Benin | World Bank

In Benin:

Sylvie Nenonene

(229) 21 30 58 57

Washington, D.C., June 26, 2009 - The World Bank’s Board of Directors approved a program which will help reduce greenhouse gases and promote clean energy use in Benin.

The program, supported by a US $1.82 million Global Environment Facility (GEF) grant (about CFAF 900 million), seeks to improve energy services in urban areas for customers that already have access to electricity in Benin in the following ways:

· disseminating 350,000 compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) in the market in order to reduce peak demand and energy consumption;

· introducing a regulatory and labeling system for compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) and individual air conditioning units, so consumers have access to efficient and high-quality products

· promoting energy efficiency through capacity building, information, and awareness building.

The new approved project is part of the Increased Access to Modern Energy Project (DAEM) totaling US$70 that will be submitted shortly to the Board of Directors, which aims to update Benin’s electricity infrastructure.

“Under this innovative program, GEF funds will play a catalytic role in expanding modern energy services in Benin," said Monique Barbut, CEO and Chairperson of the Global Environment Facility. "Consumers will now have a strong incentive to make smart and efficient choices that will save money while generating important global environmental benefits such as lowering greenhouse gases and conserving energy,"

The GEF unites 178 countries in partnership with international institutions, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and the private sector to address global environmental issues while supporting national sustainable development initiatives. Today the GEF is the largest funder of projects to improve the global environment. The GEF provides grants for projects related to biodiversity, climate change, international waters, land degradation, the ozone layer, and persistent organic pollutants. Since 1991, GEF has achieved a strong track record with developing countries and countries with economies in transition, providing $8.3 billion in grants and leveraging $33.7 billion in co-financing for over 2,200 projects in over 165 countries.

The World Bank is one of GEF’s implementing agencies, and supports countries in preparing GEF co-financed projects and supervises their implementation. It plays the primary role in the development and management of investment projects. The World Bank draws upon its operational experience in eligible countries to promote investment opportunities and mobilize private sector, bilateral, multilateral, government, and non-government sector resources for interventions that are consistent with GEF objectives and national sustainable strategies.

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For more information on World Bank activities in Benin, visit:

http://www.worldbank.org/africa

For more information on World Bank activities in Sub-Saharan Africa, visit:

For more information, please visit the Projects website.

The project Benin GEF Energy Efficiency Program has changed to Active

2009-06-26T04:00:00.000Z

The project Benin GEF Energy Efficiency Program has changed to Active. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The project Increased Access to Modern Energy has changed to Active

2009-06-26T04:00:00.000Z

The project Increased Access to Modern Energy has changed to Active. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

Improving Access to Modern Energy in Benin

2009-06-24T16:31:07.000Z

Contacts:

In Washington: Rachel McColgan-Arnold (202) 458 5299

rmccolgan@worldbank.org

In Benin: Sylvie Nenonene (229) 21 30 58 57

snenonene@worldbank.org

WASHINGTON, D.C. – June 24, 2009. The World Bank’s Board of Directors yesterday approved an Increased Access to Modern Energy Project (DAEM) for the Republic of Benin. Supported by an IDA grant of US$ 70 million (about CFAF 35 billion) and a Global Environment Facility (GEF) grant totaling US$ 1.82 million (approximately CFAF 900 million), this project primarily seeks to increase the reliability and effectiveness of access to modern energy services in Benin. Under the auspices of the Ministry of Energy and Water, the DAEM project will be executed by the following bodies: (i) the Electric Community of Benin (CEB); (ii) the Benin Electric Energy Company (SBEE); (iii) the General Energy Directorate; and (iv) the Benin Agency for Rural Electrification and Energy Management (ABERME).

The new project has three main components, which are aimed at upgrading the functionality of the existing electricity system and increasing access by urban and rural inhabitants to modern energy services.

- Upgrading of the electric grid (US$ 98.32 million, including US$ 43.32 million in IDA funds). This component will finance the following:

(i) The building of a 161 kV interconnection between Onigbolo and Parakou (IDA, EIB, and CEB funding) ;

(ii) The building of a 161 kV interconnection between Sakété and Porto-Novo (KfW and CEB funding) ;

(iii) The rehabilitation and upgrading of the SBEE network (IDA financing), to reinforce the SBEE distribution network in the major cities of Benin (Cotonou, Porto-Novo, Ouidah, Lokossa, and Natitingou); and

(iv) Increasing the effectiveness of energy services (GEF financing) in urban areas for consumers who already have access to electricity, by introducing energy efficiency standards for large household appliances;

- Electrification and modern energy services (US$ 65.50 million, including US$ 12 million from IDA). This second component of the project aims to expand the provision of modern energy services in rural areas. The specific actions to be taken under this component are as follows:

(i) Operationalizing the Rural Electrification Fund under the auspices of ABERME (financed by the Government of Benin and IDA), as a basis for developing a sustainable institutional framework to support electrification through rural concessions and local initiatives; and

(ii) Modernizing biomass energy services (financed by IDA and FFEM). This sub-component will fund: (a) the promotion of sustainable community systems for fuel wood supply; (b) increasing the effectiveness of biomass and other renewable energy sources and fuel substitution; and (c) support for development of the local economy in the Ouémé-Moyen region, which covers at least 80% of the demand for charcoal in the major cities of Benin;

- Sustainable energy services (US$ 6.68 million financed by IDA). The objective of this last component of the project is to provide more sustainable services to consumers by focusing on: (i) improving the financial autonomy and performance of key sector institutions; and (ii) enhancing the capacity to better plan and regulate Benin’s energy sector. This component covers the following points: updating the Energy Sector Master Plan; strengthening the regulatory capacity of the General Energy Directorate; developing the SBEE business plan; elaborating the CEB business plan; and enhancing environmental and social monitoring of the energy sector in Benin.

The Increased Access to Modern Energy Project (DAEM) is funded by the Government of Benin and several donors: Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW), the European Development Bank (EDB), the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP), and the French Global Environment Fund (FFEM). The overall budget of the project is US$ 178.5 million (slightly more than CFAF 89 billion).

Following the approval of the DAEM project by the Board of Directors, the World Bank’s Resident Representative in Benin, Joseph Baah-Dwomoh, said that “the project just approved is part of our Country Assistance Strategy for Benin and will support the implementation of the national Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS). In our view, the main challenge is to improve the energy supply network, the effectiveness and financial viability of the energy sector, and access to modern services for a greater proportion of the population. We appreciate the efforts of the Government of Benin, which is also providing substantial financial support to this project and has taken decisive steps to improve governance in the sector and restore its financial viability. The Government’s approach is a pragmatic one, and we trust that it will solve the existing problems by focusing on managing the sector more transparently. The World Bank stands ready to provide assistance in this effort.”

For more information on the World Bank’s activities in Benin, please visit:

For more information on the World Bank’s activities in sub-Saharan Africa, please visit: http://www.worldbank.org/africa

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Benin: Increased Access to Modern Energy Project

2009-06-24T14:10:05.000Z

WASHINGTON, June 23, 2009 - The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors today approved the following projects:

IDA Credit: US$70 million equivalent

Terms: Maturity = 40 years; Grace period = 10 years

GEF Trust Fund Grant: US$1.82 million

Project ID: P110075

Project Description: The Increased Access to Modern Energy Project for Benin aims to improve reliability, efficiency, and access to modern energy services in Benin. There are three components to the project, the first component being electrical network upgrading. The second, upgrading of the network, will enable the expansion of the network for further electrification. Finally, measures to enhance lighting and appliance efficiency implemented under this component will help reduce peak load and energy consumption, extend the provision of modern energy services in rural areas and enhance the capacity to better plan and regulate Benin's energy sector.

Media Contact

Rachel McColgan - Arnold

(202) 458-5299

For more project information, please visit: http://web.worldbank.org/external/projects/main?pagePK=64283627&piPK=73230&theSitePK=40941&menuPK=228424&Projectid=P110075

Benin: Global Environment Facility Grant for an Energy Efficiency Project

2009-05-28T23:06:32.000Z

Contacts:

In Washington: Rachel McColgan-Arnold

(202) 458 5299

In Benin: Sylvie Nenonene

(229) 21 30 58 57

WASHINGTON – May 21, 2009. The World Bank’s Board of Directors today approved an Efficient Lighting Project for Urban Areas of the Republic of Benin.

Supported by a Global Environment Facility (GEF) grant totaling US$1.82 million (approximately CFAF 900 million), this project seeks to improve energy services in urban areas for customers that already have access to electricity in Benin by (i) installing compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) in the market in order to reduce peak demand and energy consumption; (ii) introducing a regulatory and labeling system for compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) and individual air conditioning units, with a view to providing consumers with efficient and high-quality products; and (iii) promoting energy efficiency through capacity building, information, and awareness building. The project focuses on lighting and includes an important activity, namely, the dissemination of 350,000 subsidized compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) to replace incandescent light bulbs currently in use.

The new approved project is part of the Increased Access to Modern Energy Project (DAEM) totaling US$70 million, which will be submitted shortly to the Board of Directors, and whose primary objective is to increase the feasibility and effectiveness of access to modern energy services in Benin.

GEF is a mechanism for providing new and additional grant funding to meet the incremental costs of measures to achieve global environmental benefits in six focal areas, namely climate change, biodiversity, international waters, ozone layer depletion, land degradation, and persistent organic pollutants.

For more information on World Bank activities in Benin, visit:

http://www.worldbank.org/africa

For more information on World Bank activities in Sub-Saharan Africa, visit:

For more information, please visit the Projects website.

The project Poverty Reduction Strategy Credit has changed to Closed

2009-04-03T04:00:00.000Z

The project Poverty Reduction Strategy Credit has changed to Closed. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The project Benin GEF Energy Efficiency Program is now in the pipeline.

2009-03-29T04:00:00.000Z

The project Benin GEF Energy Efficiency Program is now in the pipeline. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The World Bank Adopts a New Country Assistance Strategy for Benin

2009-02-27T19:47:47.000Z

Contacts:

Washington: Rachel McColgan: 1 + 202-478-5299

Cotonou: Sylvie A. Nenonene: (229) 21 30 58 57

http://www.worldbank.org/afr

WASHINGTON, February 26, 2009 – The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors today approved a new Country Assistance Strategy (CAS) for Benin. Designed to cover a four-year period (2009-2012), the CAS is the World Bank’s main document that outlines its assistance strategy and intervention framework, and guides the formulation of its operations in the country for the period in question.

The new CAS was drafted taking into account Benin’s development priorities, as set forth in the Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS) for 2007-2009, and is aimed primarily at helping the country tackle a number of key challenges, in particular: (i) a fairly unfavorable business climate; (ii) low-quality infrastructure; (iii) the economy’s lack of competitiveness; (iv) a low level of diversification that makes the country vulnerable to exogenous shocks; and (v) weak implementation capacity.

The document revolves around three main pillars, namely: (a) accelerating economic growth; (b) improving access to basic services; and (c) promoting good governance and building institutional capacity. A number of projects and programs are derived from this strategy.

Pillar1: Accelerating growth. The new strategy will help stabilize the macroeconomic framework and improve public finance management through Poverty Reduction Support Credit (PRSC) operations and public expenditure reviews. It will also help improve the investment climate and revitalize the private sector, through implementation of the Competitiveness and Integrated Growth Opportunity Project (CIGOP) and technical assistance from the International Finance Corporation (IFC).^[1] Provisions have also been made for urgent measures to enhance the contribution made by agriculture to growth. To shore up the infrastructure that underpins growth, the World Bank plans to: (i) support the telecommunications sector, through assistance with the implementation of a regulatory and institutional framework that provides equitable access to the communications network; and (ii) help establish a program aimed at expanding access to modern energy. Lastly, the new CAS includes regional programs that seek to increase competitiveness and enhance regional integration, which involve (i) the transport and transit facilitation project along the Abidjan-Lagos corridor; and (ii) the West and Central Africa Air Transport Safety and Security Program.

Pillar 2: Improving access to basic services. Through this pillar, the new CAS seeks to engage in efforts aimed at (i) conducting sanitation works and improving the environment in urban areas; (ii) expanding access to health care (combating malaria and HIV/AIDS), and improving the sanitation system in the context of a Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp). Improved access to drinking water will be achieved through budget support to be provided by the World Bank in the context of Poverty Reduction Support Credit (PRSC) operations. Similar action will be taken in the education sector, which will receive additional support under the Fast Track Initiative grant.

Pillar 3: Promoting good governance and building institutional capacity. The new CAS will be helpful with implementation of the Government’s agenda of combating corruption and promoting good governance through Poverty Reduction Support Credit (PRSC) Operations. In addition, the Bank will work with other partners to strengthen accounting, execute budgetary controls, enhance the effectiveness of internal and external audit institutions, and assist with implementation of the new procurement code. Support for decentralization will continue to be provided through the national development project led by the communities, which may also be conducted in the context of a SWAp.

In addition to the aforementioned projects and programs, the new CAS proposes a number of analytical works, including studies on agricultural diversification; the environment; and the observance of standards and codes. In addition, the following are planned: (i) a review of public expenditure and a study on higher education and employment; (ii) an assessment of poverty; (iii) an assessment of the investment climate; (iv) a national governance and anti-corruption strategy; (v) a review of the energy sector; and (vi) a study of decentralization and local development. The new CAS approved today draws on the lessons learned from implementation of the previous CAS, and on the various consultations held with the Government, development partners, civil society, and the private sector as well as on the results of a 2007 client survey.

The World Bank’s Resident Representative in Benin, highlighted the focus on performance: “Current IDA benchmark allocations for Benin for the CAS period stand at approximately US$312 million. This amount could, however, change during this period. The allocation will be determined annually, on the basis of the performance of the country’s policies and institutions, portfolio performance, and on Benin’s performance relative to other IDA countries. The volume of IDA financing will therefore depend significantly on the institutional reforms and development policies pursued by the country, as well as its absorptive capacity for loans granted. We remain confident that every effort will be made to enable Benin to receive a more sizeable IDA allocation, with the aim of combating poverty in the country.”

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For more information the World Bank’s activities in Sub-Saharan Africa, please visit:

For more information the World Bank’s activities in Benin, please visit: http://worldbank.org/benin

^[1] International Finance Corporation, the private sector arm of the World Bank Group.

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

The project Poverty Reduction Strategy Credit has changed to Active

2009-01-25T05:00:00.000Z

The project Poverty Reduction Strategy Credit has changed to Active. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

Benin: Fifth Poverty Reduction Support Grant (PRSC-5)

2009-01-22T22:39:13.000Z

WASHINGTON, January 22, 2009 - The following project was approved today by the World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors:

IDA Grant: US$30 million

Project Description: This grant aims to support implementation of Benin’s poverty reduction strategy. Specifically, it would support: (i) modernizing the regulatory framework and policy environment for private investment and infrastructure; (ii) increasing progress toward the MDGs by raising the quality, efficiency and access for basic social services; and (iii) promoting better governance through public financial management reforms.

Media Contact

Rachel McColgan-Arnold

(202) 458-5299

http://web.worldbank.org/external/projects/main?pagePK=64283627&piPK=73230&theSitePK=322639&menuPK=322673&Projectid=P107498

For project documents, please visit:

For more information, please visit the Projects website.

Improving Access to Basic Services and Enhancing the Investment Climate in Benin

2009-01-22T22:25:56.000Z

Contacts
In Washington: Rachel McColgan-Arnold: (202) 458-5299
rmccolgan@worldbank.org
In Benin : Sylvie Nenonene: 229 213058 57
snenonene@worldbank.org

WASHINGTON, January 22, 2009 – The World Bank Group Board of Executive Directors today approved the Fifth Poverty Reduction Support Grant for the Republic of Benin. The $30 million equivalent grant resources will support the implementation o f the Government’s reform agenda in the following areas: (i) improving the regulatory framework and policy environment for private investment and infrastructure; (ii) pursuing progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by improving access to basic services and ensuring greater efficiency o f public expenditures on human capital formation; and (iii) promoting better governance, notably through public financial management reforms.

With a population of just over 8 million and a per capita income o f US$570, Benin, which ranks163rd (out of 179 countries) on the UNDP’s Human Development Index, is classified a lower- income country. The country has enjoyed relative political stability over the last two decades, important structural reforms have been undertaken and growth rates have averaged around 4.7 percent annually during the last decade resulting in modest increases in per capita incomes as well as improvements in human development. Notwithstanding these achievements, poverty remains widespread and the economy remains poorly diversified and vulnerable to external shocks and it is likely that not all of the MDG targets will be met by 2015.

The economy heavily relies on the agricultural sector, in particular cotton, and transit trade with Nigeria. The agricultural sector accounts for about 32 percent o f GDP and provides nearly 70 percent o f the country’s workforce while cotton is the major primary export commodity with about 40 percent o f total exports over 2006-07. Transit trade with Nigeria is estimated to represent between 6.5 and 7.5 percent o f GDP and explains the vulnerability of the economy to trade policy changes in its neighboring and main trade partner. Nancy Benjamin, Co-Task Leader, underscored the need for economic diversification in Benin: “Economic growth and sustained poverty reduction are unlikely to be achieved without stimulating agriculture and business diversification. This PRSC will be an input to the many reforms supporting improvements in the business environment and private sector-led growth.”

PRSC-5 will support three critical reforms to enhance the investment climate. The first will strengthen the regulatory and policy framework by undertaking a number of measures to simplify establishing a business (in areas including tax administration, customs, property ownership)

The second reform involves the adoption of implementing regulations for the rural electrification fund to help expand access of the rural population to electricity. Providing access to the grid is the single most important subsidy offered to the poor, as the alternative sources of energy used by those without grid access are more expensive.The final reform focuses on the establishment of a new public-private mixed corporation with the assets of SONAPRA, the cotton ginning parastatal, while undertaking major reforms in the cotton sector

Signaling the ongoing support by the Bank, William Experton, Co-Task Leader for the PRSC, noted “PRSC-5 is the second of the second series of three PRSC operations (PRSC 4-6) and builds on the foundation of the progress achieved during the previous PRSCs and the two Country Assistance Strategies which cover the period of PRSC operations. Our hope is that these efforts will contribute to lifting Benin to emerging economy status.” Mr. Experton also underscored the harmonization and coordination that has characterized the design of these instruments: “This has also been an extremely collaborative effort among a number of development partners, including the IMF, the African Development Bank and the EU.”

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For more information, please visit the Projects website.

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

The project Benin: Emergency Food Security Support Project has changed to Active

2008-11-04T05:00:00.000Z

The project Benin: Emergency Food Security Support Project has changed to Active. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The project Poverty Reduction Strategy Credit is now in the pipeline.

2008-10-30T04:00:00.000Z

The project Poverty Reduction Strategy Credit 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 Increased Access to Modern Energy is now in the pipeline.

2008-10-08T04:00:00.000Z

The project Increased Access to Modern Energy is now in the pipeline. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The project Benin: Emergency Food Security Support Project is now in the pipeline.

2008-09-15T04:00:00.000Z

The project Benin: Emergency Food Security Support Project is now in the pipeline. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

World Bank Vice President for the Africa Region Visits Benin

2008-09-08T20:15:00.000Z

Contacts:
Sylvie Nenonene
Tel: (228) 223 3300
snenonene@worldbank.org

COTONOU, September 8, 2008 — World Bank Vice President for the Africa Region, Ms. Obiageli Katryn Ezekwesili, will pay an official visit to Benin from September 11–13, 2008.

The main objective of this visit is to strengthen the partnership between the World Bank and Benin. During her stay in Benin, Ms. Ezekwesili will discuss current efforts to boost economic growth for poverty reduction with the country’s authorities. Discussions will also focus on bolstering the World Bank’s program in Benin, and how the institution can best help the country to address the challenges it faces.

Meetings with the country’s highest authorities are not the only items on the visit agenda. The Vice President is a proponent of dialogue with all of the socioeconomic development actors in the countries she visits. To this end, a number of meetings are planned with development partners, civil society, the private sector, and the press to discuss matters relevant to the future of the entire African continent.

Ms. Ezekwesili arrives in Benin as part of a tour that has taken her to Ghana, Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire, and Togo respectively. In Ghana, she participated in the High-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Africa. Benin is the final stop on the Vice President’s Africa tour.

Obiageli Ezekwesili, a Nigerian national, joined the World Bank as Vice President for the Africa Region in May 2007. Throughout her career, she has gained a wealth of experience in the public and private sectors, and in civil society. She has held a number of positions, including: (i) Auditor and management consultant; (ii) Director for Africa, Transparency International; (iii) Special Assistant to the President of Nigeria with responsibility for Budget Monitoring and the Price Intelligence Unit; (iv) M inister of Solid Minerals Development of Nigeria; and (v) Minister of Education of Nigeria.

The Vice President’s visit is intended to strengthen the partnership between the World Bank and Benin.

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For more information on the World Bank’s activities in Sub-Saharan Africa, please visit:
http://web.worldbank.org/africa

For information on the World Bank’s activities in Benin, please visit:
www.worldbank.org/benin

The project Cotton Sector Reform Project has changed to Closed

2008-07-06T04:00:00.000Z

The project Cotton Sector Reform Project has changed to Closed. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The Cotton Sector Reform Project in Benin, will facilitate transition to a competitive system, by supporting the private sector operations, and institutional change resulting from the privatization of the National Company for Agricultural Promotion's (SONAPRA) ginning activities. The project components' main focus is on supporting the institutions involved in cotton ginning, and primary marketing activities, namely the Association Inter-professionnelle du Coton (AIC), Centrale de Securisation des Paiements et du Recouvrement (CSPR), and Federations des Unions de Producteurs (FUPRO) become operationally effective, and institutionally strong. Technical assistance, and advisory services will be provided, to cover management responsibilities, auditing, and financing operations, including training for institutional capacity building. Furthermore, the project will support the implementation of sector-wide technical services programs, in an effort for the private sector to take responsibility over the agricultural services, and other technical support functions carried out by SONAPRA, whose ginning plants, and operations' privatization, includes assistance, and advisory services for the reform process, and for addressing the social aspects, and financial needs of the government's conversion program.

The project Additional Financing for the Benin Energy Services Delivery Project has changed to Active

2008-06-29T04:00:00.000Z

The project Additional Financing for the Benin Energy Services Delivery Project has changed to Active. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

This additional financing to the Republic of Benin will support the Energy Services Development Project (ESDP). The proposed additional financing will support expanded project activities that scale up the project's program to enhance the project's development impact in a cost effective manner. The development objectives of the ESDP are to (a) accelerate, in a commercially viable manner, the use of electricity for economic growth and social services and thus improve the quality of life in un-served and under-served areas (peri-urban and rural); (b) improve governance and ensure the financial sustainability of the sector, through the involvement of the private sector in partnership with the public sector; (c) reduce deforestation and increase access and diversify choice of renewable and cleaner fuels to the household and small and medium-sized enterprise sectors; and (d) promote regional cooperation while protecting the environment in a sustainable manner.

The project Second Decentralized City Management Project - Additional Financing has changed to Active

2008-06-29T04:00:00.000Z

The project Second Decentralized City Management Project - Additional Financing has changed to Active. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The project objective of the Second Decentralized City Management Project is to increase access to infrastructure and basic services for residents of Benin's primary cities (Cotonou, Porto-Novo, and Parakou) and selected secondary cities (Abomey-Calavi, Lokossa, and Kandi). Benin is a small, poor country with a population of 8.7 million and a per capita income of US$540 in 2006. Poverty remains widespread and per capita income is below the average for Sub-Saharan Africa. Since 1989, democracy has been greatly strengthened and the new Government, elected in 2006, has reaffirmed the importance of decentralization as a critical issue for development. The additional credit will finance costs associated with scaling up comprises construction and rehabilitation of 9.6 kilometers of roads and 10.8 kilometers of drainage works to further improve access to some of the poorest neighborhoods of the major cities of Benin and reduce periodic flooding in these neighborhoods.

Bank and Development Partners Support Europe-based African Diaspora Business Ventures

2008-06-26T19:59:17.000Z

Contacts

In Brussels: Veronique Jacobs 32-2-552-0042

vjacobs@worldbank.org;

In Washington: Eric Chinje 202 458 8418

echinje@worldbank.org

BRUSSELS, June 26, 2008 – The first Development Marketplace for the African Diaspora in Europe (D-MADE) has ended in Brussels with a total jury award of close to a million dollars for sixteen investment projects in Africa. The winning projects will be implemented in 11 African countries, including Mali (4), Cote d'Ivoire (2) Benin (2) and one each for Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Malawi, Sierra Leone, and Togo.

The winners were selected from a group of 68 finalists who presented projects that a 24-person jury deemed innovative, sustainable, replicable and based on sound business principles. The sixteen winners currently live in seven European countries: Belgium, France, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

The D-MADE initiative was launched in 2007 to allow entrepreneurs from the African diaspora in Europe to participate in the development of their countries. Over 500 business proposals were submitted for consideration, with sixty-eight of them shortlisted for the second round of assessment.

A knowledge exchange forum which preceded the awards event provided a platform for D-MADE promoters, financial institutions and business development service providers to explore partnerships and business opportunities for the D-MADE finalists.

The projects ranged from the processing of raw cashew nuts for export in Ghana to introducing new technologies to remote rural areas for use in medical situations in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

"The fantastic energy and drive generated by this diaspora has to be tapped and supported," said Michel Wormser, Africa Region Director on behalf of Vice-President Obiageli Ezekwesili. "We need to partner with these communities to learn from their expertise and to encourage the entrepreneurship and creativity of their members."

Rome-based Gary Mamadou Tounkara of Mali presented a winning project to transform and develop a range of products from shea butter. "We will work to improve the economic conditions of rural women in the Sahel region who heavily rely on the extraction of shea butter as a source of revenue," he said. “Kariplus” will help in the production and marketing of a variety of shea butter products in the local and global markets.

Building on their experiences in the Netherlands, Ethiopian brothers Redwan and Elias Haroon developed a project to cultivate and market vegetables in the Greta Rift Valley, using production and irrigation technologies that are still unused in that region.

A second winning proposal from the Netherlands also focused on agriculture and came from Cameroonian-born Charles Zama who plans to work with a network of five thousand households to cultivate the jatropha plant from which oils will be extracted and bio-fuels produced. "Cameroon was one of the countries with the highest number of shortlisted projects. I am glad I won this one for my country," he said, beaming with satisfaction.

France-based Dr. Marianne Branco of Benin won for a project on hospital hygiene and the treatment of biomedical waste while her Switzerland-based countryman, Zinde Charles Zannou got the nod from the jury for his mobile "Toi Toi" toilets project which, he believes, will transform hygienic conditions in one of West Africa's largest open markets, the Dantokpa market in Cotonou.

In expressing their gratitude to the D-MADE promoters, the participants expressed hope for more development marketplaces for the African diaspora in Europe, emphasizing the difficulties entrepreneurs have in accessing financing, advice and technical assistance for micro and small projects in Africa.

Support for D-MADE came from the Belgian Development Cooperation, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the French Ministry of Immigration and Development Partnership, the French Development Agency, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and Brussels Airlines, which sponsored the travel of the finalists and jurors. Their representatives underscored the fact that D-MADE had unleashed an innovative way to dialogue with a group of migrants who genuinely care about Africa and who are willing to put their personal time, money and energy into supporting the continent's development.

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For more information about the World Bank in Sub-Saharan Africa, please visit:

www.worldbank.org/afr

For more information about the DMADE initiative please visit:

http://www.dmade.org/

Additional Financing to Strengthen Urban Infrastructure in Benin

2008-06-26T19:47:18.000Z

Contacts:

Washington: Aby Toure: 202-473-8302
akonate@worldbank.org
Cotonou: Sylvie A. Nenonene (229) 21 30 5857

Nadiath A. Dende

ndende@worldbank.org

WASHINGTON, June 26, 2008 - The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors today approved an International Development Association (IDA) additional credit to support and strengthen the activities of the Second Decentralized City Management Project (PGUD-2) in Benin.

This additional financing, amounting to a total of US$40 million (approximately CFAF 17 billion), will make it possible to strengthen the impact of the first project by increasing the number of people who will have access to paved roads and will receive protection from periodic flooding. More specifically, the additional financing will go toward the construction of 9.6 kilometers of roads and 10.8 kilometers of drainage works in the three main cities of Benin, namely, Cotonou, Porto-Novo, and Parakou. This additional financing will benefit 106,000 people who will be provided with access to roads and 76,000 people whose neighborhoods will no longer be prone to periodic flooding.

According to Franck Bousquet, the PGUD-2 Team Leader at the World Bank, “The additional work to be performed will have an impact on the quality of life of the people targeted and will help optimize the expected benefits of the investments underway. In fact, the people of certain neighborhoods in the three cities targeted (Cotonou, Porto-Novo, and Parakou) currently face major problems when flooding occurs. Such situations leave them isolated, adversely affect their health, and greatly curtail their access to social services and economic activities. Indeed, it is important to be able to take into account the impact of natural disasters when infrastructure projects are being prepared. Lastly, it bears noting that the use of labor-intensive construction techniques when this projected additional work is being performed should generate employment on the order of 467,800 man/hours of labor; the latter being an important objective also.”

It should be noted that the PGUD-2 was launched on March 8, 2006, with initial financing of US$35 million. The primary development objective is to expand access by the inhabitants of the main cities in the country (Cotonou, Porto-Novo, and Parakou) as well as a number of secondary cities (Abomey-Calavi, Lokossa, and Kandi) to infrastructure and basic services. The project is also aimed at capacity building within the technical and financial units of local administrations, with a view to bolstering the technical and financial resources needed to ensure the maintenance of the urban equipment and infrastructure put in place. Activities conducted to date include mainly: (i) rehabilitation of basic urban infrastructure; (ii) community participation and integration; and (iii) capacity building in communes in the area of municipal management.

The PGUD-2 is headed by the steering committee (CPS) in the Ministry of Urban Affairs. Work is performed under the oversight of SERHAU-SA and AGETUR-SA. The expected closing date of the project is December 31, 2010.

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For more information on the World Bank’s activities in Benin, please visit:

http://web.worldbank.org/external/projects/main?pagePK=64283627&piPK=73230&theSitePK=322639&menuPK=322673&Projectid=P109209

For more information on the World Bank’s activities in Sub-Saharan Africa, please visit: http://www.worldbank.org/afr

For more information about this project visit:

World Bank to Provide Additional Financing for Energy Services Delivery in Benin

2008-06-26T19:39:01.000Z

Contacts:

Washington: Aby Toure: 202-473-8302

akonate@worldbank.org

Cotonou: Sylvie A. Nenonene (229) 21 30 5857

Nadiath A. Dende

ndende@worldbank.org

WASHINGTON, June 26, 2008 – The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors today approved an International Development Association (IDA) additional credit in the amount of US$7 million to strengthen and expand activities of the Energy Services Delivery Project (ESDP) in Benin.

The additional amount approved will be used to conduct the following specific studies and activities:

Engineering studies: (i) Feasibility study of the Maria Gléta site, which is expected to serve as the site for the establishment of the West African Power Pool (WAPP) regional project; and (ii) Preliminary studies for the Adjarala hydroelectric project.
Extension of transmission and distribution systems: (i) Rehabilitation of the Benin Distribution Power Utility (SBEE) thermal substation in Akpakpa; (ii) Upgrade of the SBEE distribution network;
(iii) Installation of protective equipment at the Benin/Togo Generation and Transmission Power Company (CEB) substations in order to facilitate operation of the loop transmission system in the South of Benin; and (iv) Provision of cable heads to link the Djougou and Parakou stations;
Funding of the environmental audit of the Sèmè oil field; and
Technical assistance with SBEE financial management and capacity building.

“The additional ESDP financing that has just been approved is in line with the major priorities of the Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS) formulated by the Government of Benin in 2006. Using this additional financing, the World Bank intends to contribute, along with the Government, to providing the people of Benin with reliable and affordable energy services, which are key to economic growth in Benin,” said Ms. Fanny Missfeldt-Ringius, Senior Energy Economist and Team Leader at the World Bank for the ESDP.

The Energy Services Delivery Project was launched in 2005 with the main development objective of expanding access by the people of Benin in urban, peri-urban, and rural areas to modern energy services. Initial financing for the first project amounted to US$45 million (World Bank), US$12 million (Nordic Development Fund), and US$8 million (African Development Bank). The project is being implemented by the SBEE, CEB, and the General Energy Directorate.

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For more information on the World Bank’s activities in Benin, please visit: