Comoros | World Bank

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

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

Comoros - Services Support Project (Co-Financing and Restructuring)

The objectives of the Services Support Project for Comoros are to: (i) increase access to short-term employment in food-insecure areas; (ii) increase access to basic social services for poor communities; and (iii) contribute to building the capacity of communities to plan their development. The co-financing will finance a safety net program to support segments of the population that are particularly affected by the food crisis. More specifically, it will add a cash-for-work component to the project in order to increase access to short-term employment in food-insecure areas. The unit responsible for the implementation of the project (the Fonds d'Appui au Developpement Communautaire, or FADC) will be responsible for the implementation of the newly-proposed cash-for-work program. Since its creation in 1993, FADC has been successfully implementing community-based sub-projects. FADC is the only institution in the Union of the Comoros with the management, staffing, and administrative capacity and decentralized structure necessary to implement the cash-for-work program on all three islands under emergency conditions.

Comoros - Services Support Project (FPCR Co-Financing and Restructuring)

Comoros - Emergency Food Security and Restructuring Project

Doing business 2010 : Comoros - comparing regulation in 183 economies

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

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

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

Doing business 2009 : country profile for Comoros - comparing regulation in 181 economies

Doing Business 2009 is the sixth in a series of annual reports investigating regulations that enhance business activity and those that constrain it. Doing Business presents quantitative indicators on business regulations and the protection of property rights that can be compared across 181 economies, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, over time. This paper presents the summary Doing Business indicators for Comoros. The paper includes the following headings: introduction, starting a business, dealing with licenses, employing workers, registering property, getting credit, protecting investors, paying taxes, trading across borders, enforcing contracts, and closing a business.

The project Services Support Project (Co-Financing and Restructuring) has changed to Active

2009-08-27T04:00:00.000Z

The project Services Support Project (Co-Financing and Restructuring) has changed to Active. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

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

2009-02-05T21:38:43.000Z

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

World Bank appoints new Country Director for Kenya

2009-01-16T20:15:00.000Z

Contact
Peter Warutere (254-20) 322 6444
pwarutere@worldbank.org

NAIROBI, January 16, 2009 — The World Bank is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Johannes Zutt as Country Director for Kenya, Comoros, Eritrea, Rwanda, Seychelles and Somalia.

Mr. Zutt, a Dutch national, joined the World Bank in August 2000, where he has held various positions in the Africa department, the East Asia department, the office of the Managing Director, and most recently the Integrity department. Mr. Zutt has wide-ranging experience in Africa, having served as the country program coordinator for Angola, Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia. He has also been the Bank’s country program coordinator for China and Mongolia.

Prior to joining the World Bank, Mr. Zutt was involved in program planning, monitoring and evaluation in various countries in eastern and southern Africa. He has also served as a lecturer at the University of Nairobi. He holds a law degree from Harvard University and a doctoral degree from Oxford University.

Mr. Zutt’s top priority in the countries under his responsibility will be to strengthen the Bank’s cooperation, with a view to accelerating and sustaining poverty reduction.

His appointment became effective on January 12th, 2009, and he will be based in Nairobi.

Mr. Zutt replaces Mr. Colin Bruce, who served as Country Director until June 2008.

The project Comoros Emergency Food Security and Restructuring Project is now in the pipeline.

2009-01-07T05:00:00.000Z

The project Comoros Emergency Food Security and Restructuring Project is now in the pipeline. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

Consultations on the Bank Web Site

2008-12-09T15:37:38.000Z

Dear reader,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Your feedback will bring us closer to this goal.

Thank you,

Angie Gentile
Managing Editor, www.worldbank.org

Global Food and Fuel Crisis Will Increase Malnourished by 44 Million

2008-10-08T17:30:00.000Z

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2008-05-21T17:11:32.000Z

Contacts:

In Washington:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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To download full report click here:

http://www.growthcommission.org/

World Bank Broadens Transport Agenda

2008-05-21T17:00:00.000Z

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

World Bank Group President Appoints Vice President of Institutional Integrity

2008-05-05T18:00:00.000Z

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2008-05-02T12:30:00.000Z

Contact:

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

Cneal1@worldbank.org

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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For more information, please visit:

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

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

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

2008-04-17T15:39:35.000Z

Contacts

In Washington: Herbert Boh (202) 473 3548

hboh@worldbank.org;

Dina ElNaggar (202) 473 3245

delnaggar@worldbank.org

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2008-04-02T15:53:10.000Z

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

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

Agricultural Assistance

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Zoellick said the World Bank Group can help by:

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

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

Trade Also Key to Lower Food Prices

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

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

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

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

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

Sovereign Wealth Funds

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

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

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

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

Extractive Industries Initiative

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

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

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

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

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

The project Health Project is now in the pipeline.

2007-10-25T04:00:00.000Z

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

The project development objective of the Health Project for the Comoros is to reduce mortality from common diseases by ensuring a better use of health facilities for the delivery of quality health care, and by organizing mosquito control activities to reduce the incidence of malaria. There are three components: 1) rehabilitating and equipping selected health facilities to facilitate the delivery of good quality health care to the population, which will also have a direct favorable impact on cost recovery by those facilities; 2) controlling malaria by improving the case management at all levels of the health service, educating the population for a better use of services and to improve case management at home, and preventive activities including mosquito control to reduce the incidence of the disease; and 3) institutional strengthening to facilitate and support the increased use of quality care by the population and to further implement health sector reforms, including a) training the staff of the public health and population ministry (MOH) and the health facilities staff in the delivery of quality health care, management, and accounting; b) studies to develop alternative mechanisms for health financing; and c) technical assistance, logistical support, and equipment for MOH's central and regional directorates and for PNAC (the agency in charge of marketing drugs).

The project Infrastructure, Water and Environment Project is now in the pipeline.

2007-10-25T04:00:00.000Z

The project Infrastructure, Water and Environment Project is now in the pipeline. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The Infrastructure, Water, and Environment Project for the Comoros is an integral part of a multi-donor-financed program, and supports the development objectives of the larger program. The primary program objective is to improve living conditions and stimulate economic growth in the Comoros, while protecting the environment through investments in basic infrastructure. There are three project components. The first, the transport component, assists Comoros with improving its road maintenance, safety, and management through three subcomponents: national and regional roads periodic maintenance, roads safety, and institutional strengthening. Specifically, these subcomponents will rehabilitate earthworks, including pothole repair, local reinforcement, resurfacing, and resealing; maintain and repair road shoulders, drainage works, and roadsides; finance the installation of traffic signals and signs and the stabilization of road embankments; and strengthen the capacity of the executing agency and privatize regional road maintenance centers, and provide technical assistance. The urban water supply component will support the rehabilitation and extension of urban water infrastructure, and support technical assistance to strengthen the management and operation of urban water utilities. The third component funds agency coordination and supports training on environmental management for government staff and others who design, implement, maintain, and operate project activities.

The project Social Fund Project is now in the pipeline.

2007-10-25T04:00:00.000Z

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

The development objective of the Social Fund Project is to address the incidence of poverty amongst the country's poorer communities through the replenishment of a social fund designed to support demand-driven initiatives developed by such communities and, in doing so, to create employment and improve access to basic social services. The project builds on the very successful social fund component of the on-going Population and Human Resources Project. The Social Fund Project components are: 1) rehabilitation/construction of communal infrastructure for primary schools, health centers, feeder roads, community water supply systems, markets, etc.; 2) micro-credit activities, such as, subproject financing for income generating activities and small loan programs for individuals, as well as groups, particularly women; 3) capacity building subprojects for training of Fonds d'Appui au Developpement Communautaire (FADC)'s partners to improve their effectiveness in identifying, preparing, and implementing community development activities; and 4) training and institution capacity building technical assistance for FADC's investment and operating costs, audits, and studies.

The project Coconut Rehabilitation and Rodent Control Project is now in the pipeline.

2007-10-25T04:00:00.000Z

The project Coconut Rehabilitation and Rodent Control Project is now in the pipeline. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The project would assist the Government to extend and improve coconut and copra production in the islands of Grande Comore, Anjouan and Moheli through rodent control, increased productivity of the existing stands and improvement of copra processing and marketing; and to contribute to Government efforts to improve the management of agricultural development projects. Its major components include: (i) establishment of a rodent control unit on Grande Comore, Anjouan and Moheli; (ii) creation of a copra processing and marketing service; (iii) establishment of seed gardens and nurseries for replanting and new tree planting; (iv) technical assistance and training; and (v) studies and field crop trials.

The project Comoros-Pilot Agricultural Services Project is now in the pipeline.

2007-10-25T04:00:00.000Z

The project Comoros-Pilot Agricultural Services Project is now in the pipeline. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The objectives of the Pilot Agricultural Services Project are to produce replicable service systems and support the strengthening of the capacity to implement its agricultural strategy. The project, to be implemented over a three year period, will contain two components. The agricultural services component will include: a) testing private sector delivery of extension services; b) converting the country's research establishment into a depository/ clearing house of agricultural technical information adapted to Comorian conditions'; and c) improving information access through training, media, and support to farmer organizations. The planning and monitoring support component will support the planning division, providing for computers, office equipment, staff training, and sector specific studies including: a rural finance study, a land tenure feasibility study, and an agricultural baseline study.

The project Education Project is now in the pipeline.

2007-10-25T04:00:00.000Z

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

The First Education Project will support qualitative improvements in primary education through teacher training and provision of training materials and will improve the provision of skilled staff in the agricultural and health fields. Its main components include: (a) construction and equipment of a primary teacher training college; (b) in-service training of about 500 primary school teachers; (c) provision of textbooks and teaching materials; (d) construction and equipment of a paramedical school in Moroni; (e) establishment of an agricultural training center in Moheli; and (f) technical assistance. The project should lead to improvements in the quality, efficiency, and relevance of primary education; reduce the number of dropout and repeater students; assist in training agricultural and health manpower essential for economic and social development; and aid in institution-building.

The project Highway Maintenance Project (02) is now in the pipeline.

2007-10-25T04:00:00.000Z

The project Highway Maintenance Project (02) is now in the pipeline. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The proposed project would improve the condition of the existing road network, thereby reducing transport costs and increasing accessibility to isolated areas, and increase the road maintenance capability of the Ministry of Equipment and the Environment through on-the-job and formal training of local road maintenance personnel at all levels. The major components are: (a) 3-year road maintenance and improvement program to upgrade about 186 km of earth roads to an all-weather gravel standard, to reseal about 240 km of paved roads, and to maintain gravel roads and patch on a regular basis the existing paved road network; (b) technical assistance and training; and (c) study to ascertain the potential for the use of labor-intensive techniques in road maintenance and improvement operations.

The project Highway Project is now in the pipeline.

2007-10-25T04:00:00.000Z

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

The project would assist the Government in strengthening its road administration, to upgrade and expand the main road network, and to assist in preparation of a subsequent highway project and of an integrated rural development project. Major components are: (i) road construction (about 20 km) and supervision; (ii) establishment and operation of one road improvement unit, two patching units and one resealing unit; (iii) improving mechanical workshops and equipping a soils laboratory; (iv) technical assistance and training; and (v) feasibility study and detailed engineering for a future highway project, and preinvestment study for a future integrated rural development project.

The project Small Enterprise Development Project is now in the pipeline.

2007-10-25T04:00:00.000Z

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

The Private Sector Development project will consist of four, mutually reinforcing components: (a) a line of credit which will provide the term resources needed to finance medium- and long-term investment; (b) an enterprise development fund to help entrepreneurs improve the design of their projects and strengthen their managerial capacity; (c) training and institutional support to the Ministry of Justice to strengthen its capabilities to design and implement legal and judiciary reforms aimed at improving the legal system; and (d) training and institutional support to the Ministry of Finance to undertake studies to design reforms aimed at improving the business environment, and to oversee project implementation. The line of credit will be reimbursed by the banks periodically according to a schedule matching the schedules set for subloans. The interest rate charged to banks will reflect the cost of funds and that charge to beneficiaries will be within the maximum ceiling presently set at 12.5 percent p.a. These interest rates will be variable and will be reviewed periodically to ensure they reflect inflation and macroeconomic conditions. The Enterprise Development Fund institution will receive the funds as a grant, and private beneficiaries will share in the cost of services provided.

The project Third Education Project is now in the pipeline.

2007-10-25T04:00:00.000Z

The project Third Education Project is now in the pipeline. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The Third Education Project will support investments in the first two priority sub-sectors identified in the Government's program for the Reinforcement of Education and Training, namely primary education and vocational training. To ensure effective and timely implementation of the project, it will also support local capacity building in the planning, execution, monitoring and evaluation of sector management. The project will improve learning at primary level through increased participation in quality education. Participation will be improved through: (a) establishment of local school committees with financial and managerial authority on public primary schools; (b) provision of adequate infrastructure. Quality of the teaching-learning processes will be improved through: (a) development of better management practices to monitor delivery of the study program; (b) provision of teaching/learning materials, both for class and individual learning activities; (c) changes in the teaching/learning methods used by teachers in the classroom; (d) changes in the supervision practices to develop and monitor implementation of effective teaching practices; and (e) support to development of learning assessment and education information systems at regional and central levels of the Ministry of Education (MOE). The project will also improve competencies of skilled workers through the establishment of an autonomous, flexible and effective demand-driven training system in which training institutions and employers will get grants from the Government. The establishment of a performing vocational training system will be achieved through the creation of a small, autonomous institution: the Office of Vocational Training (OVT). Competencies and skills will be developed through: (a) support for management and the initial financing of a Vocational Training Fund (VTF); (b) support for the development of training modules; and (c) support for the reorganization of existing vocational training institutions. Finally, the project will support the development of effective project management capacities among staff in the Project Management Unit (PMU) and improve competencies of MOE authorities in planning, execution, monitoring and evaluation of the sector program.

The project Additional Financing for the Services Support Credit is now in the pipeline.

2007-10-25T04:00:00.000Z

The project Additional Financing for the Services Support Credit is now in the pipeline. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The proposed additional grant for Comoros Services Support Project will finance the costs associated with the scaling up of the activities to enhance the impact of the Services Support Project (SSP), including (i) extending the community development process to a greater number of communities and integrating the communal levels into the process, resulting in an increase in the number of community and local development plans; (ii) improving the quality oft he community development process and related activities; (iii) widening eligibility of projects to include more environmental protection and conservation activities; and (iv) increasing monitoring and evaluation activities as well as operating costs and audits to cover the additional implementation period of 19 months. The SSP has been successful in delivering visible results on the ground despite the political instability plaguing the country in recent years. After almost two years of implementation, the project is well on track to meeting its development objectives.

The project Development Bank of the Comoros Project is now in the pipeline.

2007-10-25T04:00:00.000Z

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

The project would strengthen the newly created development bank by: (i) providing it with part of its resource requirements to finance projected lending to small- and medium-scale enterprises in the key sectors of the economy during the 1983-86 period; (ii) financing technical assistance to DBC for the management of the institution, project promotion and technical support to entrepreneurs as well as training of DBC's staff. The project would stimulate the development of productive sectors of the economy and foster institutional development of the new DFC bank.

The project Education Project (02) is now in the pipeline.

2007-10-25T04:00:00.000Z

The project Education Project (02) is now in the pipeline. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The Second Education Project is one element of a long-term strategy for the development of the education sector, which emphasizes improving cost efficiency. This strategy focuses on the control of education expenditures, more efficient use of education resources, improvement of the quality of education, and strengthening of vocational training. To that end, the project aims to (a) promote institutional development; (b) to improve the quality of primary and lower secondary education; and (c) to meet some of the country's human resource needs. In order to accomplish the above, the project consists of: (a) institutional development including strengthening of planning and management; (b) quality improvement in upgrading of the skills of about 2000 primary and 350 lower secondary teachers; and (c) manpower development with establishment of a National Center for Technical Education and Vocational Training at Ouani. This latter component will train skilled workers for industry, and establishment of a new business school at Moroni to train office clerks, accountants and secretaries.

The project Highway Maintenance Project (03) is now in the pipeline.

2007-10-25T04:00:00.000Z

The project Highway Maintenance Project (03) is now in the pipeline. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The objectives of the Highway Maintenance Project are to: (a) stem the deterioration of the paved road network; (b) improve road safety; and (c) continue the efforts to strengthen the government's road maintenance operation, increase the private sector participation and establish appropriate road planning and management. The project consists of: (a) a 3-year road maintenance program for (i) periodic maintenance of about 226 km of paved roads; (ii) improvement and reconstruction of unsafe bridges and retaining walls; (iii) routine maintenance of the entire paved road network; and (iv) repair of the earth road network to keep it open to traffic; (b) improvement of road safety through road marking and signing; and (c) institutional support to the General Public Works Directorate including technical assistance, assistance in creating a planning and study unit, and training. The project also finances spare parts and the partial renewal of critical maintenance equipment to be utilized in force account operations.

The project Macroeconomic Reform and Capacity Building Credit Project (MERCAP) is now in the pipeline.

2007-10-25T04:00:00.000Z

The project Macroeconomic Reform and Capacity Building Credit Project (MERCAP) is now in the pipeline. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The project Population and Human Resources Project is now in the pipeline.

2007-10-25T04:00:00.000Z

The project Population and Human Resources Project is now in the pipeline. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The overall objective of the project is to strengthen the development of human resources in the Comoros by: (a) increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of basic health services, through the establishment of efficient regional health administrations and other supportive services, which will be capable of providing comprehensive good quality and cost effective health care; these will include family planning services and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) prevention, and will involve community participation, self-management and cost recovery; and (b) promoting complementary community development initiatives to develop social infrastructure and grassroots participation in small-scale productive activities, through a Community Development Support Fund (CDSF). The project has two components: population and health; and community development. The population and health component will build upon existing successful pilot programs for self-management and cost-recovery to establish services capable of ensuring cost-effective and sustainable provision of comprehensive and good quality health care, including family planning and AIDS control services. To that end, the component will: (a) strengthen the capacities of the three health regions to plan, implement, administer, and supervise health care services, in part through improving and expanding the training of district health personnel; (ii) equip and rehabilitate two regional hospitals and a number of health centers; and (iii) promote family planning and AIDS control services. In the second component, complementary community development activities as well as activities to encourage sustainable economic development will be supported through a CDSF. While demand driven, the CDSF will focus primarily on: training of communities and groups in micro-project development, management, and implementation; rehabilitation of social infastructure (especially primary schools, water supply, and health posts); activities to promote the well-being and development of women; and income generating activities.

The project Rural Services Project is now in the pipeline.

2007-10-25T04:00:00.000Z

The project Rural Services Project is now in the pipeline. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The objective of the proposed project is to reorganize the CEFADER/CADER so that it functions effectively as the network for rural services. The project would address the problems of recurrent cost financing and inadequate budgetary procedures, shortage of skilled manpower and need for better donor coordination in the sector. It would improve rural extension services, training and supervision of staff, monitoring and planning, and budgetary management and finance. It would strengthen animal health, forestry and land conservation programs and would complete two new CADERs and support existing CADER operations. By strengthening the rural services network, the project would provide for a more systematic approach to extension, field trials and development of technical packages, which should lead to increased foodcrop, livestock and fuelwood production and better forestry management. Increased food and meat production would result in import savings. An additional benefit would be the improved nutritional level of the rural population. The project would also promote more efficient use of resources provided by external donors.

The project Service Support Credit is now in the pipeline.

2007-10-25T04:00:00.000Z

The project Service Support Credit is now in the pipeline. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database