Announcement of Niger Receives Four Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars IDA Credit for Forestry Development on May 18, 1978

P(1jl{ _:,IMMED1ATE RELEASE• • 0 • •World Bank 1818 H Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20433, U.S.A. • Telephone: (202) 393-6360 I DA NEWS RELEASE NO. 78/68 May 18, 1978 NIGER RECEIVES $4.5 MILLION IDA CREDIT FOR FORESTRY DEVELOPMENT The International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank's affiliate for concessional lending, has approved a $4.5 million credit to help finance a forestry project in Niger. This is the twelfth IDA credit to Niger since 1964. The $5.3 million project will assist the Government in preventing further environmental disruption due to progressive destruction of the natural forest cover, and improving fuelwood and building pole supplies, especially for the urban area. It wi 11 establish 400 hectares (ha) of pilot irrigated tree plantations and 700 ha of pilot rainfed tree planta- tions; improve the rural forestry activities of the Forestry Department; • finance a training program in extension services; provide assistance to research; and establish a workshop maintenance unit. A project unit \'1i11 be established within the Forestry Department to assist in coordinating and monitoring the various project activities, planning rural forest programs and preparing a second phase project suit- able for Bank support. Consultant services will be available to the unit to carry out studies on economic, sociological and agricultural aspects of the project. The $4.5 million IDA credit will be on standard terms of 50 years, including 10 years of grace, at no interest except for a service charge of 3/4 of 1% per annum for administrative expenses. NOTE: Money figures are expressed in U.S. dollar equivalents . • FORM NO. 1121 (5-76) T ECHNI CAL D A T A PROJECT: COUNTRY: TOTAL COST: Forestry Republic of Niger $5. 3 mi 11 ion • I DA FINANCING: $4.5 million, standard terms. OTHER FINANCING: The Government of the Repbulic of Niger, $0.8 million. IMPLEMENTING ORGANIZATION: Direction des Eaux et Forets, Ministere du Developpement Rural, Niamey, Republ ique du Niger. PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The project will establish 400 hectares (ha) of pilot irrigated tree plantations and 700 ha of pilot rainfed tree plantations; provide appropriate means to fmprove the current rural forestry activities of the Forestry Department; finance a training program in extension services; provide assistance to research; and establish a workshop maintenance unit. The project will also establish, within the Forestry Department, a project unit t . assist in coordinating and monitoring the various project activities, monitoring project progress, gathering economic data and results of experiments, planning rural forest pro- grams, and preparing a second phase project suitable for Bank support. Consultant services will be available to the unit to carry out complementary studies on economic, sociological and agricultural aspects. PROCUREMENT: In view of the high costs of works carried out by enterprises owing to the lack of effective competition amongst contractors and the substantial backlog of construction works (mainly roads), civil works and buildings will be constructed by force account with the assistance of the Genie Rural Department of the Ministry of Rural Development and the soil and forestry divisions of the lnstitut National de la Recherche Agronomique du Niger. Contracts for installation of the pumping stations needed for irrigated plantations ($0.6 million) and equipment and vehicles ($0.6 million), given the small size and timing of the individual purchasers, will be awarded following local competitive bidding in accordance with procedures acceptable to IDA. CONSULTANTS: Twelve man-months of consultants' services, including those of a soc~ologist, a livestock specialist and an economist, will be provided under terms of reference and condition of employment satisfactory to IDA . ECONOMIC RATE OF RETURN: 12%. ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: 1981 - 0 - •