malaria,” notes World Bank Vice President for Africa, Obiageli Ezekwesili. “Despite difficult conditions and initial pessimism, countries such as Benin, Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Zambia are successfully scaling up malaria control efforts through provision of bed nets and effective drugs. Certainly more countries can follow a similar path with enough resources and technical support.”

Critical to the success of these countries is the ability to ramp up malaria control efforts quickly and sustain the level of effort long enough to drastically reduce the number of people and mosquitoes harboring the parasite that causes malaria. Given the current immense global interest in malaria, now is the time to do it, and effective partnership is crucial to the equation.

"The malaria community is in a better place than ever before. The Roll Back Malaria Partnership is working to produce unprecedented collaboration. People on the ground and at the global level are excited about the prospect of ending deaths from malaria," said Ray Chambers, United Nations Special Envoy for Malaria. "We know what to do; now we just need to get it done." Additional financing is essential.

Since the 2005 launch of its Booster Program for Malaria Control in Africa, the World Bank has committed US $467 million to malaria prevention and treatment in Africa, making it one of the top three funders of malaria control. This funding has been requested by African countries to buy long lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs), effective drugs, and supplies for spraying the walls of homes with insecticide. It includes money to strengthen health care systems so that they can better manage the life-threatening malaria cases that can consume up to 40 percent of public health resources in heavily-affected countries.

This funding comes from the World Bank’s International Development Association, better known as IDA. IDA is a mechanism by which the poorest countries receive no-interest loans or grants from the world’s richer countries. Every three years, donor countries meet to decide what each of them will contribute. Pledges made by donor countries in December 2007 mean that IDA 15 (the 15^th time the fund has been replenished) will contain a record US $41 billion.

While that sounds like it would buy more than enough bed nets, drugs, and insecticides to stop malaria, IDA resources are used to support an entire spectrum of development issues – roads, education, agriculture, health, and many others. Even under the “simple” rubric of health, any number of diseases and issues come into play. And it is the countries borrowing the money who decide how to spend it. The Bank has been able to commit $467 million for malaria control only because 18 African countries decided malaria was important enough to allocate a significant portion of their IDA funds to it.

From this next round of funding, the Bank anticipates that countries will spend significantly more of their IDA funds on malaria to take advantage of the current momentum around eliminating malaria as a public health threat. This would go a long way toward removing malaria as a major barrier to Africa’s economic growth.

"Defeating malaria is essential to Africa's development," emphasized Professor Awa Marie Coll-Seck, Executive Director of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership. "In addition to making people physically miserable, malaria reduces productivity. When adults--or their children--are sick with malaria, they lose
time from their work, which means they cannot produce the food, money, or other things they and their countries need." She added, "Unless malaria is tackled in Africa, few countries there will meet FIVE key Millennium Development Goals on child health, maternal health, infectious disease, universal primary education, and the eradication of poverty. Malaria must be stopped, and the world is now poised to achieve this goal."

* * * * *

The World Bank Group is a vital source of financial and technical assistance to developing countries around the world. We use our financial resources, staff, and extensive experience to aid countries in reducing poverty, increasing economic growth, and improving the quality of life. The impact of malaria extends far beyond the realm of public health and exacts a heavy toll on development. This makes the disease central to the Bank’s development agenda. In 2005, the World Bank launched the Booster Program for Malaria Control in Africa. Booster is a ten-year program designed to help African nations meet critical targets for malaria control and reducing child and maternal mortality.

For more information on the World Bank’s Booster Program for Malaria Control in Africa, visit www.worldbank.org/afr/malaria.

For more information on the Roll Back Malaria Partnership, visit www.rbm.who.int

World Bank Commits to Deepen Reforms to Better Serve Middle-Income Countries in Africa

2008-04-17T15:39:35.000Z

Contacts

In Washington: Herbert Boh (202) 473 3548

hboh@worldbank.org;

Dina ElNaggar (202) 473 3245

delnaggar@worldbank.org

WASHINGTON, April 16, 2008 – The World Bank Group reiterated its commitment to reduce the non-financial costs of doing business with it and to expand the menu of products and services to better serve middle-income countries (MICs) in Africa.

“We have taken your feedback and tasked an institutional Working Group to come up with new innovative ways of serving MICs and are finalizing an Action Plan to guide our engagement with MICs in Africa,” said World Bank Managing Director Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala at a recent meeting.

The high-level consultation was held in Washington, DC, on the sidelines of the Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. It was as a follow-up to two earlier consultations, held in Tunis (Tunisia) in March 2006 and in Cairo (Egypt) in March 2008.

“The key objective of the Africa MIC Action Plan stresses the need for the Bank to provide services better, faster and cheaper; moving rapidly from development lending to a development partnership in MICs,” said Obiageli Ezekwesili, the World Bank Vice President for the Africa Region. The Africa MIC Action Plan proposes a three-year pilot of a different way of doing business in MICs - anchored in part on two pilot projects to combat the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Botswana and Swaziland.

Recognizing that MICs value the Bank as a provider of cutting-edge knowledge services as well as financing, efforts within the Bank to better serve MICs focus on four key areas: (i) improving client responsiveness; (ii) expanding the range and utilization of financial products; (iii) enhancing the Bank’s knowledge services; and (iv) strengthening synergies between different parts of the Bank Group.

“Important progress has been made on this agenda. As a result of recent reforms, the World Bank Group has drastically cut back on the costs and time needed to prepare projects; extended lending to MICs in local currency; and provided lending to sub-sovereign entities,” explained Juan Jose Daboub, World Bank Managing Director.

“We are seeking innovation in the way we traditionally do business,” said Daniela Gressani, the World Bank Vice President for the Middle East and North Africa Region, pointing to ongoing pilots for the use of country systems in procurement in Morocco and in environmental safeguards in Egypt and Tunisia.

Finance ministers lauded the Bank Group for the successful implementation of reforms since the Tunis consultation, notably the reduction in loan pricing; improvements in the response time and the speed of loan processing; and efforts to increase the use of country systems and to delegate more authority to field-based staff.

Going forward, the World Bank Group together with its partners in MICs and regional development institutions will continue to foster cooperation on agreed priorities and work on initiatives to advance the dialogue, including through consultations.

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For more information on the World Bank in sub-Saharan Africa visit: www.worldbank.org/afr

For more information on the World Bank in the Middle East and North Africa visit: www.worldbank.org/mna

World Bank President Calls for Plan to Fight Hunger in Pre-Spring Meetings Address

2008-04-02T15:53:10.000Z

April 2, 2008—In a speech today, World Bank President Robert B. Zoellick called for a "new deal" to combat world hunger and malnutrition through a combination of emergency aid and long-term efforts to boost agricultural productivity in developing countries.

The "New Deal for a Global Food Policy" is part of a suite of initiatives Zoellick outlined to advance development in the face of skyrocketing food and oil prices. He also called for a global trade deal to be agreed as soon as possible, detailed an initiative to help countries manage their wealth earned from high energy and mineral prices in a more inclusive way, and encouraged sovereign wealth funds to create a "One Percent Solution" for equity investment in Africa.

Agricultural Assistance

The World Bank will nearly double agricultural assistance to US$800 million in Africa. Zoellick also urged wealthy nations to help the UN’s World Food Program meet some $500 million in emergency food needs.

"The United States, the European Union, Japan and other OECD countries must act now to fill this gap – or many more people will suffer and starve," Zoellick said in an address sponsored by the Center for Global Development in Washington.

Zoellick said the "New Deal for a Global Food Policy" is needed to combat the "forgotten" Millennium Development Goal of overcoming malnutrition. Only about a tenth of the resources directed at HIV/AIDS goes to fight malnutrition, which causes 3.5 million deaths a year in children under 5 and has long-lasting impacts on health and achievement.

"Hunger and malnutrition are a cause, not just a result, of poverty," said Zoellick.

The World Bank estimates 33 countries face social unrest because of soaring food and energy prices.

The New Deal requires a shift from traditional food aid to a broader concept of food and nutrition assistance, such as cash or vouchers that can help build local food markets and farm production,.and create a "Green Revolution" for Sub-Saharan Africa, said Zoellick.

"This New Deal should focus not only on hunger and nutrition, access to food and its supply, but also the interconnections with energy, yields, climate change, investment, the marginalization of women and others, and economic resiliency and growth," said Zoellick.

"Food policy needs to gain the attention of the highest political levels, because no one country or group can meet these interconnected challenges."

Zoellick said the World Bank Group can help by:

Backing emergency measures that support the poor while encouraging incentives to produce and harvest food
Offering access to technology and science to boost yields
Helping countries counter weather-related risks, such as drought
Facilitating land-titling, local currency financing, working capital, distribution and logistics, and support for services on which farmers rely

"Income gains in agriculture have three times the power in overcoming poverty than increases in other sectors, and 75 percent of the world’s poor are rural, with most involved in farming," said Zoellick.

Trade Also Key to Lower Food Prices

Zoellick said the time was "now or never" to break the impasse in global trade talks. A "fairer and more open trading system" would encourage developing country farmers to expand production, he said.

"The poor need lower food prices now. But the world’s agricultural trading system is stuck in the past. If ever there was a time to cut distorting agricultural subsidies and open markets for food imports, it must be now."

An accord would give developing countries, big and small, more opportunities to become more productive and lower prices through trade. It would also infuse confidence in an economic system stressed by financial anxiety, he said.

However, "powerful voices across the political spectrum, including in my own country, are calling for, rationalizing, protectionism," Zoellick said. "This economic isolationism signals a defeatism that will reap the losses, not the gains, of globalization."

The trade talks are also a "critical test" for striking a global deal on climate change. "If negotiators of 150 economies cannot manage the political tradeoffs of the Doha Round to reap the clear benefits, it does not auger well for bringing developed and developing countries together on a new accord for climate change."

Sovereign Wealth Funds

Zoellick also outlined a plan to encourage emerging economies such as China, India and Brazil to invest about US$30 billion in African nations through government-sponsored wealth funds.

Such sovereign wealth funds currently hold about US$3 trillion in assets. They have come under scrutiny recently because of investments outside their own countries. Zoellick noted they need transparency and should be guided by best practices to avoid politicization, but "where some see sovereign funds as a source of concern, we see opportunity," said Zoellick.

The World Bank’s "One Percent Solution" involves creating the equity investment platforms and benchmarks to attract these investors, and allocating 1 percent of the assets to African growth, development and opportunity.

"This one percent could be the start of something much bigger, across more types of funds and countries, because the investment of wealth into equity for development offers opportunity, not something to fear."

Extractive Industries Initiative

Zoellick announced a new approach to help ensure that high energy and commodity prices translate into improvements in the lives of the poor.

The EITI++ builds on the transparency and good governance concepts of the existing multi-stakeholder Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI). EITI publicizes and verifies company payments and government revenues from oil, gas and mining. But many governments are emphasizing that transparent revenue reporting, while important, is not enough. The World Bank is therefore working with developing countries and other partners to frame a "comprehensive approach to supplement the original project."

EITI++ will include providing technical assistance to countries on the awarding of contracts, monitoring operations, collecting taxes, improving resource extraction and economic decisions, better managing price volatility, and investing revenues effectively in sustainable development.

An EITI++ approach will be launched in Guinea. "The successful development of Guinea’s rich resources can strengthen sustainable development for the entire region," Zoellick said.

"The EITI++ can advance inclusive and sustainable globalization by broadening the beneficiaries of resource development."

The project Joint proposal Special Project to support the Reintegration of Demobilized Soldiers in Angola has changed to Closed

2007-12-17T05:00:00.000Z

The project Joint proposal Special Project to support the Reintegration of Demobilized Soldiers in Angola has changed to Closed. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The project Trust Fund for Statistical Capacity Building: Angola has changed to Closed

2007-12-17T05:00:00.000Z

The project Trust Fund for Statistical Capacity Building: Angola has changed to Closed. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The project Joint proposal Special Project to support the Reintegration of Demobilized Soldiers in Angola is now in the pipeline.

2007-10-27T04:00:00.000Z

The project Joint proposal Special Project to support the Reintegration of Demobilized Soldiers in Angola is now in the pipeline. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The project Trust Fund for Statistical Capacity Building: Angola is now in the pipeline.

2007-10-27T04:00:00.000Z

The project Trust Fund for Statistical Capacity Building: Angola is now in the pipeline. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The project Emergency Demobilization and Reintegration Project is now in the pipeline.

2007-10-25T04:00:00.000Z

The project Emergency Demobilization and Reintegration Project is now in the pipeline. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The project Second Social Action Fund Project (FAS II) is now in the pipeline.

2007-10-25T04:00:00.000Z

The project Second Social Action Fund Project (FAS II) is now in the pipeline. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The Second Social Action Fund Project's (FAS II) objective is to increase the sustainable utilization of basic social and economic services by target populations. The project consists of three components: 1) Social and economic infrastructure subprojects will support a wide range of small, medium and large-scale subprojects for the expansion and improvement of basic social and economic infrastructure, as well as the provision of training in operation and maintenance of the facilities. The subprojects will be identified by poor communities, implemented with the assistance of an implementing partner, and coordinated with local government representatives, nongovernmental organizations, and sectoral agencies. They are related to education, health, water and sanitation, small-scale community infrastructure, and environmental infrastructure. 2) Capacity building will go beyond pursuing community participation in its operation by supporting independent civil society through training programs to strengthen the institutional and managerial capacity of local organizations. 3) Strengthening the monitoring and evaluation system (M&E) will a) capitalize on the existing strengths of the M&E system and project cycle of FAS I, and b) address the areas for improvements and gaps that were identified at the end of FAS I.

The project Water Sector Development Project is now in the pipeline.

2007-10-25T04:00:00.000Z

The project Water Sector Development Project is now in the pipeline. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The project Luanda Water Supply Project is now in the pipeline.

2007-10-25T04:00:00.000Z

The project Luanda Water Supply Project is now in the pipeline. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The project Post Conflict Social Reconstruction Project is now in the pipeline.

2007-10-25T04:00:00.000Z

The project Post Conflict Social Reconstruction Project is now in the pipeline. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The Post Conflict Social Recovery Project (PCRP) will test, in a limited number of target areas, a program to support war affected rural activities. The lessons gained from the experience of implementing the project are intended to serve as a basis for the design of a larger post-conflict social project aimed at enhancing the capacity of recipient communities in war affected rural areas to reestablish normal economic and social activities. The project consist of two components. The first is technical assistance to help the Government continue to strengthen a reintegration strategy to provide a comprehensive and consistent framework across sectors and provinces for planning and implementing the rehabilitation and integration need of all war affected segments of the population. The second will test the Municipio Recovery Program (MRP) for its potential for wide-scale replication in war impacted areas of Angola. In particular, it will test (I) the approach and (ii) the delivery mechanism of the MRP.

The project Infrastructure Rehabilitation Engineering Project (IRE) is now in the pipeline.

2007-10-25T04:00:00.000Z

The project Infrastructure Rehabilitation Engineering Project (IRE) is now in the pipeline. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The project Lobito Benguela Urban Environmental Rehabilitation Project is now in the pipeline.

2007-10-25T04:00:00.000Z

The project Lobito Benguela Urban Environmental Rehabilitation Project is now in the pipeline. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The project consists of the following components : (a) environmental sanitation which comprises the rehabilitation and expansion of the water supply distribution and sanitary sewer systems; the rehabilitation of the solid waste management system; and the rehabilitation of the storm drainage and erosion control network; (b) low income sanitation which provides clean urban water to all unplanned settlements via a network of 500 standpipes and laundry facilities; a massive improved latrine and sanitary environmental education program; and a modest urban revegetation program; (c) institutional development which consists of technical assistance and training, and logistical and administrative support for the Provincial Water Company; for the Provincial Community Services Department; and for the Provincial Planning Office to manage and monitor the project as a whole; and lastly, (d) studies which assist the Government to reorganize the Provincial Water Company; set economic water and sewer tariffs; define policy issues and action plans for environmental management.