Announcement of Central African Republic to Receive IDA Assistance for Fourth Highway Project on June 10, 1982

. FOR .IMMEDIATE: RELEASE . • ,i. ""' • '. World Bank 1818 H Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20433, U.S.A.• Telephone: (202) 477-1234 IOA NEWS RELEASE NO. 82/83 Contact: Pamela Brennan June 10, 1982 (202) 477-5344 CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC TO RECEIVE IDA ASSISTANCE FOR FOURTH HIGHWAY PROJECT A $48 million highway rehabilitation project in the Central African Republic wi11 contribute to the country's economic recovery program by facilitating trade and reducing transport costs. The project will be assisted by an SOR 16.2 million ($18 million) credit from the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank's affiliate for concessionary lending. This is IDA's fourth credit to support the development of the country's roads sector. The Kuwait and OPEC Funds, the African Development Fund, the Fonds d'Aide et de Coop~ration (France), and the Development Bank of the Central African States will co-finance the project. As most of the country's domestic cargo is transported by road, the project aims at rehabilitating and maintaining the most important sections of the country's road network. The Ministry of Public Works, the implementing agency for the oroiect. will repair 1,217 kilometers of gravel roads; some of these roads form part of the east-west Trans-African Highway and the others are important north-south links. Two paved roads leading out of Bangui will be reconstructed; the first links the capital with M'Baiki in the south and the second connects it with Ymbi in the north. The project will provide technical assistance to help ensure effective road and equipment maintenance and to promote the development of rural road-maintenance contractors. Consultants will also be hired under the project to supervise the rehabili- tation and reconstruction activities. Other consultants will carry out a study of the trucking industry and will strengthen the country's transportation planning capacity. Equipment and additional support facilities, such as the construction of buildings for the implementing agency will be financed under the project. Short-, medium-, and long-term training of national personnel will be carried out to strengthen operations in the transport sector. The IDA credit is for 50 years, including 10 years of grace; it carries no interest but bears a small annual service charge of 0.5% on the undisbursed balances of the credit, and 0.75% on the disbursed balances. NOTE: IDA credits are denominated in SDRs (Special Drawing Rights) which are valued on the basis of a 11 basket 11 of currencies. The U.S. dollar equivalent of the SOR amount of the IDA credit reflects the exchange rates existing at the time of negotiation of the credit. t ~ f Mtrrt Ct :Rt