Europe and Central Asia | World Bank

Croatia - Inland Waters Project : procurement plan

Belarus - Integrated Solid Waste Management Project

Hungary - Nutrient Reduction Project : procurement plan

Moldova - Second Additional Financing for the Second Social Investment Fund Project

Albania - Education Excellence and Equity Project : resettlement policy framework

The objective of the Education Excellence and Equity Project (EEE-P) for Albania is to improved quality of learning conditions for all students and increased enrollment in general secondary education, especially for the poor It is possible that expropriation will require land acquisition and result in the loss of land and assets and perhaps the loss of shelter and/or land-based sources of income. This resettlement policy framework (RPF) considers the possibility of the adverse impact of relocation or loss of shelter as well as loss of assets. Those eligible to receive benefits include landowners, tenants and other occupants who have: (a) formal title to land, (b) those whose property rights are recognized in law; and also (c) those who do not have formal or recognizable legal rights to land they are occupying. Under Albanian law, compensation for lost assets (land or other assets) cannot be paid to people who occupy land illegally or who occupy buildings built without proper license. However, under Bank policy and under this RPF, such people would be entitled to compensation for lost assets besides land. Ministry of Education and Science (MOES), together with Municipal or Komuna authorities and other agencies, as appropriate, will also provide assistance to illegal occupants to assist them to maintain or improve their standard of living. Cash compensation may be offered at levels that will be sufficient to replace the lost land and other assets and include moving allowances etc. For the most part, project affected people, if displaced, will move to other parts of the land they already hold or will buy alternative land in the vicinity. In the case of illegal occupants, assistance will be provided if the occupants can show that they were present in their location prior to the cut-off date established by the authorities, usually the date of completion of the census.

Turkey - Second Additional Financing for the Access to Finance for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Project

Turmoil at twenty : recession, recovery, and reform in Central and Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union

This book, written on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989, addresses three questions that relate to recession, recovery, and reform, respectively, in Europe and Central Asia's (ECA's) transition countries. Did the transition from a command to a market economy and the period when it took place, plant the seeds of vulnerability that made transition countries (the region excluding Turkey) more prone to crisis than developing countries generally? Did choices made on the road from plan to market shape the ability of affected countries to recover from the crisis? What structural reforms do transition countries need to undertake to address the most binding constraints to growth in a world where financial markets have become more discriminating and where capital flows to transition and developing countries are likely to be considerably lower than before the crisis? This report is structured as follows: chapter one of the book analyses how countries fell into recession and crisis, why not all of them were equally affected, and whether different policies could have positioned them better to face the crisis. Chapter two discusses rescue and stabilization and the role of international collective action. The next two chapters focus on policies for recovery, chapter three on restructuring bank, corporate and household debt and chapter four on scaling up social safety nets. Chapters five and six focus on reform, examining the binding constraints to growth and the policy agenda in the most important sectors identified by that analysis.

Belarus - Integrated Solid Waste Management Project

Kazakhstan - Second Irrigation and Drainage Improvement Project

Montenegro - Institutional Development and Agriculture Strengthening Project : procurement plan

Croatia - Export Finance Intermediation Loan Project : environmental management framework

The objective of the Export Finance Intermediation Loan Project for Croatia is to support the preservation and growth of exports by providing medium- and long-term working capital and investment finance to exporters and foreign exchange earning enterprises. Negative measures include: air quality, noise, water quality, waste management, and asbestos management. Mitigation measures include: a) if asbestos material is be stored temporarily, the wastes should be securely enclosed inside closed containments and marked appropriately; b) asbestos will be handled and disposed by skilled and experienced professionals; c) before being discharged into receiving waters, effluents from individual wastewater systems must be treated in order to meet the minimal quality criteria set out by national guidelines on effluent quality and wastewater treatment; d) waste collection and disposal pathways and sites will be identified for all major waste types expected from demolition and construction activities; e) during operations the engine covers of generators, air compressors and other powered mechanical equipment should be closed, and equipment placed as far away from residential areas as possible; and f) keep demolition debris in controlled area and spray with water mist to reduce debris dust.

Georgia - Primary Health Care Development Project : procurement plan

Kyrgyz Republic - Emergency Energy Assistance Project : additional financing

The objective of the Additional Financing for the Emergency Energy Assistance Project (EEAP) for Kyrgyz Republic is to increase the volume and reliability of the national energy supply, especially thermal power in the winter season, thereby supporting implementation of the Energy Emergency Mitigation Action Plan (EEMAP).The additional financing will help finance costs associated with the following: (i) a scale-up of project activities for the provision of equipment, materials, and spare parts to increase thermal power generation and heat output at the Bishkek combined heat and power plant for the 2009-10 winter; and (ii) corresponding scale up of the support for project management. No major change is anticipated in EEAP design, except that project indicators will be altered to include the scale up and the project closing date will be extended by a year until May 31, 2011.

Kyrgyz Republic - Emergency Energy Assistance Project : additional financing

Russian Federation - Judicial Reform Support Project : procurement plan

Belarus - Trans-European Corridor Road Improvement Project

Kazakhstan - Alma Transmission Project

Turkey - Access to Finance for Small and Medium Enterprises Project : environmental review procedures

The objective of the Access to Finance for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Project is to 'increase Turkish SME access to medium term finance'. It will scale up the achievements of the original project not only during the implementation period (2008-2012), but also beyond that period as the borrower will use the reflows repaid from the initial sub-borrowers to finance new investments before the funds are returned to the World Bank. Negative measures include: release of genetically altered organisms into the natural environment; manufacturing, distribution and sale of banned pesticides and herbicides; drift seine netting in the marine environment; radioactive products; and dust. Mitigation measures include: a) do not involve the purchase or use of hazardous materials; b) do not involve purchase of equipment and machinery that presents a significant potential health or safety risk; and c) during project implementation, the World Bank (WB) missions will supervise the overall screening process and implementation of environmental recommendations for selected sub-borrowers and sub-projects.

Ukraine - Urban Infrastructure Project : procurement plan

Armenia - Second Additional Financing for the Third Social Investment Fund Project : guidelines for environmental procedures

The Third Social Investment Fund Project (ASIF III) and its Additional Financing (AF) first and second invest in community infrastructure micro projects as a short-term solution to the crisis by addressing priority social needs generating immediate temporary work opportunities. Negative measures include: air quality, noise pollution, water quality, cultural heritage, and toxic/hazardous waste management. Mitigation measures include: a) demolition debris shall be kept in controlled area and sprayed with water mist to reduce debris dust; b) construction noise will be limited to restricted times agreed to in the permit; c) during operations the engine covers of generators, air compressors and other powered mechanical equipment shall be closed, and equipment placed as far away from residential areas as possible; d) waste collection and disposal pathways and sites will be identified for all major waste types expected from demolition and construction activities; and e) mineral construction and demolition wastes will be separated from general refuse, organic, liquid and chemical wastes by on-site sorting and stored in appropriate containers.

The World Bank Continues Support to the Energy Sector in the Kyrgyz Republic

2009-11-23T23:18:03.000Z

Contact

Michael Jones

(202) 473-2588

mjones2@worldbank.org

WASHINGTON, November 19, 2009 – The World Bank’s Board of Directors approved additional financing in the amount of US$ 4 million for the Emergency Energy Assistance Project today in the Kyrgyz Republic.

With the additional financing, the total allocation for the Emergency Energy Assistance Project is US$ 15 million. The project assists the Kyrgyz Government to increase the volume of thermal power supply in the winter season and to improve the sustainability of thermal power.

“The World Bank is a reliable and flexible partner of the Kyrgyz Republic,” said World Bank Country Manager Roger J. Robinson. “Last year the Bank quickly responded to an urgent request of the Kyrgyz Government and allocated US$ 11 million to help improve energy security in the country.”

The project funds were used to finance provision of equipment, materials, and spare parts to increase power and heat generation at the Bishkek and Osh Combined Heat and Power Plants (CHPs). In particular, fuel oil, coal handling equipment, and other equipment and materials were supplied for repair of the equipment in CHPs.

“Additional financing of US$ 4 million will help address urgent needs of the 2009/10 winter through additional technical rehabilitation works at Bishkek Combined Heating Plant,” Robinson added.

Specifically, the additional financing would cover funds to supply spare parts, materials, and works to repair and rehabilitate five boilers and related assets as well as supply of coal handling equipment for the Bishkek Heating Plant.

The additional financing is provided on the following terms: US$ 2 million concessional credit (no interest, 0.75% service charge, repayable in 40 years including a 10-year grace period) and US$ 2 million grant.

The World Bank’s overall mission in Kyrgyzstan is to promote economic growth, reduce poverty, and encourage a better quality of life. The financial assistance committed to the Kyrgyz Republic so far amounts to over US$ 890 million, in the form of grants and highly concessional credits.

###

For more information about the World Bank in the Kyrgyz Republic, please visit www.worldbank.org.kg

The project Electricity Generation Rehabilitation and Restructuring Project has changed to Closed

2009-11-22T05:00:00.000Z

The project Electricity Generation Rehabilitation and Restructuring Project has changed to Closed. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The Electricity Generation Rehabilitation and Restructuring Project for Turkey will improve supply security during the reform transition and restructure the state-owned generation business into corporatized entities. Project Components: Component 1) rehabilitation of Afsin-Elbistan A Power Plant. The Afsin Elbistan generation complex which includes Afsin Elbistan A and the newly commissioned Afsin Elbistan B, is the largest thermal generation complex in Turkey. Component 2) will focus on supporting Electricity Generation Corporation (EUAS) in restructuring its generation business into financially and operationally viable portfolio generation companies and a hydro corporation. This work will create the basis for undertaking the future privatization of these generation entities.

World Bank’s Fund for Poorest Countries Delivers Record Support during Global Crisis

2009-11-20T20:02:50.000Z

Contact:

In Washington: Angela Furtado (202) 473-1909

Afurtado@worldbank.org

WASHINGTON, November 20, 2009 – World Bank management and representatives of 45 donor and 12 borrowing countries today concluded a three-day review of the performance of the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank’s fund for the 79 poorest countries, that has delivered record support during the global economic crisis.

The three-day review of the 15^th replenishment period (IDA15), which covers funding from July 2008 to June 2011, included discussions on IDA’s policy and financial framework, the impact of the crisis on low-income countries, and measures to ensure swifter and more effective support to countries affected by crises. In particular, the group advanced a proposal for the creation of a Crisis Response Window in IDA15.

“We are very encouraged by donors’ and partners’ recognition of IDA’s overall performance and effective response to the global economic crisis,” said World Bank Group President Robert B. Zoellick. “Although IDA operates under a fixed, three-year financial envelope, we have leaned forward, including through front-loaded and fast-tracked assistance, to scale up support to poor countries severely hit by the crisis. As a result, IDA’s lending commitments in the course of IDA15 have hit record levels.”

Following recent calls from the G-20 and the Development Committee, the Mid-Term Review of IDA15 advanced a proposal for the creation of a dedicated crisis response window in IDA to assist low income countries mitigate the impact of the global economic crisis.

“The financial gap created by the global crisis not only jeopardizes the progress made by countries, such as Rwanda, whose governments have been working hard to implement important reforms, it also reduces our chances of achieving the Millennium Development Goals by 2015. A crisis response window in IDA15 will help us mitigate the short-term impacts of crises without sacrificing long-term efforts,” said James Musoni, Rwanda’s Finance and Economic Planning Minister, who participated in discussions about the impact of the crisis on low-income countries.

“We are delighted by the support of donors and partners for the creation of a crisis window within IDA15,” said Zoellick. “We will now be submitting the proposal to the IDA Board of Directors for approval.”

“While there are signs of recovery in developed countries, the risk of deepening poverty remains real in IDA countries.” said Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, World Bank Managing Director and Chair of the IDA15 Mid-Term Review. The crisis response window in IDA15 would provide additional funding for the protection of core spending on health, education, safety nets, infrastructure and agriculture in IDA-only countries.

Record Lending and Effective Response to the Crisis

In the first 15 months of IDA15 (July 2008-October 2009), IDA commitments reached a record level of $16.9 billion; a 50 percent increase over the comparable period in IDA14. This reflects a strong IDA15 replenishment size (which increased by 30 percent to $42 billion) as well as IDA’s front-loading and fast-tracking of operations in response to the financial crisis. IDA’s disbursements in the same period were close to $14 billion, with a sharp increase in the first four months of FY10 (July 2009-October 2009) when they reached $4.6 billion compared to $2.4 billion a year earlier.

Africa continued to be IDA’s largest recipient, with 55 percent of total commitments and 46 percent of total disbursements. South Asia came in second, accounting for about a third of commitments and disbursements.

-#-

For more information on IDA and access to the technical papers prepared

for the IDA15 Mid-Term Review, please visit: www.worldbank.org/ida

World Bank Continues Energy Sector Support in Ukraine

2009-11-19T21:57:43.000Z

Contacts:

Andrii Gulay, (380 44) 490 66 71/2/3

agulay@worldbank.org

Michael Jones, (202) 473-2588

mjones2@worldbank.org

WASHINGTON, November 19, 2009 - The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors today approved a loan in the amount of US$ 60 million for Additional Financing to the Hydropower Rehabilitation Project in Ukraine. The original loan for the Hydropower Rehabilitation Project in the amount of US$106 million was approved on June 21, 2005, and became effective on February 3, 2006.

The main objectives of the Hydropower Rehabilitation Project are to improve the reliability, efficiency, and safety of the operation of UkrHydroEnergo hydraulic structures and equipment, and to improve their environmental performance. The latter will be achieved through the reduction in emissions of greenhouse gases, the installation of nonpolluting turbine runners, and the elimination of oil leaks into Dnipro and Dnister Rivers.

“The reform and modernization of the energy sector is a key pillar of Ukraine’s sustainable economic development,” said Martin Raiser, World Bank Country Director for Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova. “We are very pleased to be able to continue to support UkrHydroEnergo in its efforts to increase the efficiency of the unique Dnipro cascade and thereby ensure Ukraine has access to cheap, reliable, and clean power.”

The project will help increase the installed capacity of the Dnipro Hydropower Cascade by about 400 MW and its production by about 500 GWh, which is equivalent to building a major new hydropower plant. The project also pioneered the concept of Carbon Financing in Ukraine as it was the first Joint Implementation Project under the Kyoto Protocol in the country. The additional financing supports the rehabilitation of three hydroelectric units in the Dniprovska 2 Hydropower Plant (HPP) and three hydroelectric units in the Kremenchug HPP.

The Bank has supported Ukraine in its efforts to reform and restructure its energy sector through policy dialogue, technical assistance, and financing of adjustment and investment projects since the early 1990s. The 2008-2011 Country Partnership Strategy (CPS) discussed by the Board on December 6, 2007, emphasizes the need for sustainable economic growth and improved competitiveness. The Additional Financing will contribute to the CPS objectives by increasing reliability and reducing the cost of hydropower generation, as well as helping Ukraine better prepare to meet technical requirements of the EU power grid.

For more information about the World Bank in Ukraine, please visit http://www.worldbank.org.ua/

Ukraine: Hydropower Rehabilitation Project

2009-11-19T21:54:36.000Z

WASHINGTON, November 19, 2009 - The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors today approved the following project:

IBRD Loan: US$60 million equivalent

Terms: Maturity = 12 years; Grace Period = 6 years

Project ID: P115515

Project Description: Additional financing for the Hydropower Rehabilitation Project (in support of the Energy Reform and Development Program) aims to improve operational stability and reliability of the power supply by increasing regulating capacity, efficiency, and safety of hydroelectric plants, and as a result, facilitating unimpeded operation and opening up of the electricity market in Ukraine. The additional loan will help finance the costs associated with a financing gap for rehabilitation of the Kremenchuk hydropower plant and two Dniprovska hydropower plants.

Media Contact

Michael Jones

(202) 473-2588

mjones2@worldbank.org

For more project information, please visit:

http://web.worldbank.org/external/projects/main?pagePK=64283627&piPK=73230&theSitePK=40941&menuPK=228424&Projectid=P115515

Kyrgyz Republic: Energy Emergency Assistance Project

2009-11-19T21:52:05.000Z

WASHINGTON, November 19, 2009 - The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors today approved the following project:

IDA Credit: US$2 million equivalent

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

IDA Grant: US$2 million equivalent

Project ID: P119227

Project Description: Additional financing for the Energy Emergency Assistance Project aims to increase the volume and reliability of the national energy supply, especially thermal power in the winter season, thereby supporting implementation of the Energy Emergency Mitigation Action Plan (EEMAP).The additional financing will help finance costs associated with the following: (i) a scale-up of project activities for the provision of equipment, materials, and spare parts to increase thermal power generation and heat output at the Bishkek combined heat and power plant for the 2009-10 winter; and (ii) corresponding scale-up of the support for project management.

Media Contact

Michael Jones

(202) 473-2588

mjones2@worldbank.org

For more project information, please visit:

http://web.worldbank.org/external/projects/main?pagePK=64283627&piPK=73230&theSitePK=40941&menuPK=228424&Projectid=P119227

World Bank ready to support Poland’s reform plans beyond the crisis, in medium and in long term perspective

2009-11-19T16:06:34.000Z

WARSAW, 18 November, 2009 — Poland is doing remarkably well during the crisis, but there are significant reform challenges to face in the medium and long-term perspective according to World Bank Vice President for Europe and Central Asia, Philippe Le Houérou, during his first official visit to Poland, November 15 - 18.

“The World Bank Group is happy to be able to support Poland during the current difficult times,” said Philippe Le Houérou, World Bank Vice President for Europe and Central Asia, “and is ready to continue to support the Polish Government in addressing challenges and reforms beyond the crisis”.

During his four-day visit to Poland, Le Houérou met with Slawomir Skrzypek, President of the National Bank of Poland; Jan Vincent-Rostowski, Minister of Finance and Elzbieta Bienkowska, Minister of Regional Development. He also spoke at the 9th Corporate Forum organized by the Polish Bank Association and met with subnational and private sector representatives. The discussions focused on the World Bank’s ongoing program for Poland and plans for collaboration beyond the crisis.

Le Houérou was impressed with the tremendous catching up that Poland has made over the last two decades, with per capita incomes more than doubling, and it’s resilience during the crisis. He was also impressed by the sharp and clear diagnostic of the people met about the challenges that still remain.

“Due to its diversified and flexible economy, the relatively strong macroeconomic balances and financial system going into the crisis, and the fast and adequate policy response of the Polish authorities to the crisis,” said Le Houérou, “Poland’s performance during the current turbulent times has truly been remarkable. This augurs well for a quick recovery.

“But we cannot forget that there are still many challenges that Poland will have to face in the future in order to ensure continued rapid convergence,” Le Houérou added. “The World Bank stands ready to support Poland in the short term through a range of lending operations, but we also look forward to working with both the central Government and subnational administrations, together with other partners, in helping to address the country’s medium-long term challenges. We see good prospects for productive cooperation in such areas as the social sectors, including health, education and social protection to increase efficiency and outcomes, and infrastructure, including promoting energy efficiency and developing a transport network fit for the XXI century.”

The World Bank would like to deepen and strengthen further cooperation with the Polish Government and other key partners to address these longer-term challenges. Le Houérou highlighted that the World Bank can not only bring knowledge to Poland, but also learn from Poland and use solutions and models implemented here in its work in other countries.

In addition to its existing portfolio in Poland, the World Bank is currently engaged in lending euro 3 billion to support structural reforms in public finance, the labor market and social sectors, and private sector development. It is also in the process of preparing loans totaling up to US$ 1 billion to support SME development and sustainable transport infrastructure development in Warsaw.

xxx

World Bank and Partners Award $4.8 Million to 26 Innovative Ideas to Save the Planet

2009-11-19T12:48:44.000Z

2009 Global Development Marketplace on Climate Change highlights innovative ideas on how to adapt

Contacts:
In Washington:
Edith Wilson, +1 202 4731104
ewilson1@worldbank.org
Jonathan Daly, +1 202 4582624
jdaly1@worldbank.org

WASHINGTON, November 13, 2009 - Close to $5 million in grant money has been awarded to 26 innovative climate adaptation projects, through the 2009 Global Development Marketplace, a global competitive grant program to fund innovation in development.

This year’s contest—‘100 Ideas to Save the Planet’— set a simple challenge: come up with one idea from your own community to help save the planet and its people from the effects of climate change. This ninth annual Development Marketplace was co-sponsored by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the World Bank.

This year’s event, which ran from November 10-13, featured 100 finalists from 47 countries selected from over 1,700 project proposals. The winning concepts announced today will be implemented in East Asia and the Pacific (5), Europe and Central Asia (2), Latin America (13), the Middle East, North and Sub-Saharan Africa (4) and South Asia (2).

"The Development Marketplace is an important part of our mission to break down funding barriers and promote innovative entrepreneurial ideas at the grass-roots level." said Monique Barbut, CEO and Chairperson of the Global Environment Facility (GEF).

Winning ideas receive up to $200,000 in seed money, as well as guidance, and technical support as projects move into implementation. More than this though, all participants benefit from being able to hone their project design skills; by participating in knowledge and skills development sessions designed to help make them better development practitioners on their return home—win or lose.

"Managing risks from climate change will require not only one hundred, but thousands of ideas from communities all over the world," said Katherine Sierra, Vice President of Sustainable Development at the World Bank. "This year’s contest was an opportunity to showcase the kind of creative thinking that can deliver tangible results in our work on climate adaptation. We will be watching how this year’s winners put their ideas into action."

Stand-out ideas from this year’s contest included:

From Serbia: SZTR Sunce’s initiative to mitigate the effects of climate change induced bacterial blooms on commercial fishponds;
From the Philippines: The University of the Philippines’ (Los Baños) ‘Bell and Bottle’ initiative – providing a low cost, high efficacy flood and landslide warning system;
From Ecuador: International Network for Bamboo and Rattan’s idea to build elevated bamboo houses, essentially lifting communities in flood zones out of harm’s way

This year’s contest took place amid a wider pre-Copenhagen international discussion around climate change and its effects on developing countries. Many ideas combined traditional knowledge with 21st-century technology, as participants found creative ways to innovate, taking cues from both the ancient and the modern. Ideas included painting rocks around glaciers white to slow melting, to leveraging mobile telephony and SMS technology to strengthen disaster preparedness.

"Agriculture is where climate change, food security and poverty reduction intersect." said Kanayo F. Nwanze, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). "The Development Marketplace is an excellent platform for scouting and collecting new ideas from diverse sources, fostering innovative solutions, and developing partnerships in support of climate change adaptation."

Past winners have gone on to address pressing needs in their home communities. Many have seen their project concepts replicated elsewhere. The Kanchan Arsenic Filter project, a 2003 winner sponsored by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has been scaled up with compelling results. The project, first implemented in Nepal, has been expanded to Cambodia, Vietnam and Bangladesh. To date, over 7, 000 filter units have been distributed, serving 30,000 people in the region. Pump Aid, a 2006 winner of a $120,000 grant, went on to secure an additional $25 million to expand water and sanitation services to reach eight million people in Zimbabwe and Malawi over five years.

"I believe that Development Marketplace is a very good example of how to facilitate innovation – giving us tangible solutions on complex development issues like climate change adaptation," said Ulla Toernaes, Danish Minister for Development Cooperation. "We have through our own experience seen how innovation has helped transform Denmark’s energy consumption patterns and created new business opportunities like wind energy."

Speaking at the Development Marketplace award ceremony, Sanjay Pradhan, Vice President of the World Bank noted, "Among the World Bank's most important roles is scanning the horizon for innovative emerging ideas. Then our job is to identify, select and help scale up those innovative solutions. Development Marketplace winners over the years have proved the value of bringing fresh voices and ideas to the development discussion, and that it is possible to turn good ideas into tangible results."

About the Development Marketplace

The Development Marketplace is a competitive grant program that identifies and funds innovative, early-stage development projects with high potential for impact and replication. The program is supported by a consortium of partners including the World Bank.

This year’s contest gathered ideas around climate adaptation in developing countries, placing special focus on indigenous communities dealing with climate risks, climate adaptation and disaster risk management, and managing climate risks in ways that provide multiple benefits—eliciting ideas to help people deal with the effects of climate change, especially those living in some of the earth’s most vulnerable ecosystems.

A rigorous assessment by 200 specialists from within and outside the World Bank Group narrowed the list of 1,700 proposals to 100 finalists who were invited to present their ideas in Washington, D.C. this week. Since 1998, the Development Marketplace has awarded more than $61 million to initiatives identified through global, regional, and country competitions.

For more information about the Development Marketplace visit:

http://www.developmentmarketplace.org

Visit our blog: http://blogs.worldbank.org/dmblog

Visit us on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/DevMarketplace2009

Become a Fan
of World Bank in Moldova on Facebook

The project Transaction Advisory Support for PPP for Solid Waste Management for Yerevan City is now in the pipeline.

2009-11-19T05:00:00.000Z

The project Transaction Advisory Support for PPP for Solid Waste Management for Yerevan City is now in the pipeline. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

Светска банка подржава Србију са 200 милиона долара у постизању ефикаснијег јавног сектора и побољшању пословне климе

2009-11-18T10:45:00.000Z

Контакти:
У Београду: Весна Костић, +381 11 3023 747
vkostic@worldbank.org
У Вашингтону: Мајкл Џонс (Michael Jones), (202) 473-2588
Mjones2@worldbank.org

ВАШИНГТОН, 17. новембар 2009. – Одбор извршних директора Светске банке одобрио је Србији два кредита за развој од по 100 милиона долара како би се помогло постизање ефикаснијег јавног сектора и како би се надаље побољшала пословна клима у земљи. Ова два кредита су конкретни примери из Стратегије партнерства Србије и Светске банке, чије спровођење је такође разматрао Одбор извршних директора. Ревидирана Стратегија партнерства предвиђа повећање трогодишњег износа средстава са којима Светска банка подржава Србију са 600 на 900 милиона долара у циљу помоћи да се одговори на економску кризу.

Извештај о спровођењу Стратегије партнерства разматра примену оригиналне стратегије, о којој је Одбор извршних директора расправљао 13. децембра 2007. године. С обзиром на домаће и међународне околности проистекле из кризе, влада Србије затражила је од Светске банке да преиначи ранију намену средстава како би јој помогла у финансирању Коридора 10 и како би наставила да помаже буџет кроз серију развојних кредита у укупном износу од 450 милиона долара. Ове операције усредсредиће се на реформе које су кључне за одржив и праведан развој Србије.

“Оригинални програм био је тако дизајниран да нам је омогућио да флексибилно реагујемо на догађаје и потребе земље у одређеном тренутку. То је омогућило да наша подршка буде благовремена, важна и да буде резултат потреба земље, нарочито имајући у виду решеност Србије да реагује на текућу финансијску кризу док у исто време појачава напоре ка европским интеграцијама и својој дугорочној конкурентности унутар европског тржишта. Влада треба да искористи ову прилику да у будућности рационализује јавни сектор и побољша пословну климу,“ каже Сајмон Греј, шеф Канцеларије Светске банке у Србији.

С обзиром да је Србија у кризу ушла са релативно великим јавним сектором, промена приоритета у јавним расходима и смањење текућих трошкова имаће значајну улогу у годинама које долазе нарочито зато што влада планира повећање улагања у инфраструктуру. Српско министарство финансија затражило је од Светске банке да помогне Србији у изналажењу начина стварања ефикаснијег јавног сектора, који ће пружати бољи квалитет услуга. Реагујући на тај захтев Банка је урадила анализу јавних расхода под насловом „Како са мање урадити више“. Она се бави важним деловима јавних расхода, као што су пензије, здравство, образовање, социјална давања, инфраструктура, пољопривреда и индустрија. Препоруке из ове студије уграђене су документа развојног кредита за јавне расходе (ПЕ ДПЛ).

ПЕ ДПЛ тежи да подржи реформе које ће помоћи да се побољша продуктивност јавних расхода, структурираних око три кључне области: (1) реформа управљања јавним расходима како би се побољшало коришћење фискалних прихода; (2) алокација јавних расхода како би се побољшало коришћење у најважнијим секторима; и (3) социјална давања, нарочито зарад ублажавања деловања кризе и побољшања обухватности сиромашних становника у будућности.

“Уз отпуштања у јавном сектору и раст сиромаштва због кризе, развој приватног сектора постаје још битнији како би се поново покренула економска активност и како би се стварала нова радна места. Србија је већ постигла значајан напредак у побољшању пословне климе у земљи. Програм приватизације и мере за повећање фискалне дисциплине спроведене последњих година (често уз подршку Светске банке) повећали су продуктивност и отварање радних места. Владина решеност да продуби ове реформе помоћи ће Србији да поврати тешко постигнути тренутак одрживог и праведног економског раста,” објашњава Џејн Армитиџ, регионална директорка за југоисточну Европу.

Развојни кредит за подршку приватном сектору (ПФ ДПЛ2), друга операција Светске банке, настао је на основу налаза бројних студија, као што су Оцена инвестиционе климе и Осврт на приватни сектор, које су радили стручњаци Светске банке. Овај кредит имао је једну од централних улога у стварању једног шалтера за регистрацију предузећа. И док је први овакав кредит помогао смањење броја дана за регистрацију са 51 на 23, додатне реформе су тај број снизиле на 13. Комплетна електронска база података о фирмама и предузетницима сада постоји. Осим регистрације предузећа, српска Агенција за регистрацију предузећа водиће податке о пословима лизинга, залога, банкротству и ликвидацији. Низ потеза ће, измешу осталог, побољшати конкурентност, повећати ефикасност спровођења судских одлука, поједноставити процес добијања грађевинских дозвола и управљање предузећима.

Банкарски систем Србије суочио се са извесним проблемима на почетку финансијске кризе, али је успео да се поврати током 2009. И мада се сам систем показао отпорним, неке области треба побољшати, као што је капацитет припреме за кризу, прописи који се баве управљањем ризиком, осигурање депозита и тржиште капитала. ПФ ДПЛ2 ће помоћи властима да се унапреде ове функције, доприносећи томе да српски финансијски систем буде још јачи.

World Bank and Partners Award $4.8 Million to 26 Innovative Ideas to Save the Planet

2009-11-18T09:48:54.000Z

2009 Global Development Marketplace on Climate Change highlights innovative ideas on how to adapt

Contacts:

In Washington:

Edith Wilson, +1-202-473-1104

ewilson1@worldbank.org

Jonathan Daly, +1-202-458-2624

jdaly1@worldbank.org

WASHINGTON, November 13, 2009—Close to $5 million in grant money has been awarded to 26 innovative climate adaptation projects, through the 2009 Global Development Marketplace, a global competitive grant program to fund innovation in development.

This year’s contest—‘100 Ideas to Save the Planet’— set a simple challenge: come up with one idea from your own community to help save the planet and its people from the effects of climate change. This ninth annual Development Marketplace was co-sponsored by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the World Bank.

“The Development Marketplace is an important part of our mission to break down funding barriers and promote innovative entrepreneurial ideas at the grass-roots level." said Monique Barbut, CEO and Chairperson of the Global Environment Facility (GEF).

"Managing risks from climate change will require not only one hundred, but thousands of ideas from communities all over the world," said Katherine Sierra, Vice President of Sustainable Development at the World Bank. "This year’s contest was an opportunity to showcase the kind of creative thinking that can deliver tangible results in our work on climate adaptation. We will be watching how this year’s winners put their ideas into action."

Stand-out ideas from this year’s contest included:

· From Serbia: SZTR Sunce’s initiative to mitigate the effects of climate change induced bacterial blooms on commercial fishponds;

· From the Philippines: The University of the Philippines’ (Los Baños) ‘Bell and Bottle’ initiative – providing a low cost, high efficacy flood and landslide warning system;

· From Ecuador: International Network for Bamboo and Rattan’s idea to build elevated bamboo houses, essentially lifting communities in flood zones out of harm’s way

This year’s contest took place amid a wider pre-Copenhagen international discussion around climate change and its effects on developing countries. Many ideas combined traditional knowledge with 21^st-century technology, as participants found creative ways to innovate, taking cues from both the ancient and the modern. Ideas included painting rocks around glaciers white to slow melting, to leveraging mobile telephony and SMS technology to strengthen disaster preparedness.

“Agriculture is where climate change, food security and poverty reduction intersect.” said Kanayo F. Nwanze, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). “The Development Marketplace is an excellent platform for scouting and collecting new ideas from diverse sources, fostering innovative solutions, and developing partnerships in support of climate change adaptation.”

“I believe that Development Marketplace is a very good example of how to facilitate innovation – giving us tangible solutions on complex development issues like climate change adaptation,” said Ulla Toernaes, Danish Minister for Development Cooperation. “We have through our own experience seen how innovation has helped transform Denmark’s energy consumption patterns and created new business opportunities like wind energy.”

Speaking at the Development Marketplace award ceremony, Sanjay Pradhan, Vice President of the World Bank noted, “Among the World Bank's most important roles is scanning the horizon for innovative emerging ideas. Then our job is to identify, select and help scale up those innovative solutions. Development Marketplace winners over the years have proved the value of bringing fresh voices and ideas to the development discussion, and that it is possible to turn good ideas into tangible results.”

About the Development Marketplace

For more information about the Development Marketplace

visit: http://www.developmentmarketplace.org

Visit our blog: http://blogs.worldbank.org/dmblog

Follow us on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/WorldBankDM

The project Programmatic Private Financial Development Policy Loan 2 has changed to Active

2009-11-18T05:00:00.000Z

The project Programmatic Private Financial Development Policy Loan 2 has changed to Active. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The objective of the Second Programmatic Private and Financial Development Policy Loan (PFDPL) Project for Serbia is to support the reform actions in three policy areas: (i) enhancing business enabling environment to encourage new private sector investments; (ii) strengthening financial discipline by enforcing hard budget constraints and continued reform of enterprise sector and public utilities; and (iii) building a more efficient and stable financial sector through continued restructuring of state holdings in banking and insurance sectors, enhancing crisis preparedness, and encouraging development of the capital markets. The PFDPL stream is fully in line with the goals of the World Bank Group's assistance to the Government of Serbia (GoS) as outlined in the FY08-11 country partnership strategy (CPS) and recent draft CPS progress report according to which one of the key priorities includes encouraging dynamic private sector led growth to ensure incomes convergence with European levels. The Second PFDPL is designed to support the Government in advancing its financial and private sector related reforms, building on the previous achievements, most recently under the PFDPL, as well as on the reforms initiated under the earlier Bank-supported operations in the period from 2002-2006, such as the three prior private and financial sector adjustment credits (PFSAC-I, PFSAC-II and PPFDPC-I), and the structural adjustment credits (SAC and SAC-II). The operation will also be complemented by another DPL series aimed at supporting Serbia's public expenditure management.

The project Public Expenditure has changed to Active

2009-11-18T05:00:00.000Z

The project Public Expenditure has changed to Active. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The objective of the Programmatic Public Expenditure Development Policy Loan Program (PE DPL) for Serbia is to support reforms that will help improve the productivity of public spending, structured around three key policy areas: (i) public expenditure management reforms to address poorly managed fiscal spending and to help improve fiduciary conditions; (ii) public expenditure allocation reforms to improve the quality of spending in the largest spending sectors; and (iii) social assistance, especially for cushioning the impact of the economic crisis and enhancing the coverage of the social assistance programs going forward. The programmatic series, as envisaged in the Country Partnership Strategy (CPS) as updated by the Country Partnership Strategy Progress Report (CPSPR), is planned to amount to at least US$200 million. These three loans are expected to be executed sequentially during 2009-2011, and there is an envelope of US$100 million equivalent for the first operation. The PE DPL series, which is aimed at reducing the size of Serbia's large public sector, is complemented by a private and financial sector DPL series, aimed at facilitating the growth of the private sector, through enhancing the business enabling environment, strengthening financial discipline and building a more efficient and stable financial sector. The operation has been conceived within the context of the Country Partnership Strategy Progress Report (CPSPR) to accommodate the need for additional budgetary and liquidity support occasioned by the global economic crisis. The total lending envelope for Serbia has been increased by US$300 million beyond the original CPS allocation. This additional lending is to be allocated to development policy lending which will help meet Serbia's medium term financing needs. The operation will be part of a coordinated financing package with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the European Commission (EC).

World Bank Announces Landmark Policy on Access to Information

2009-11-17T22:22:13.000Z

Contacts:

Geetanjali Chopra

1 (202) 473-0243

gchopra@worldbank.org

WASHINGTON, Nov. 17, 2009 – The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors today approved the Bank’s new policy on access to information which positions the Bank as a transparency leader among international institutions. The policy was informed by extensive external and internal consultations held in 33 countries and through the Bank’s external website. It reflects the views of member countries, civil society organizations, academia, parliamentarians, media, the private sector, international organizations, donor agencies, and Bank staff.

The new policy represents a fundamental shift in the Bank’s approach to disclosure of information – moving from an approach that spells out what documents it can disclose to one under which the Bank will disclose any information in its possession that is not on a list of exceptions. The policy statement will be finalized in December 2009 and become effective on July 1, 2010. A progress report will be presented to the Board by the end of 2011.

“This paradigm shift underscores the Bank’s commitment to transparency and accountability and recognizes their fundamental importance to development and to achieving the Bank’s mission of overcoming poverty and improving development effectiveness,” said World Bank Group President Robert B. Zoellick.

“I am personally grateful to all of the civil society organizations, government officials, and citizens of our member countries who contributed their ideas and perspectives as we developed this new policy through a global consultation process. We have collectively come up with a policy that is in line with international best practice and opens up the development process by fostering public ownership, partnership, and participation in World Bank-supported operations from a wide range of stakeholders,” he added.

The policy on access to information provides for the disclosure of more information than ever before – on projects under preparation, projects under implementation, analytic and advisory activities (AAA), and Board proceedings. This information will be easily accessible on the World Bank’s external website and available through the InfoShop, public information centers, and the World Bank Group Archives.

At the same time, the policy strikes a balance between maximum access to information and respect for the confidentiality of information pertaining to its clients, shareholders, employees, and other parties.

Recognizing that the sensitivity of some information declines over time, the policy provides for the eventual declassification and disclosure of restricted information over a period of five, 10 or 20 years, depending upon information type.

“Openness promotes inclusiveness, engagement with stakeholders and public oversight of Bank-supported operations,” said Jeff Gutman, Vice President, Operations Policy and Country Services Vice Presidency. “This in turn will strengthen participation in the design and implementation of projects and policies and improve development outcomes,” he added.

The new policy includes clear procedures for responding to requests for information, as well as an appeals mechanism for requesters who believe that the Bank has unreasonably denied access to information that should be publicly available. This appeals mechanism includes review by an independent body consisting of international experts.

Over the next several months, the Bank will put in place measures that will enable effective and efficient implementation of the new access to information policy. Such measures include staff training; improving information management and technology systems; developing an effective document tracking system; strengthening the Archives Unit, the InfoShop, and the public information function in country offices; and establishing associated service standards.

The final policy statement incorporating comments from the Board will be issued in December 2009.

-#-

Background

Over the past 15 years, the Bank’s policy on information disclosure has evolved in response to changes in the Bank’s business, the growing expectations of stakeholders, and the Bank’s continued commitment to enhancing transparency about its operations. The Executive Directors and Bank Management have periodically reviewed the policy and expanded its scope: for example, in 1993, 2001, and 2005.

For more information, please visit: www.worldbank.org

Serbia: Second Programmatic Private and Financial Development Policy Loan Project

2009-11-17T18:47:09.000Z

WASHINGTON, November 17, 2009 - The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors today approved the following project:

IBRD Loan: US$100 million equivalent

Terms: Maturity = 20 years; Grace Period = 8 years

Project ID: P115958

Project Description: The Second Programmatic Private and Financial Development Policy Loan Project for Serbia aims to support reform in three policy areas: (i) enhancing business-enabling environment to encourage new private sector investments; (ii) strengthening financial discipline by enforcing hard budget constraints and continued reform of enterprise sector and public utilities; and (iii) building a more efficient and stable financial sector through continued restructuring of state holdings in banking and insurance sectors, enhancing crisis preparedness, and encouraging development of the capital markets.

Media Contact

Michael Jones

(202) 473-2588

mjones2@worldbank.org

For more project information, please visit:

http://web.worldbank.org/external/projects/main?pagePK=64283627&piPK=73230&theSitePK=40941&menuPK=228424&Projectid=P115958

Serbia: Programmatic Public Expenditure Development Policy Loan Program

2009-11-17T18:46:25.000Z

WASHINGTON, November 17, 2009 - The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors today approved the following project:

IBRD Loan: US$100 million equivalent

Terms: Maturity = 20 years; Grace Period = 8 years

Project ID: P108759

Project Description: The Programmatic Public Expenditure Development Policy Loan Program for Serbia aims to support reforms that will help improve the productivity of public spending, including: (i) public expenditure management reforms to address poorly managed fiscal spending and to help improve fiduciary conditions; (ii) public expenditure allocation reforms to improve the quality of spending in the largest spending sectors; and (iii) social assistance reforms, especially for cushioning the impact of the economic crisis and enhancing the coverage of social assistance programs.

Media Contact

Michael Jones

(202) 473-2588

mjones2@worldbank.org

For more project information, please visit:

http://web.worldbank.org/external/projects/main?pagePK=64283627&piPK=73230&theSitePK=40941&menuPK=228424&Projectid=P108759

World Bank supports Serbia with $200 million for public sector efficiency and strengthening the business environment

2009-11-17T17:00:00.000Z

Contacts:

In Belgrade: Vesna Kostic, +381 11 3023 747

vkostic@worldbank.org

In Washington: Michael Jones, (202) 473-2588

Mjones2@worldbank.org

WASHINGTON, November 17, 2009 – The World Bank Board of Directors today approved two Development Policy Loans (DPLs) of $100 million for Serbia to improve the efficiency of the country’s public sector and to further strengthen the environment for private sector led growth. The DPLs are a concrete example of the Serbia Country Partnership Progress Report, which was also discussed today at the Board and which provides for the three year allocation of World Bank funds for Serbia to be increased from $600 million to $900 million to help the country respond to the economic crisis.

The Country Partnership Strategy Progress Report (CPS-PR) assesses progress in implementing the Country Partnership Strategy (CPS) originally discussed by the Board on December 13, 2007. Given domestic and external developments resulting from the crisis, the Government asked the Bank to reprogram the investment lending to assist a major road corridor infrastructure project, and to continue with budgetary support through a series of Development Policy Loans (DPLs) totaling US$450 million. These operations will concentrate on reforms that are crucial for the sustainability and equity of economic development in Serbia.

“The lending program was designed to permit a flexible response to events and emerging country needs,” said Simon Gray, the World Bank’s Country Manager in Serbia. “This flexibility has helped to ensure that CPS support is timely, relevant, and demand-driven, particularly given Serbia’s commitment to respond to the immediate financial crisis, while reinforcing its path toward EU integration and its longer term competitiveness within the European market. Looking forward, the Government should seize this opportunity to rationalize public expenditures and strengthen the business environment.”

Since Serbia had a relatively large public sector going into the crisis, expenditure reprioritization and a reduction of current spending will be critical over the coming years, especially amid Government plans to increase expenses on needed infrastructure. The Serbian Ministry of Finance requested the World Bank’s assistance on how to develop a more efficient public sector, one which will provide better quality services. In response, the Bank has prepared a Public Expenditure Review (PER) “Serbia: Doing More with Less”. It analyzes important areas of public expenses, such as pensions, health, education, social assistance, infrastructure, agriculture, and industry. The recommendations from the PER are picked up by the Programmatic Public Expenditure Development Policy Loan (PE DPL).

PE DPL aims to support reforms that will help improve the productivity of public spending, structured around three key policy areas: (i) public expenditure management reforms to address poorly managed fiscal spending and to help improve fiduciary conditions; (ii) public expenditure allocation reforms to improve the quality of spending in the largest spending sectors; and (iii) social assistance, especially for cushioning the impact of the economic crisis and enhancing the coverage of the social assistance programs going forward.

“With layoffs in the public sector and rising poverty due to the crisis, private sector development becomes even more important to restarting economic activity and employment generation,” explained Jane Armitage, World Bank Country Director and Regional Coordinator for South East Europe. “Serbia has already made substantial progress in crafting a more favorable business environment. The privatization program and measures to strengthen fiscal discipline implemented in recent years (often supported by World Bank operations) have increased productivity and job creation. The Government’s commitment to deepen these reforms will help Serbia restore the hard-won momentum toward sustainable and equitably shared economic growth.”

Building on the findings of the analytical work, such as the Investment Climate Assessment and the Private Sector Note, and the first Private Sector Development Policy Loan (PF DPL1), the World Bank team developed the second such operation – PF DPL2. It played one of the vital roles in creating a one-stop-shop for business registration. While the first operation helped reduce the time needed to start a business from 51 to 23 days, additional reforms cut the days to 13. A complete electronic database on business entities and entrepreneurs is now in place. In addition to business registration, the Serbian Business Registers Agency also maintains the records of leasing deals, pledges, bankruptcies, and liquidation. A set of interventions will, among other things, enhance competition; advance effectiveness of contract enforcement; simplify the process of obtaining construction permits; and strengthen corporate governance.

The Serbian banking system faced some hiccups at the beginning of the financial crisis, but managed to bounce back in 2009. Although the overall system proved resilient, some areas require further strengthening, such as crisis preparedness capacity, regulations dealing with risk management, deposit insurance, and capital markets. PF DPL2 will help authorities strengthen these functions, making the Serbian financial system ever stronger.

For more information, please visit

http://www.worldbank.rs

Georgia’s health system performance: significant steps taken but challenges remain

2009-11-17T05:00:00.000Z

TBILISI, 17 November 2009 — At a time when Georgia faces not only the effects of the global economic crisis but also significant health challenges, it is crucial for the Government to continue to consolidate and further advance its ambitious health system reforms to protect the poor and the most vulnerable. These are the conclusions of a new report prepared by the Georgian Ministry of Labour, Health and Social Affairs with the support of the World Health Organization (WHO) and World Bank experts.

The report, entitled Georgia health system performance assessment, issued on 17 November 2009, shows that the overall health status of the population has improved since 2000. In some areas, specifically health insurance coverage and primary health care, the country is in the midst of implementing significant reforms to achieve national objectives. The report documents the measures adopted by the Government in recent years to ensure coverage and access by the poorest Georgians to essential health care services through its Medical Insurance Programme. A positive finding highlighted in the report is the extension of health insurance coverage to some 750 000 people living below the poverty line in 2008 – a 12% increase compared to 2007.

Nevertheless, in spite of these initial positive strides, the report indicates that significant challenges remain. “While we are striving to improve the performance of the health system, and the health system is indeed performing better, this report provides critical information to help us take further action to make our system better,” says Alexander Kvitashvili, Georgian Minister of Labour, Health and Social Affairs.

The report shows that a significant challenge remaining is the high burden of out-of-pocket payments for a significant number of people. This creates barriers to access to care when people need it, and also explains why the number of visits to doctors in 2007 was as low as 1.8 per person. The report advises that an increase in public health expenditure, which is still significantly lower than in other countries in Europe and central Asia, coupled with well-targeted investments in the health sector, will have a major impact on improving health and equity in the country.

The international community has a role to play in supporting the Georgian Government in addressing the challenges in the health system over the medium term. Indeed, as noted by Nata Menabde, Deputy Regional Director of the WHO Regional Office for Europe, “the report gives sufficient background to better assist Georgia in building a stronger and more efficient health system and public health programmes. This objective is defined by our mandate and we will do our best to fulfil it.”

Asad Alam, World Bank Director for the Caucasus Region, echoed this view by reiterating the Bank’s commitment, working with other partners such as WHO, USAID, the European Commission and other specialized agencies of the United Nations to support ongoing and additional health reform efforts in Georgia over the medium term “to help create conditions for the operation of a high-performance health care system, with quality services, safe, efficient and accessible to all, building upon the evidence presented in the report”.

The report can be downloaded as follows.
Executive report: http://www.euro.who.int/document/E92961.pdf
Full report: http://www.euro.who.int/document/E92960.pdf

The project Second Social Investment Fund Project -Second Additional Financing is now in the pipeline.

2009-11-17T05:00:00.000Z

The project Second Social Investment Fund Project -Second Additional Financing is now in the pipeline. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

Hazard Risk Mitigation and Emergency Preparedness Project: RETROFITTING AND REHABILITATION OF THE FIREMEN GRADUATE SCHOOL IN BUCHAREST

2009-11-16T18:12:59.000Z

The Firemen Graduate School Headquarters of the “Al. I. Cuza” Police Academy is one of the ten facilities with retrofitting and rehabilitation works completed within the Hazard Risk Mitigation and Emergency Preparedness Project – Component B: Seismic Risk Reduction. These works considerably mitigate the facility’s risk of material and human loss in case of emergency or disaster.

The Firemen Graduate School Headquarters of the „Al. I. Cuza” Police Academy is included in the category of educational facilities, with a share of 19% of the total objectives of the Project

The building has been designed for the following purposes:

Education (class-rooms, laboratories, and a library): through retrofitting and rehabilitation of the existing spaces, ensuring simultaneous educational activities for about 470 students.
Accommodation, as well as rooms for meals preparation and meals serving;
Spaces for medical care services, sanitary facilities;
Technical facilities (own heating plant, water supply plant).

The Fireman School Headquarters building was designed during 1966-1967 and was built during 1969-1972. In designing the strength structure retrofitting solution, all necessary measures were taken for obtaining the best seismic behavior of the building, in accordance with the technical norms in force, and according to the technical survey.

In order to reach the minimal accepted seismic values as per the norms in force, the following retrofitting works were envisaged:

Retrofitting of structural walls by their jacketing with steel concrete mesh and grout concrete;
Demolishing of the partitioning walls having no foundation and their reconstruction with light materials, subsequent to the introduction of a number of stanchions;
Re-making of the finishes and installations of the retrofitted areas;
Creation of a glass roofed court at the basement, on the northern façade, to ensure the direct access to the heating plant and blast expansion area.

The works’ main goal was to improve the structure’s behavior as a whole, to safeguard the building through retrofitting the strength structure, and to mitigate the damages caused by seismic forces. This was the opportunity to carry out important rehabilitation and modernizing works, too, in order to ensure the facility’s complete functionality, such as re-making the finishing, introducing an exterior thermal insulation system and totally remaking the terrace insulation.

The good co-ordination of the Project Management Unit within the Ministry of Regional Development and Housing in its capacity as Project Administrator and the coherent collaboration between the Beneficiary of this investment – the Ministry of Administration and Interior - and the „Al.I. Cuza” Police Academy, resulted in the achievement of high quality works.

The facility’s acceptance as functional at the end of works took place on June 30, 2009. The total value of the investment was RON 4,874,397.

The total value of the project “Hazard Risk Mitigation and Emergency Preparedness” is US$203,657 million. The total value of component B of the project is US$73,758 million of which US$56,928 million from an IBRD loan and US$16,830 million is the Romanian Government’s contribution. Component B of the project “Hazard Risk Mitigation and Emergency Preparedness” – Seismic Risk Reduction – (under implementation between 2005-2011) finances the consolidation of public buildings that are of vital importance in the Vrancea seismic area (15 counties and the capital city Bucharest) and play an essential role in emergency situations and whose operation during and after the occurrence of an earthquake must be ensured.

For more information, please visit the Projects website.

Предузеће „Сунце“ из Новог Сада добило награду глобалног Сајма развојних идеја Светске банке

2009-11-16T12:00:00.000Z

Идеја заштите човекове околине преко уништавања цијано бактерије у рибњацима награђена са 199.000 долара • Пројекат из Србије био један од 100 финалиста и нашао се међу 26 награђених

Београд, 16. новембар 2009. - Пројекат предузећа „Сунце“ из Новог Сада о уништавању цијано бактерије у рибњацима добио је награду од 199.000 америчких долара на такмичењу Светске банке „Сајам развојних идеја“, одржаном у Вашингтону од 10. до 13. новембра. Подносилац пројекта је Павле Зелић, а идеја је разрађена у сарадњи са Зорицом Свирчев, професорком Природно математичког факултета у Новом Саду.

Пројекат предузећа „Сунце“ био је један од 1.755 пројеката пријављених на такмичење из целог света. У првом кругу такмичења изабран је међу 100 пројеката да се такмичи за освајање награде, у износу до 200.000 долара, коју Светска банка додељује сваке године за иновативне идеје на различите теме, а ове године на тему прилагођавања климатским променама. На крају овогодишњег такмичења предузеће „Сунце“ се нашло међу 26 награђених.

Циљ награђеног пројекта из Србије је смањење присуства токсина које производе цијано бактерије (плаво-зелене алге) у месу рибе која се комерцијално производи. Ове бактерије „цветају“ у рибњацима због климатских промена. Њихово уклањање ће се, према пројекту, постићи коришћењем ситног љускара из рода дафнија (Daphnia) у рибњацима. Овај процес је нов и може се примењивати било где у свету где проблем квалитета воде утиче на узгој рибе.

###

Више информација можете наћи на: http://www.developmentmarketplace.org
Образложење пројекта можете наћи на: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OV8j40AGNNo
Интервју са проф. Зорицом Свирчев можете видети на: http://www.youtube.com/user/DevMarketplace2009#p/u/9/wnpXQrQmtf0
За више информација о пројектима и активностима Светске банке у Србији, посетите:
http://www.worldbank.rs

The project TIEN SHAN ECOSYSTEM DEVELOPMENT PROJECT is now in the pipeline.

2009-11-14T05:00:00.000Z

The project TIEN SHAN ECOSYSTEM DEVELOPMENT PROJECT is now in the pipeline. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The objectives of the Tien Shan Ecosystem Development Project for Kazakhstan and Kyrgyz Republic are to: (1) contribute to improving ecosystem management and sustainable forestry in the Tien Shan region of the Kyrgyz Republic, and (2) improve ecosystem management in the Tien Shan region of Kazakhstan by improving biodiversity conservation and contributing to climate mitigation by sequestering carbon dioxide in forests in the Kyrgyz Republic. The project has three components. (1) Strengthening biodiversity conservation in protected areas and productive landscapes component. The component will include the following three sub-components: (a) protected area management; (b) conservation in the broader landscape through small grants in Kazakhstan; and (c) sustainable tourism promotion. (2) Forestry and Carbon Trading in the Kyrgyz Republic component includes forestation and reforestation, validation and monitoring of carbon sequestration, and improved forest management. (3) Project management component. Overall coordination of project activities and the fiduciary aspects of project management will be handled by the State Agency for Environmental Protection and Forestry (SAEPF) of the Kyrgyz Republic and the Forestry and Hunting Committee (FHC) of Kazakhstan.

World Bank and Partners Award $4.8 Million to 26 Innovative Ideas to Save the Planet

2009-11-13T16:30:32.000Z

Contacts:

In Washington:

Edith Wilson, +1-202-473-1104

ewilson1@worldbank.org

Jonathan Daly, +1-202-458-2624

jdaly1@worldbank.org

WASHINGTON, November 13, 2009—Close to $5 million in grant money has been awarded to 26 innovative climate adaptation projects, through the 2009 Global Development Marketplace, a global competitive grant program to fund innovation in development.

This year’s contest—‘100 Ideas to Save the Planet’— set a simple challenge: come up with one idea from your own community to help save the planet and its people from the effects of climate change. This ninth annual Development Marketplace was co-sponsored by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the World Bank.

"Managing risks from climate change will require not only one hundred, but thousands of ideas from communities all over the world," said Katherine Sierra, Vice President of Sustainable Development at the World Bank. "This year’s contest was an opportunity to showcase the kind of creative thinking that can deliver tangible results in our work on climate adaptation. We will be watching how this year’s winners put their ideas into action."

Stand-out ideas from this year’s contest included:

· From Serbia: SZTR Sunce’s initiative to mitigate the effects of climate change induced bacterial blooms on commercial fishponds;

· From the Philippines: The University of the Philippines’ (Los Baños) ‘Bell and Bottle’ initiative – providing a low cost, high efficacy flood and landslide warning system;

· From Ecuador: International Network for Bamboo and Rattan’s idea to build elevated bamboo houses, essentially lifting communities in flood zones out of harm’s way

“Agriculture is where climate change, food security and poverty reduction intersect.” said Kanayo F. Nwanze, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). “The Development Marketplace is an excellent platform for scouting and collecting new ideas from diverse sources, fostering innovative solutions, and developing partnerships in support of climate change adaptation.”

-#-

About the Development Marketplace

For more information about the Development Marketplace visit: http://www.developmentmarketplace.org

Visit our blog: http://blogs.worldbank.org/dmblog

Follow us on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/WorldBankDM

Visit our YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/DevMarketplace2009

And After the Crisis / A poslije krize?

2009-11-13T12:42:04.000Z

“A poslije krize? (And After the Crisis?)”
Monitor, No. 995 (Nov. 13, 2009), pp. 32–33

The financial storm that has been pounding the world economy for more than a year now is showing signs of abating, allowing a first glance at the damage left in its path. Economies have been weakened, internal fault lines exposed, and companies squeezed by reduced demand and the lack of credits. But the worst might be over. Not only optimists take comfort in a number of encouraging developments, which appear to foreshadow a sustainable—though only moderate and potentially jobless—recovery. From a politician’s perspective, it is now critical to draw the right lessons from the deep recession to ensure that post-crisis policy responses will leave stronger foundations and structures more resilient to future economic shocks. This is particularly true for less diversified and smaller economies.

At the moment, there are no external growth engines. Trade with China is too insignificant and growth prospects in the European Union and Russia too weak—notwithstanding recent signs of improvements. The euro-area economy (representing the 16 EU member states that have adopted the common currency) appears to have emerged from its worst post-World War II recession, with initial data confirming (or implying) positive growth rates for both the third and fourth quarters of 2009. Against this backdrop, the European Commission revised upwards its 2010 projection, now expecting euro-area GDP to grow by 0.7 percent (rather than see it decline by 0.1 percent), outweighing the effects from

the disappearing fiscal stimuli and a continued deterioration of lagging indicators, especially unemployment. Still, concerns remain about (i) the combined effects from existing overcapacities and the continued credit squeeze, resulting in private-sector investments to decline even further; (ii) the precarious state of many of the member countries’ public finances, effectively precluding further fiscal stimuli; and (iii) the possibility of a sudden re-emergence of inflationary pressures that could trigger a tightening of monetary policies and an acceleration of the euro’s trend appreciation, placing additional burdens on the export sector.

For Montenegro, the—still very sketchy—data seem to imply that contractionary pressures have bottomed out. The better-than-expected tourist season, the increasingly positive outlook in the energy sector, and preliminary signs of increased banking-sector liquidity are consistent with a possible trend reversal in GDP growth during the third quarter. The situation remains, however, fragile. The unresolved question of the post-crisis viability of a number of key enterprises, which were particularly hard hit in the aftermath of the crisis, creates a broad band of uncertainty around any base-line projection. Only few forecasts can be made with any degree of confidence, including the characterization of the post-independence boom as a unique episode. The “new normal” of the post-crisis situation will look different, and Government will have to formulate policies within the context of altered realities and challenges.

Fiscal constraints will become more binding. The severe demand shock that has followed the crisis will revert only partially—partly for reasons of a more permanent credit tightening by financial institutions. The crisis has taught banks (i) to become generally more risk averse; (ii) to recapitalize, if they can, or otherwise reduce the amount of loans provided to the private sector so as to reduce overall risk exposure; and (iii) increase provisioning to be able to deal with an increasing ratio of non-performing loans. All three factors are particularly relevant for Montenegro’s case. Similarly, it will prove increasingly more difficult to count on (foreign) investors. As 2009 has already shown, the success of one large investment cannot belie the growing list of failed tenders, including in the once exuberant tourism sector. The consequences are clear. Reduced capital inflows lead to lower aggregate demand and a narrowing of the current-account deficit. While welcome from a macroeconomic point of view, lower imports imply a narrower base for value-added tax receipts, an increasingly important element of budgetary revenues during the boom years. The Finance Ministry is painfully aware of this, even more so as, concomitantly, expenditure pressures are increasing, both to service an increased stock of public debt and buffer the most vulnerable segments of society from the worst effects from the crisis.

Lacking a single growth engine means that several smaller motors will have to pull the economy out of the recession and onto a sustainable path towards prosperity. Future growth will have to come from within—placing an even larger premium on competiveness, innovation, and productivity, placing

reforms to improve the business climate, including for small and medium-sized enterprises, and the education sector at the very top of the political agenda. This is particularly true for the latter point, given the long-term nature of inherent costs and benefits. Broad access to high-quality education is not only the State’s promise of upward mobility to its students but also its own insurance of a sufficient degree of flexibility by its citizens to be able to respond effectively to the challenges of a changing (international) environment. For policy-makers, it is a perennial challenge to keep in sight a country’s “strategic” objectives, especially when economic crises and budgetary constraints present good “tactical” arguments to curtail the resources to schools and higher education institutions, not least because the costs and benefits of related decisions become visible only after several electoral cycles. Budget-induced effects on student enrolment rates and education quality—for better or worse—have lifelong implications for the affected individuals and, often, also for their children and future generations.

As much as it is a Government’s social, moral, and economic responsibility to weigh carefully the consequences of any decision on education budgets, it is the line ministry’s principal obligation to seek ways to balance quality education in schools and universities with stagnant or declining budgetary envelopes. It was thus not surprising—but nevertheless very encouraging—to see the unusually large interest expressed by the high-level participants at the international conference on Financing Higher Education at the Time of Economic Crisis, co-hosted in Budva recently by the Government and the World Bank.

Recognizing that education, qualifications, and skills become more and more critical in defining success and failure in the post-crisis period, conference participants have focused their attention on best ways to approach the management of possibly reduced resources most strategically so as to be able to make (higher) education systems stronger and design the financing particularly of universities with a view to providing incentives to improve quality and efficiency, rebalancing institutional autonomy and accountability for results. Difficult situations lead to innovative solutions that, otherwise, might not have been considered. Where better to start than in the education system? It is not a new lesson, but one that history has proven over and over again, anchored in the insight generally credited to the Greek philosopher and scientist Aristotle more than 2,300 years ago, according to whom education was an ornament in prosperity and a refuge in adversity.

Jan-Peter Olters

World Bank Representative

Country Office Montenegro

Finansijska kriza, koja evo već više od godinu dana udara po svjetskoj privredi pokazuje znake popuštanja, pa nam omogućava da procijenimo štetu koju je iza sebe ostavila. Privrede su oslabljene, loše unutrašnje veze izašle su na vidjelo, a preduzeća u škripcu zbog manje tražnje i nedostatka kredita. Ali najgore je možda prošlo. Sa stanovišta političara, sada je ključno izvući prave pouke iz duboke recesije kako bi potezi nakon krize obezbjedili jače osnove i strukture otporne na neke buduće ekonomske šokove. To posebno važi za male privrede, koje nijesu raznolike.

U ovom momentu nema ničega što spolja vuče rast. Trgovina s Kinom previše je beznačajna, a mogućnost rasta u Evropskoj uniji i Rusiji vrlo slaba - uprkos nedavnim znacima oporavka. Privrede euro-zone (16 članica EU koje koriste zajedničku valutu) izgleda da su izašle iz najgore recesije nakon Drugog svjetskog rata, jer početni rezultati potvrđuju (ili nagovještavaju) pozitivne stope rasta i za treći i za četvrti kvartal 2009. godine. Zbog toga je Evropska komisija izmijenila svoja očekivanja naviše pa tako sada smatra da će rast GDP u euro zoni tokom 2009. biti 0,7 odsto (umjesto ranijeg pada od 0,1 odsto). Takav razvoj situacije prevagnuće nad nestajućim efektima fiskalnih stimulusa i pogoršanjem indikatora, naročito nezaposlenosti. Međutim, još valja biti zabrinut zbog: (1) kombinovanog uticaja postojećeg viška kapaciteta i daljeg nedostatka kredita, što vodi k daljem smanjenju privatnih investicija; (2) nestabilne situacije s javnim finansijama u mnogim zemljama što onemogućava dodatne pakete državnog stimulusa; i (3) mogućnosti iznenadne pojave inflatornih pritisaka što može voditi strožijoj monetarnoj politici i ubrzanju podizanja vrijednosti eura, što sa svoje strane dodatno opterećuje izvozni sektor.

Kad je riječ o Crnoj Gori, čini se da je dno dostignuto. Turistička sezona bila je bolja nego što se očekivalo, sve bolji izgledi u energetici i preliminarni znaci veće likvidnosti bankarskog sektora u skladu su sa mogućnošću preokreta trenda kretanja GDP-ija u trećem kvartalu ove godine. Međutim, situacija i dalje ostaje rovita. Još neriješeno pitanje održivosti jednog broja ključnih firmi nakon krize, koje su posebno bile pogođene, stvara široko polje nepredvidivosti za bilo kakve procjene. Tek nekoliko projekcija može se napraviti s nekom dozom sigurnosti, uključujući i to da je bum nakon nezavisnosti bila jedinstvena epizoda. „Nova normalnost“ nakon krize biće drugačija i Vlada će morati da donosi mjere u okviru promijenjenih realnosti i izazova.

Fiskalna ograničenja moraće više da se poštuju. Oštar pad tražnje, koji je pratio krizu, samo će se djelimično povratiti - dijelom zbog toga što će finansijske ustanove trajnije smanjiti kredite. Kriza je banke naučila da se generalno klone rizika, da se rekapitalizuju, ako mogu, ili da smanje kredite privatnom sektoru kako bi smanjile ukupnu izloženost rizicima, te da povećaju rezerve kako bi mogle da se nose sa sve većim brojem kredita koji se ne vraćaju. Sve ove tri stvari posebno su važne za Crnu Goru. A sve će biti teže računati i na (strane) investitore.

Kao što se već pokazalo tokom 2009, uspjeh sa jednom velikom investicijom ne može nadoknaditi sve veću listu propalih tendera, čak i u nekad cvjetajućem turizmu. Posljedice su jasne. Manji ulazak kapitala vodi nižoj ukupnoj tražnji i tješnjem deficitu tekućih plaćanja. I premda je niži uvoz dobrodošao s makroekonomskog stanovišta, on znači i niže poreske prihode, što je bio važan izvor sredstava u budžetu tokom godina privrednog buma. Ministarstvo finansija je bolno svjesno tog stanja a još više jer, uz to, raste pritisak troškova servisiranja javnog duga i zaštite najranjivijih djelova stanovništva od efekata krize.

S obzirom na to da nema jednog jakog motora rasta, više malih će morati da izvuku privredu iz recesije i povedu je na put održivog napretka. Budući ekonomski rast mora da dođe iznutra - što još više povećava značaj konkurentnosti, inovacija i produktivnosti. To sa svoje strane na vrh političke agende stavlja reforme koje vode boljoj poslovnoj klimi, uključujući i onoj bitnoj za mala i srednja preduzeća i one u obrazovanju. To se posebno odnosi na obrazovanje s obzirom na to da troškovi daju efekte tek na dugi rok.

Širok pristup kvalitetnom visokom obrazovanju nije samo pitanje obećanja Vlade studentima već i pitanje osiguranja dovoljne fleksibilnosti građana da efikasno odgovore na izazove (međunarodnog) okruženja koje se stalno mijenja. Fokusiranje na „strateške“ ciljeve zemlje stalni je izazov za političko vođstvo, posebno u vrijeme kada ekonomska kriza i budžetska ograničenja čine dobar „taktički“ argument da se ograniče sredstva za škole i visokoškolske ustanove, i ne

samo zbog toga što se rezultati njihovih odluka mogu vidjeti tek nakon nekoliko političkih ciklusa. Posljedice budžetskih odluka koje se tiču broja upisanih studenata i kvaliteta obrazovanja - bilo to dobro ili loše - pojedinci osjećaju cijelog života a često se prenose i na djecu i naredne generacije.

I ma kako da je Vlada odgovorna socijalno, moralno i ekonomski za posljedice odluka o obrazovnom budžetu, ipak je to glavna obaveza nadležnog ministarstva koje treba da traži načine da obezbijedi kvalitetno znanje u školama i na univerzitetima dok budžet stagnira ili pada. Zato nije bilo iznenađenje - ali je bilo ohrabrenje - što je neuobičajeno veliki broj visokih zvaničnika prisustvovao međunarodnoj konferenciji „Finansiranje visokog obrazovanja u vrijeme ekonomske krize“, koju su nedavno zajedno organizovali Vlada i Svjetska banka u Budvi.

Shvatajući da obrazovanje, kvalifikacije i vještine sve više i više postaju ključ uspjeha ili propasti nakon krize, učesnici konferencije su se usredsredili na najbolji način upravljanja sredstvima koja možda budu manja. Istraživali su strateške načine korišćenja tih sredstava kako bi osigurali da (visoko)obrazovni sistem bude jači i da tako postave njegovo finansiranje naročito univerziteta kako bi ugradili poticaj da se poboljša kvalitet i efikasnost, da se nađe prava mjera institucionalne autonomije i da se uvede odgovornost za rezultate.

Teške situacije vode inovativnim rješenjima, o kojima u suprotnom možda niko ne bi ni razmišljao. A gdje je bolje početi taj proces nego u obrazovanju? Nije to ništa novo, to je lekcija koju je istorija uvijek iznova potvrđivala, a koja potiče od grčkog filozofa Aristotela od prije 2.300 godina: za njega je obrazovanje bilo ukras prosperiteta i utočište za nedaće.

Jan-Peter Olters

Predstavnik Svjetske banke

Kancelarija u Crnoj Gori

World Bank Vice President for the Europe and Central Asia Region, Philippe Le Houérou, to visit Poland

2009-11-13T11:45:00.000Z

World Bank Vice President for the Europe and Central Asia Region,

Philippe Le Houérou, to visit Poland

WARSAW, 13 November, 2009 - The World Bank is pleased to announce that, Philippe Le Houérou, the Bank’s newly-appointed Vice President for the Europe and Central Asia, will make his first official visit to Poland, arriving on Sunday, November 15^th.

During his four-day visit to Poland, Le Houérou will meet with Michal Boni, Minister, Chancellery of the Prime Minister; Slawomir Skrzypek, President of the National Bank of Poland; Jan Vincent-Rostowski, Minister of Finance; and Elzbieta Bienkowska, Minister of Regional Development.

He will also speak at the 9^th Corporate Forum organized by the Polish Banks Association, and will visit the World Bank supported Post Accession Rural Support Project.

The discussions will focus on the ongoing World Bank program for Poland and potential post-crisis collaboration.

World Bank Supports Georgia’s Economic Development through the Roads Rehabilitation Program

2009-11-13T05:00:00.000Z

News Release No. 2009/ECA

NEWS RELEASE
Contacts: Inga Paichadze (+995 32 ) 913-096
e-mail: ipaichadze @worldbank.org

TBILISI. November13, 2009 – On 10 November the World Bank Board of Executive Directors approved two loans for Georgia: a US$30 million IBRD (International Bank for Reconstruction and Development) loan for the Kakheti Regional Roads Improvement Project (KRRIP) and a US$ 28 million IBRD loan for the Additional Financing of the First East-West Highway Improvement Project (FEWHIP AF).

The Kakheti Roads project will help to reduce transport costs and improve access and traffic safety for the Kakheti regional roads. The Additional Financing will support rehabilitation of the Rikoti Tunnel, repair of its 4,2 km by-pass road, and help to strengthen road sector institutions.

“These roads rehabilitation projects are a major element of our new Country Partnership Strategy for Georgia. They will not only strengthen Georgia’s competitiveness, economic growth, and job creation prospects over the medium-term, but will also help to stimulate economic recovery and create new employment in the immediate future”, said Asad Alam, World Bank Regional Director for the South Caucasus.

World Bank support for investments in transport infrastructure focus mostly on road improvements to help reduce transport costs, improve internal connectivity, and strengthen Georgia’s role as a transport corridor within the South Caucasus. This is being done in
coordination with other donors using common technical standards, implementation arrangements, and safety measures. A key objective is to make Georgia’s roads not only better and faster, but also safer.

“With the support from the international community, the Government has been investing substantial funds - US$ 300 million in 2009 – in rehabilitating and upgrading a dilapidated road network. The World Bank is playing a critical role in helping the Government achieve this priority both through the highway investments and in helping to coordinate other donors. The roads program has been a core element of the Government’s economic stimulus package initiated this year in response to the August 2008 conflict and world economic crisis”, said David Tkeshelashvili, Minister for Regional Development and Infrastructure.

Since 2006, the Bank has approved US$ 369 million on roads projects in Georgia. These include: the two newly approved projects, the US$19 million First East-West Highway Improvement Project in 2006, the US$35 million Second East-West Highway Improvement Project in 2007, with US$20 million additional financing in 2008, and US$ 147 million for the Third East-West Highway Improvement Project in 2009. In addition, there was US$ 90 million for the Secondary and Local Roads Project.

The World Bank Board of Directors discussed the new CPS for Georgia in September 2009. It provides for the Bank Group financing of about US $740-900 million over fiscal years 2010-2013, focusing on supporting both immediate needs relating to the current global economic downturn and on improving Georgia’s competitiveness. It also includes a strong program of knowledge services.
Since the inception of its program in Georgia in 1995, the World Bank has financed 48 projects with total commitments up to $1.37 billion. The current portfolio consists of 12 active projects with commitments of $442.3 million.

Attached Please find the Georgian version of News Release:
GeorgiaRoadsProgramGEO.pdf

The project First East-West Highway Additional Financing has changed to Active

2009-11-12T05:00:00.000Z

The project First East-West Highway Additional Financing has changed to Active. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

This project paper provides an additional loan to scale up and restructure the First East-West Highway Improvement Project (FEWHIP). The FEWHIP additional financing will support the rehabilitation of the Rikoti Tunnel, repair its by-pass road, and provide additional institutional strengthening. Restructuring is required to accommodate a slight revision of the project development objective to include the tunnel and related changes to the results framework.

The project TAJIKISTAN PDPG 4 is now in the pipeline.

2009-11-11T05:00:00.000Z

The project TAJIKISTAN PDPG 4 is now in the pipeline. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The project Kakheti Regional Roads Improvement Project has changed to Active

2009-11-11T05:00:00.000Z

The project Kakheti Regional Roads Improvement Project has changed to Active. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The objective of the Kakheti Regional Roads Improvement Project for Georgia is to reduce transport costs and improve access and traffic safety for the Kakheti regional roads. There are three components to the project. The first component of the project is improvement of the road linking Vaziani, Gombori, and Telavi. This component will improve the road linking Vaziani, Gombori, and Telavi including: (i) rehabilitation and/or reconstruction of the pavement; (ii) minor realignment to the existing road; (iii) repairing the bridge over the Iori river; (iv) protection works to prevent and/or mitigate landslides; (v) construction of surface drainage, culverts, and small bridges; (vi) construction of retaining walls; (vii) provision of safety barriers, road signs and markings; and (viii) relocation of utilities, through the carrying out of works and the provision of goods and consultants' services. The second component of the project is road safety improvement and institutional strengthening. This component will finance implementation of the following activities: (a) improving road safety along the Telavi-Gurjaani-Bakurtsikhe-Sagarejo-Vaziani road through the identification and design of required traffic safety improvement measures and the implementation of such improvement measures, through the carrying out of works and the provision of goods, consultants' services, and training; and (b) strengthening the capacity of the Roads Department (RD) regional office in Sagarejo to improve its operational efficiency in road management and maintenance through the provision of goods, consultants' services, and training. The third component of the project is project implementation. This component provides for institutional support to the RD and the Transport Reform and Rehabilitation Center (TRRC) for project implementation, audits, and monitoring and evaluation.

The project Additional Financing for the VIP 2 is now in the pipeline.

2009-11-10T05:00:00.000Z

The project Additional Financing for the VIP 2 is now in the pipeline. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The objective of the Second Village Investment Project (VIP) for Kyrgyz Republic is to assist the recipient with: a) improving governance and capacity at the local level; b) strengthening the provision of, and access to, essential infrastructure services; and c) supporting private group-owned small scale enterprise development. The additional financing will help finance the costs associated with an unanticipated financing gap as a result of a cost overrun in the completion of village investment micro-projects and retrofit technically complex micro projects where needed. The additional financing will also be used for reviewing the structural soundness of already completed technically complex projects and for rectifying any deficiencies that could cause public safety risks. The proposal has emerged from the mid-term review (MTR) mission's detailed engineering review of a sample of construction micro projects. While generally the quality of the reviewed micro projects was good, two micro projects (out of 25) have been found to have structural deficiencies that pose potential public safety risk. This has raised some safety concerns and both the Government and the World Bank management have agreed to take precautionary actions to eliminate or minimize the potential risks associated with these structural deficiencies, if any, in the VIP financed micro projects. This will include: (i) an independent (third party) technical review of completed complex micro projects, which included structural civil works, to identify those that do not meet the required technical standards; and (ii) undertake remedial actions including any additional civil works required to bring the quality of the structures up to the required technical and safety standards.

The project National Road Rehabilitation (Osh-Batken-Isfana) has changed to Active

2009-11-10T05:00:00.000Z

The project National Road Rehabilitation (Osh-Batken-Isfana) has changed to Active. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The objectives of the National Road Rehabilitation (Osh-Isfana) Project for the Kyrgyz Republic are: (i) to contribute to the reduction of transport costs and travel time along the Osh-Batken-Isfana road corridor; and (ii) to improve road safety planning. There are three components to the project. The first component of the project is rehabilitation of a section of the Osh-Batken-Isfana road corridor. This component will finance the provision of works and consultants' services for the rehabilitation of about 30 kilometers of the Osh-Batken-Isfana road corridor. This includes consultancy services for construction supervision and physical and price contingencies. The second component of the project is road safety planning improvement. This component will finance the provision of goods, and consultants' services for: (i) the development and launch of a national road safety program; (ii) preparation of demonstration projects for road safety; and (iii) improvement of road safety planning. The third component of the project is project management and implementation. This component will finance the provision of goods, consultants' services, training, and operating costs, including an audit, to support project coordination, implementation and management. Consulting services will be used to assist the Project Implementing Unit (PIU) with the preparation, management and implementation of all activities associated with the project, including the update of the feasibility study and technical designs, and the supervision of all safeguards and fiduciary aspects of the project.

The project EMERGENCY ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROJECT - ADDITIONAL FINANCING is now in the pipeline.

2009-11-06T05:00:00.000Z

The project EMERGENCY ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROJECT - ADDITIONAL FINANCING is now in the pipeline. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The project Social Investment Fund III Second Additional Financing is now in the pipeline.

2009-11-05T05:00:00.000Z

The project Social Investment Fund III Second Additional Financing is now in the pipeline. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The project Technology and Competitiveness Enhancement Project (Armenia E-Society and Innovation for Competitiveness) is now in the pipeline.

2009-11-05T05:00:00.000Z

The project Technology and Competitiveness Enhancement Project (Armenia E-Society and Innovation for Competitiveness) is now in the pipeline. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The project Trans-European Corridor Road Improvement Project is now in the pipeline.

2009-11-05T05:00:00.000Z

The project Trans-European Corridor Road Improvement Project is now in the pipeline. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The project Financial Sector DPL, Latvia has changed to Closed

2009-11-05T05:00:00.000Z

The project Financial Sector DPL, Latvia has changed to Closed. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The development objective of the Financial Sector Development Policy Loan (DPL) Program for Latvia is to ensure long term financial stability. This loan will support crisis management measures and structural reforms to stabilize the financial sector and increase its resilience to future shocks. The Bank is also preparing a social sector DPL that will aim to minimize the social impact of the crisis by ensuring that safeguards are in place to maintain critical social services in the midst of the economic contraction and fiscal adjustment. The loan will be a Euro-denominated fixed spread loan of - London Inter-Bank Offered rate for euro (LIBOR) plus 200 basis points, a front-end fee of 100 basis points, with a maturity of 10 years.

The project Health System Improvement Additional Financing has changed to Active

2009-11-05T05:00:00.000Z

The project Health System Improvement Additional Financing has changed to Active. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

This project paper provides an additional loan to the Montenegro Health System Improvement Project. The additional funds will support the expansion of activities and to a lesser extent cover cost over-runs of activities previously started under the Montenegro Health System Improvement Project (HSIP). These activities will support health reform through the development of institutional capacity and policies in the areas of health finance, pharmaceutical policy, health policy and planning as well as to provide further support for the phased implementation of the primary health care reform. While HSIP has been successful in establishing a legal and institutional base for the health sector and in starting to reform the primary health care system based on a model of a chosen primary physician, the reform of the health system initiated only a few years ago is still at the nascent stage requiring further institutional and policy development, implementation refinement and investments for scaling up.

The project Privatization Social Support Project 2 has changed to Closed

2009-11-02T05:00:00.000Z

The project Privatization Social Support Project 2 has changed to Closed. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The Second Privatization Social Support Project for Turkey aims to support the Government's privatization program through mitigating the negative social and economic impact of the privatization of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs). The project consists of the following three components: Component 1) will ameliorate the temporary negative social and economic impact on workers displaced during privatization of SOEs. Component 2) will provide labor redeployment services to workers who have been displaced by the privatization of SOEs, including secondary layoffs, to assist them in rapidly re-entering the labor market. Component 3) will monitor the impact of Labor Redeployment Services (LRS) and manage the PSSP2 effectively as a whole.

The project Additional Financing for Competitiveness Enhancement Project has changed to Active

2009-10-30T04:00:00.000Z

The project Additional Financing for Competitiveness Enhancement Project has changed to Active. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

This project paper provides an additional credit to the Republic of Moldova for additional financing (AF) and restructuring of the Moldova Competitiveness Enhancement Project (CEP). The additional credit will help finance the costs associated with activities aiming to enhance the impact and development effectiveness of CEP in the economic and financial crisis environment. The AF will aim to maintain and enhance the competitiveness of the Moldovan enterprise sector through a combination of: (i) scaling up of the existing matching grant component in order to assist enterprises with upgrading their labor skills and management practices, and introducing new products; and (ii)a new Line of Credit (LOC) component that will support the investment and working capital needs of exporting enterprises. The main expected outcome of the AF will be the improved access of private enterprises to credit and business development services. A secondary outcome will be the improved ability of Moldovan banks to provide term financing to the enterprise sector.

The project Energy Efficiency for Indust Enterprises is now in the pipeline.

2009-10-21T04:00:00.000Z

The project Energy Efficiency for Indust Enterprises is now in the pipeline. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database