Socioeconomic development aspects: People's republic of Benin

JOINT COORDINATING COMMITTEE Onchocerciasis Control Programme in the Volta River Basin Area Ofice of the Independent Chairman c/o World Health Organization l2ll Geneva 27, Switzerland Tet. 346061 Tctcx)!XII 2782I Sixth session Geneva, 3-5 December 1979 J.C.C..C.C.C. COMITE CONJOINT DE COORDINATION Programme de Lutte Contre I'Onchocercose dans la Rdgion du Bassin de la Volta Bureau du Prisident Independant c/o Organisation Mondiale de la Sant6 l2l I Genive 27, Suisse Tcl 34 60 6l r6lcx 2XI:F( 27 82I JCC6. 5 Part 2 2 November 1979 SOCIOECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ASPECTS PEOPI,E'S REPUBLIC OF BENIN This report, prepared in accordance with the decision taken at the third meeting of National Onchocerciasis Committees in Bamako from 24 to 26 Aprit 1979 to give the States themselves the task of presenting the economic development reports on onchocerciasis-freed zones, is in two parts. The first part is an inventory of the socioeconomic development projects within the Programme area. The second part reviews the progress of the Economic Development Project for onchocerciasls-freed zones; this Project reflects the specific efforts made since the start of the international onchocerciasis control campaign. 1. LIST OF PROJECTS LOCATED WITHIN THE PROGRAMME AREA The projects listed form part of the State Three-Year Ptan. This PIan, now in its second year of implementation, provides for the setting-up of planning structures for the formulation, implementation and supervision of proiects selected. Accordingly, provincial directorates have just been set up in the provinces of Atacora and Borgou, as in the other provinces. I I a JCC6.5, Part 2 Page 2 DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT FTIND]NG IN CFA FRANCS X I MILL]ON EXECU?ING AGE{CY COMMENTS 1 Support for the Regional Action Centre for Rural Development (CARDER) in Borgou Known as the Zou-Borgou Project, it aims to develop cotton-growing and rice- growing. It was launched in 1976; an intermediate phase in lg77 was financed by FAC and IBRD, and the proJect shoufd now enter its steady production phase, the cost of which is assessed at 3OO million to 4OO million CFA francs. FAC, 2OO for Iaunching phase Minrstry of Rura I Deve lopmen t and Coope ra t ive Action (MDRAC) and Zou and Borgou CARDERS The project is divided into two parts: Borgou and Zou pro;ects , Support for the Atacora CARDER. The project is scheduled for 5 years, with an EDF contribution focusing on the road and trading infrastructures, together with smaIl hydro-agricultural operations. OveraII cost estimated at 45OO million CFA francs. EDF: 779 CIDA., 22O Benin:N.D MDRAC and Atacora CARDER Launched in t97 6. Inf ormat i-on for current phase not ava ilable . Atacora provincial farm at Mangou near Tangui6ta. 2OOO ha for crop production(rj-ce, yams, etc. ) and anj-mal production(fatten.ing of cattle, raising of sheep and goats ) . 3 236 M ISON Tomato puree factory at cultivation of 23O ha of Natitingou, with industrial use ini.t 1a1Iy , tomatoes for rising to 5OO ha during the next three to four years. 4 r50 Beninese Deve Iopment Bank SONAFEL Developnent of road lnfrastructure of the Northern Region so as to make it less isofated and facilitate the flow of products towards the interior. 9OO km of unsurfaced roads are programmed. The World Bank, EDF and UNCDF are invofved in this project. 5 EDF : O.220 Ministry of Works and CARDER Unsurfaced rural roads: team leader(BEN/7TfOO|). rhis project i.nvolves provlding the mechanj-zed team, whi.ch is equipped by LINCDF, with an experienced expert who will work with and train his Benlnese counterparts and collaborate with the multidisciplinary team financed by the World Bank. UNDP, together with UNCDF, is contributing to this within the overall project for unsurfaced rural roads financed by the World Bank, EDF and UNCDF. tl UNDP: 45. I (1979-198r ) Ministry of Works and CARDER a JCC6.5, Part 2 Page 3 COMMENTSDESCRIPTION OF PROJECT FI]NDING IN CFA FRANCS X I MILLION EXECUTING AGENCY 7 Plot of 3OO ha for irrigated mixed-crop farming, Tipaoti-Tramonta, Boukoumb6 District, Atacora province. This plot, which straddles the river Tissir, will be exploited as a cooperative of the GRVC type comprising t5O-2OO families. The overall cost should be around 3OO mlllion CFA francs. Benin SONIAH 8. Construction of @ENfzTfc 32). unsurfaced rural roads The project is for the construction of about 22O km of unsurfaced rural roads, including culverts and small bridges, so as to open up new markets, particularty for cotton and groundnuts from the north. Invofved in this project are the Government of Benin, the International Development Association and UNDP. The overall cost of this project, which will continue until 1982, is 337 986 OOO CFA francs. UNCDI'/IDA Grant : 319.372 Benin:18.612 Minlstry of Works and CARDER I Extension of rice fields in Malanvi.IIe district. The project is for the addition of 25O ha at Bagouri-Tonga to the present 5OO ha of the Chj.nese Agro- technical mission; this will make 1t possible to set up a rice mil1. The cost of the addition is assessed at 15O million CFA francs. The rice mill and related buildings wilI cost about 35O mil-1ion CFA francs. To be found SONIAH lO. Marshland development programme. The project covers 5 provinces : Mono, Borgou , Zou, Ou6m6 and Atacora. It is aimed at increasing rice production and market garden produce. The annual area to be developed in the 5 provinces each year is 5OO ha, making a totat of I5OO ha. The cost of the programme is 3OO milllon CFA francs. To be found SONIAH JCC6.5, Part 2 Page 4 14. Pro3ect for the production and pasteurization of gherkins. To be found Government of Benin In Malanville district 2OO ha will be devoted to this project; production is intended for export. Estimated overall cost: 350 million CFA francs. DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT FUNDING IN CFA FRANCS X 1 MILLION EXECUTING AGENCY COMMENTS 1I. Irrigated area of IOOO ha in Atacora. Located in Tangui6ta dj-strict, this comprises the two sectors of Porga (4OO ha) and Niamboufi (60O ha) which will be irrj-gated from a pump in the Pendgari. The total cost of th,e project is 8OO million CFA francs. To be found SONIAH + SONAGRI In 1978 surveys cos t ing IOO million CFA francs anc construction work costing 80 million CFA francs were scheduled for complet ion. 12. Programme for the construction of 50 reservoirs in Borgou and Atacora provinces. The project is to construct 50 small earth dams over a period of five years, at the rate of one dam per month per province for five months. The dlstricts concerned are Banikoara, Kandi, Bemb6r6k6 and Nikki in Borgou province, Boukoumb6 and Tangui6ta in Atacora province. The pro;ect will cost 94.5 million CFA francs. To be found CARDER + SONIAH 13. B6t6rou agriculturat/industrial complex This proJect is to devetop 2OO ha of limes, 15O ha of grapefruit, 75 ha of tangelos, 50 ha of oranges and 25 ha of mandarins, plus a unit for processing citrus fruit. Estimated cost 5OO million CFA francs. To be found SONAFEL JCC6.5, Part 2 Page 5 DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT FIJNDING IN CFA FRANCS X I MILLION EXECUT ING AGENCY COMIfEI{TS 15. 5OO ha of market garden crops. In Okpara province, Parakou district, there will be 2OO ha (tOO fra of sweet peppers, 5O ha of melons and 30 ha of hot peppers), while 3OO ha of tomatoes will be grown at Natitingou in Atacora provi.nce. Production from Okpara will be exported, while production at Natitingou will supply the factory already set up. OveraII cost: 6O0 million CFA francs. To be found SONAFEL I6. Agrj-cuIturaI extension project for the training and settlement of young peopfe in rural areas (BEN\7/oog). The aim is to harmonize the training methods of the supervisory staff of the CARDERs, to continue to set up "4D clubs' for boys and girls, to provide them with equipment to produce audiovisual aids and to set up another proJect for providing a domestic economy assistant for each CARDER. In this project UNDP^'AO action will supplement the activities of IBRD, UNESCO and WFP. UNDP: 96. t4 (r977-1981 ) Ministry of Rural Development and Cooperat ive Ac t i-on (MDRAC ) To be found Government of Benin 17. Strengthening of the economic activity of women. This proJect aims at the integration of women in economic and social development, especiatly in rural areas, through a programme for the dissemination of modern techniques in domestic economy, nutrition and rural handicrafts. Estimated cost of the project: 66-IIO million CFA francs for three years. JCC6.5, Part 2 Page 6 20. Project for the development and promoti-on of pig farming in onchocerciasis-freed areas of Atacora Province. The objective of this project is to carry out a specific programme for the breeding and fattening of pigs in Ouroubougou in the urban commune of Nat it ingou . The total cost is CFA Fr. 1I 5O5 OOO. DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT FI,]NDING IN CFA FRANCS X 1 MILLION EXECUTING AGENCY COMMENTS 18. Project for introducing fishponds in onchocerci-asis-freed zones in Atacora Province. Of the country's six provinces, Atacora has the lowest annual fish consumption per capita: 3.2 kg as against 3I.7 kg in Atlantic Province. The pro3ect is intended to make up part of the deficiency of animal proteins. It will involve the construction of two units for IO ponds each and related bui ldings . The estimated cost of the project is CFA Fr. 4 760 OOO. IBRD (Oncho- cerc ia s is project ) 4.76 Government of Benin 19. Project to develop cattle-fattening in onchocerciasis-freed areas ln Atacora Province. The obJective of this project is the production of food products of adequate quantity and quality to help to make up the protein deflciency in the diet of the populatlon of the region. The pro;ect will be located at Ouroubouga in the urban commune of Nat it ingou. The total cost is CFA Fr. 15 531 OOO. To be found Government of Benin (Ata cora CARDER ) To be found Government of Benln(Atacora CARDER) DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT FIjNDING IN CFA FRANCS X I MILLION EXECUTING AGENCY COMMENTS 2I. Development of national parks (GJENf 77fot). The project is to prepare master plans for the western park and for the development of hunting and the other areas investigated, to determine the training needs and to provide the necessary grants and on-the-spot training for technicaf staff. UNDP 77 (r977-198O) Government of Benin 22. Mining research, phase III (GEN/76fOO4) IJNDP This project will help with prospection f or phosphates in the I\l6krou , f or gotd in the Perma, for chromite and nj-ckel in the Buem zone, and for kaolin. 337.7 JCC6.5, Part 2 Page 7 OBEMINES II. ECONOMIC DEVELOPNIM{T PROJECT FOR THE ONCHOCERCIASIS-FREED AREAS: PROGRESS AND PROSPECTS A. Introduction Economic development is definitely an essential component of the onchocerciasis control campaign. It is always regarded as the final ob3ective of the international efforts to control river blindness. The "Stop Onchocerciasis" brochure shows that "the human tragedy is paralleled by an economic disaster. When flying over the regions where onchocerciasis l-s prevalent we see well-irrigated fertile tand that seems ideal for farming. But there is no sign of human presence except perhaps for an abandoned village of thatched huts with caved-in walIs". After noting that "the Onchocerciasis Control Programme will have wide-ranging socio- economic benefrts", the Missj-on of Preparatory Assistance to Governments which prepared the strategy for onchocerciasis control estimated the return on capital investment for five selected projects; "Taken over a 3S-year period the internal total return from the five projects, allowing for the cost of control, is about 6Yo". If the profits and costs are extrapolated to include five less extensive zones also suitable for settlement, the overall rate increases to about IO%. The report assesses the increase j-n production at US $4O m111ion in a normal year and the overalt benefit at US $83O miltion in 35 years, set against US $260 million of expenditure(including the cost of the Onchocerciasis Control Programme). The Mission to evaluate the economic aspects of the Onchocerciasis Control Programme, led b5u Professor Berg (1978), concluded that "the labour-related benefits of the OCP are probably secondary to the "Iand-creation" effects". From the viewpoint of the Participating African States it is certain that the value of the Onchocerciasis Control Programme, in addition to its humanitarian aspect, Iies in creating opportunities for new capital investment, j-.e. in hetping to speed up economic and sociaf development. JCC6.5, Part 2 Pagc 8 In other words, the economic development projects for onchocerciasis-freed areas are of groat importance and their lmplementation is a priority task. The with the p rov r des end of the first phase of the Onchocerciasis Control Programme, whj-ch coincides rnitial period of the Economic Development Project for onchocerciasis-freed areas, an opportunity for Benin to review the situation and make proposals. fJ. Ob;ectrves of the Project The design of the derived from the joint Economic FAo/rBRD Development Projects for onchocerciasis-freed areas is missions carried out in June and July 1975 in Benin, Ghana, for the NIa 1 r , Togo and Upper Volta The aim of these missions was to define the terms of reference for the basic pre-planning studies development of the areas to be freed from onchocerciasis; to coordlnate and consolidate the methods of the countries concerned, so as to prepare lO-year development plans that wilt open the way for a whofe range of specific proJects in wl-rich Governments and the multifateral or bilateral aid agencies could invest; to provrde training for local staff in the collection and interpretation of data and in t-he preparation and implementation of the plan. The roport of these various missions proposed a methodology which was adopted ln whole or- in part }ty the States concerned. The objectives of this methodology are: to rmprove the living standard, now close to subsistence level, of the populations at present Irvrng in overpopulated or inhospitable areas, by givlng them an opportunity to settle in comparatively fertife areas freed from onchocerciasis; to l)ring about such settlement without the haphazard exploitation and damage to the fand which have characterized most human settlement ln West Africa; to increase national production of food products, livestock, and crops for industrial processlng and export. The activities extend over three years and comprise three phases: compilation of the data bank; preparation of a lO-year development plan for the onchocercrasis zone; preparation of capital investment projects to be submitted at an early date to the external funding agencies for implementation in the first four years of the development pIan. Setting-up the data bank comprises three main operations a study of soil aptitude, accompanied by cartography and climatic and hydrological studies; an inventory of natural resources, compiled by interpreting aerial photographs taken by LANDSAT satellite; a socioeconomic survey. 1JCC6.5, Part 2 Page 9 The development plan will be prepared on the basis of the information provi.ded by the data bank. It wilI define specific sectors sui-table for priority exploitation and will be divided into phases, each of which would constitute one or more capital investment proJects In principle, detailed preparation of capital investment projects should not begin before the adoption of the plan by the Government and the establishment of contacts with possible donors; this does not rule out the possibility that the study of some projects may start at the same time as the work on the plan itself. C. Results Broadly speaking, the Project is still at the stage of setting-up the data bank Present situation However, the compil-ation of this data bank has not reached the same stage for aII the studies initially planned. a) Study of land aptitrlde This study should lead to the co]lection, evaluatj-on and classificatlon of data on the sultability of the onchocerciasis zone in Benin, from the viewpoint of agriculture and soil science, making use of aerial photography, soil maps, hydrological and climatological data, and any field observations considered necessary. In particular it should: - establish a classification of soils by aptitude, for the zones mentioned above, on a scale of 1:2OO OOO (with supporting maps, graphs, diagrams and photographs); - provide a classification of soils in accordance with the internationat system adapted to locaI conditions; - descrj-be the physico-chemical characteristics of the soiIs, particularly characte- ristics which are important in determining productivity or yield (inctudlng texture, structure, mineralogy, fertiJ.ity and salinity of the soj-ls); - provide information on the depth of soiIs, their natural drainage ability and their suscept ibitity to eros ion , hydrology , topography ; - provide suitable criteria and describe the method used to express them, together with the way in which the variables were evaluated so as to arrive at the above classifi- cations; - Ilst the various constraints by means of their indices. In concrete terms, the study consisted of two investigations entrusted to the Laboratory of Agriculture and Soil Science. - Investigation on the aptitudes of the land proper; - Investi.gation on rainfall. The maps produceC by the investigation on land aptitude are being printed in Tunis, after frurtfess attempts to use the national printers. The contract is being prepared in Rome. JCC6.5, Part 2 Page lO The study on rair;fall led to a report entitled "Minimum ralnfall maps by decade". So that the extension agencies can use the data provided by this document, the Laboratory of Agriculture and Soil Science has been requested to continue its investigatlons to determtne the desirable sowing dates for the various crops. A report has been prepared and is awaiting FAO's agreement to publication. b) Inventory of natural resources by long-range detection The study provides for the use of long-range detection techniques ln order to draw up an inventory of natural resources to supplement the exi-sting informatron and for the ground- level verification of the data collected. It covers the following aspects geology and mining resources; - sorl morphology and the determination of soil chatacteristics for agriculture; - hydrology and an inventory of surface and ground water resources; forests, wlth a study of ffora and fauna; livestock and grazing land; - infrastructure I - climatology and demography. This study, financed by USAID, concerns Upper Vo1ta, Ghana and Benj-n. At a cost of I 537 OOO dollars it is belng carried out on a scale of 1:2OO OOO for Benin and Upper Volta and 1:25O OOO for Ghana, using pictures from the LANDSAT sateltite. TVenty-six maps on fand use and vegetatlon will be printed in colour and will correspond to the existing topographical maps (i.e. fo x Io). They witl show latitude and longltude, the drainage systems selected, towns, main roads and railways, in order to provide geogra- phical reference points. There wiIl also be superimposabfe transparent sheets concerning the inventory or resources (land use and vegetation, geology and mineral resources, hydrology and water resources, climate, j-nfrastructure), areas where the resources are utilj-zed (crops, grazing land and llvestock, water resources and fishing, forest and fauna, mineral resources, re-establishment of human settlements and infrastructures). The American consortium TAMS/EARTHSAT, which has been put in charge of thj-s study, began its work on 15 April 1978 by setting up its base in Ouagadougou. TAMS/EARTHSAT satellite carried out an initial field reconnaissance mlssj-on from g to t7 November 1978; during this mission the team, which also included three Beninese counterparts, followed the itinerary: Porga-Tangui6ta-Boukoumb6-Natitingou-Kandi-Matanvil-Ie. A 1S-day course was organized j-n the United States in March 1979 to enable the counter- parts from the three African countries concerned to familiarize themselves with the techniques used by TAMS/EARTHSAT, Following the course an area of 2OO OOO ha, the Tobr6 zone, was selected by Benin for detailed studies at a scale of 1:50 OOO. A second mlssion took place from 9 to t5 May 1979 (three days in the Tobr6 region and three further days in the Parakou and Djougou regions ). The draft final report has already been prepared, but only the Englj.sh version has reached the Participating States. a JCC6.5, Part 2 Page 11 c ) Soci-oeconomic studies Of the total cost of 283 75O OOO F CFA, an amount of 2O8 75O OOO F CFA for Benin is funded by USAID. The main method of collecting data for this project wi.ll consist of a number of socio- economic sample surveys to be carried out in 12O representatj-ve villages in the two provinces, covering a variety of climatic, ethnic, agricultural and economlc variations. Over a period of about 15 months, covering a complete crop year, about 15 investigators in each former district will collect detailed information on production and consumption. The survey will have several components an inventory of socioeconomic resources, covering such areas as infrastructure and administration at village Ieve1, markets, marketing cycles, etc.l an agricultural survey comprising information on production and the rural population, crop systems, use of labour, and animal husbandry at the village level; social surveys in the villages on the social structures, decision-making units, etc.; a survey on marketing in the major and less important trading centres, on marketing circuits, prices, credits, etc. l information on public health, including inventories of health manpower and infra- structures and a review of the avaitable information on morbidity and mortality; studies on the pastoral system of transhumance (seasonal pastures) or seasonal migrat ion ; special s tud ies studies anafor of locaI problems or constraints on development, excludj-ng pre-project feasibilj-ty studies of specific projects. The team carrying out these studies will consist of from the USA: the proJect director (an anthropologist specializing in development ), an agricurtural economist and two provincial research supervisors; from Benin: the project co-director (an agricultural economist), a statistician, two provincial research co-supervisors, an animal husbandry expert and a publi-c health specialist, about 15 inspectors and about lOO investigators, 90 man-months of coders s tat ic ians . Over 40 American universities and agencies tenders issued in JuIy 1979 in the US Journal of Daily. Work is schedufed to start in December D. Obstacles encountered and their solution have expressed an interest in J,ega1 announcements, I979 or January 198O. the caII for Bus inessCommerce 1 Obs tac les It goes without saying that a project as complex as the Economic Development ProJect in onchocerci.asis-freed areas cannot be conducted in exactly the way that was planned at the outset. Right from the start the periods scheduled for the basic studies were greatly exceeded: whereas the report of the joint FAO/IBRD mission envisaged that the studies would be completed within six months, the inventory of natural resources by long-range detection has taken 18 months and the socio-economic studies, which have not yet started, wiII take 23 months . a t JCC6 Pa ge However, in addition to the under-estimation of the periods for carrying out the basic studies, a number of difficulties need to be considered: a) Geoqraphical boundarie s of the Pro.iect Whereas the area selected for the onchocerciasis control campaign in Benin is north of a line drawn above Djougou and Nikki, the Governments has proposed right from the outset, in view of the request for extension submitted by it, that the Economic Development Project for onchocerciasis-freed areas should cover the whole of Atacora and Borgou provinces. Thj-s Beninese position has been accepted. However, in the inventory of natural resources by long-range detection the African Development Bank, which is the executj-ng agency selected by USAID, unilaterally decided for financial reasons,not discussed with the States,to reduce the zone covered in the People's Repubtic of Benin. Admittedly, after repeated discussions, the Parakou and D3ougou regions which had boen left out were eventualty covered by the study; but this was done at the expense of the period earmarked for detailed studies of Tobr6 region. 5, t2 21:tPa b) Ob3ectives of the Pro;ect The methodology followed in planning the development of the onchocerciasis-freed areas was worked out by the joint f AOf rcnOfllission. Until qulte recently UNDP was the only agency in the United Nations family wlth representatives in the countries concerned. It was therefore natural that the setting-up of the ProJect was assigned to LINDP, which had not taken part in developi.ng the methodology. In the People's Republic of Benin this led to problems of interpretation of objectives between the Permanent Adviser and certain UNDP officiats. In dealings wlth the Beninese authorlties (particutarly officials of the Planning Mj-nistry) consistent efforts were made to omj-t the phase of settj-ng up the data bank and persuade the authorlties that the Benrnese Pro3ect was falfing behind schedule compared with the other countries. Thj-s position was denied by the representatives of the Participating States during their cons1deration in Ouagadougou (7-8 September 1978) of the draft report of the Eval-uation I\lission on the Socioeconomic Aspects of the Onchocerciasis Control Programme. In their comments these representatives stressed that "the views expressed in the report on the Development Planning Groups are premature inasmuch as the implementation of the projects that will provide the basic data ls only iust beginning...". c) Role of the Permanent Adviser Among other things the methodotogy states that the Permanent Adviser wilI be responsi.ble "for supervising the work of the expert advisers who wifl collect information for the data bank; for reporting periodically to the Government (at least once a month) on the succes- sful fulfilment of their contracts atdfor the need to modify the terms of those contracts". The terms of reference for the Permanent Adviser laid down by FAO repeat these provis ions . Nevertheless, the UNDP officials have not accepted them, thus inducing an actual hold-up in the work of the Permanent Adviser at one point, when there were problems concerning the design of the inventory of natural resources by long-12nge detection. d) Funding Several funding sources are involved in lmplementing the Project. At present the main financial contributions granted or allocated are as follows: JCC6.5, Part 2 Page 13 - Government of Benin - TINDP - Regional fund - CIP - USAID $ 2O8 8OO $ 324 4OO $ 33O 4OO $ 835 oOO $ 27s 4OO $ 533 2OO $ 1165 4OO Inventory of natural resources by long-range detection - Socioeconomic studies I a IBRD $ 27O OOO Within the Project each funding source retains negotiations and utilizatlon, $ 2244 oOO freedom of movement with regard to This arrangement is naturally affecting the avallabifity of funds and the smooth operation of the ProJect. UNDP funding comes from two sources: the regional funds and the country indicative planning figure (CIP). The credits from the regional funds are at present used for the operation of the Project, with all the difficulties arising from the different viewpoints of the Permanent Adviser, FAO and UNDP. The future use of the credits earmarked from the CIP is at present uncertain. USAID is flnancing two studies: the inventory of natural resources and the socio- economic studies. For the inventory of natural resources, the executing agency chosen by USAID is the African Development Bank; unfortunately, owing to the Bank's methods of work, the beneficiary States (Ghana, Upper VoIta, Benin) wiLl not recej,ve sufficient benefits from this study with regard to the training of their staff, the equipment of their services and the exploitation of results. The procedure followed for the socioeconomic studles has resulted in the non-utilization of the funds so far, whereas the credits were voted under the US financial year L977-78 and the financi.ng agreement was signed on 29 September 1978. The World Bank is providing $ 27O OOO. For reasons of admlnistrative procedure, this contribution was included in the financial package granted to the Pro;ect for Technlcaf Assistance to the National Agriculture Company (SONAGRI). This subsequently created problems between SONAGRI and the Economic Development ProJect for onchocerciasis-freed areas in connexion with ttre use of the funds. OnIy a few weeks ago the World Bank took the first steps to clarify the situation. 2 . Proposed solut j-ons Now that the problem has been diagnosed, remedies have to be proposed. They will not be definitive, but will certainly enable the Project to be carrleci out more rationatly and efficiently. 1 This amount represents Benin's estimated share of 164 OOO granted by USAID. the amounts of $ 1.6 milllon and JCC6.5, Part 2 Page 14 a ) Fietd of action of the pro.ject There is a danger that the efforts to extend the Project to all onchocercrasis-freecl areas may dilute lt, and that it will not be specific enough to lead to precise capital investment proJects. It would be desirable to direct the ProJect primarily towards development zones in which activities wl1t be concentrated. A study of the inventory of natural resources compiled by tong-range detectron techniques has made it possibte to identify three zones: Tobr6, Banikoara (and not Kerou as announced by the American consortium TAMS/EARTHSAT) and Malanvilre, These zones, to which any zones identifled in Parakou and D;ougou regions will have to be added, could become the principal field of action of the Pro3ect (see attached map). b) Executing Agency FAO is the Executing Agency for the ProJect, but as we have seen there have been a number of difficulties between the Permanent Adviser, FAO and UNDp. The Permanent Adviser's progress report for the first quarter of 1978 refers to these difficulties on page 3 as follows: "Differences in interpreting the methodology for the development of the onchocerciasis-freed zones have arisen, mainly between the UNDP Assistant Resident Representative and the National Onchocerciasls Committee. "Can the 1O-year plan be prepared independently of the data bank provided for rn the methodology? Or, conversely ls the preparation of the plan linked to the progress of this data bank?" "A subsidiary question is whether the studies provided for in the data bank come within the scope of the Permanent Advlser (as the latter thinks ) or should be conducted independently of him (as the UNDP Assistant Resident Representative thinks)." "The visit by Mr Sidi, who accompanied Mr Hartmans of FAOn clarified one point. The relations between the Permanent Adviser and UNDP wiIl be administrative and financi.al, while methodological problems come within the scope of relations between the Permanent Adviser and FAO. " However, this clarification has not radj-calIy changed the sltuation. For the future the Project needs to be placed unequivocally under the responsibili.ty of a single agency. The setting-up of the FAO office in Cotonou should make it easier to put this proposal into effect, c ) Financing As we have seen, the development of the Project has suffered because of problems arising from its method of fl-nanclng. There is no poj-nt in trying to get a single funding source to bear the whole financial weight of the Project. On the contrary, the sources must be diversified, particularly as the needs will become greater during the forthcoming phases. The procedure currently used for the Onchocerciasis Control Programme should also be used as a guide as it gives the Programme great fl-exibility in operation. The Contributing Parties pay their contributlons directly or indirectly to the Executing Agency, which j-s responsi.ble for management of the funds. I aJCC6.5, Part 2 Page 15 E. Conclus ions Despite the difficulties which have kept it at the stage of setting up the data bank, the ProJect has already provided the People's Republic of Benin with valuable information on some of the natural resources available in the north of the country, There is no doubt that its continuation, by enabling Benin to prograrune the economic development of priority zones for a tO-year period and to prepare a number of capital investment proJects, wilI help to speed up economic and social progress. I a JCC6.5, Part 2 Page 16 ZONES DE DEVE LOPPEME NT DEVELOPMENT ZONES 120 lo BANIKOARA NNAIANVIT Lt Fnt!t)l 't00 TANGU IE TA ATITINGOU o KOUAN DF SE CBANA O r KE ROtl BTM o TOBRE o K AI. AI F I]E KE 9o INA .JOUGOU BASSI PARA K OU o oKPA Ho BETE ROU go BANTE TCHAOU TOUI 7o SAVA VE OA E o KE TOU o BOH ICON COTONOU o o ALLA PORTO NO IDA o C,KOSSA 6o t t I i