Conformed Copy - C1918 - Da Xing An Ling Forest Fire Rehabilitation Project - Development Credit Agreement

Page 1 CONFORMED COPY CREDIT NUMBER 1918 CHA (Da Xing An Ling Forest Fire Rehabilitation Project) between PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA and INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION Dated July 15, 1988 CREDIT NUMBER 1918 CHA DEVELOPMENT CREDIT AGREEMENT AGREEMENT, dated July 15, 1988, between PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA (the Borrower) and INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION (the Association). WHEREAS the Borrower, having satisfied itself as to the feasibility and priority of the Project described in Schedule 2 to this Agreement, has requested the Association to assist in the financing of the Project; and WHEREAS the Association has agreed, on the basis, inter alia, of the foregoing, to extend the Credit to the Borrower upon the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement; NOW THEREFORE the parties hereto hereby agree as follows: ARTICLE I General Conditions; Definitions Page 2 Section 1.O1. The "General Conditions Applicable to Development Credit Agreements" of the Association, dated January 1, 1985, with the last sentence of Section 3.02 deleted (the General Conditions) constitute an integral part of this Agreement. Section 1.O2. Unless the context otherwise requires, the several terms defined in the General Conditions have the respective meanings therein set forth and the following additional terms have the following meanings: (a) "Special Account" means the account referred to in Section 2.02 (b) of this Agreement; (b) "MFO" means the Borrower's Ministry of Forestry, and any successor thereto; and (c) "Project area" means the Da Xing An Ling natural forest area located in Heilongjiang Province and Nei Monggol Autonomous Region in northeastern China. ARTICLE II The Credit Section 2.01. The Association agrees to lend to the Borrower, on the terms and conditions set forth or referred to in the Development Credit Agreement, an amount in various currencies equivalent to forty-one million one hundred thousand Special Drawing Rights (SDR 41,100,000). Section 2.02. (a) The amount of the Credit may be withdrawn from the Credit Account in accordance with the provisions of Schedule 1 to this Agreement for expenditures made (or, if the Association shall so agree, to be made) in respect of the reasonable cost of goods and services required for the Project described in Schedule 2 to this Agreement and to be financed out of the proceeds of the Credit. (b) The Borrower shall, for the purposes of the Project, open and maintain in dollars a special account in a bank acceptable to the Association on terms and conditions satisfactory to the Association. Deposits into, and payments out of, the Special Account shall be made in accordance with the provisions of Schedule 4 to this Agreement. Section 2.O3. The Closing Date shall be March 31, 1992 or such later date as the Association shall establish. The Association shall promptly notify the Borrower of such later date. Section 2.04. (a) The Borrower shall pay to the Association a commitment charge on the principal amount of the Credit not withdrawn from time to time at a rate to be set by the Association as of June 30 of each year, but not to exceed the rate of one-half of one percent (1/2 of 1%) per annum. (b) The commitment charge shall accrue: (i) from a date sixty days after the date of this Agreement (the accrual date) to the respective dates on which amounts shall be withdrawn by the Borrower from the Credit Account or cancelled; (ii) at the rate set as of the June 30 immediately preceding the accrual date or at such other rates as may be set from time to time thereafter pursuant to paragraph (a) above. The rate set as of June 30 in each year shall be applied as of the next payment date in that year specified in Section 2.06 of this Agreement, except that the rate set as of June 30, 1988 shall be applied as of July 1, 1988. (c) The commitment charge shall be paid: (i) at such places as the Association shall reasonably request; (ii) without restrictions of any kind imposed by, or in the territory of, the Borrower; and (iii) in the currency specified in this Agreement for the purposes of Section 4.02 of the General Conditions or in such other eligible currency or currencies as may from time to time be designated or selected pursuant to the provisions of that Section. Section 2.O5. The Borrower shall pay to the Association a service charge at the rate of three-fourths of one percent (3/4 of 1%) per annum on the principal amount of the Credit withdrawn and outstanding from time to time. Page 3 Section 2.06. Commitment charges and service charges shall be payable semiannually on May 1 and November 1 in each year. Section 2.07. (a) Subject to paragraphs (b) and (c) below, the Borrower shall repay the principal amount of the Credit in semiannual installments payable on each May 1 and November 1 commencing November 1, 1998 and ending May 1, 2023. Each installment to and including the installment payable on May 1, 2008, shall be one and one-fourth percent (1-1/4%) of such principal amount, and each installment thereafter shall be two and one-half percent (2-1/2%) of such principal amount. (b) Whenever: (i) the Borrower's gross national product per capita, as determined by the Association, shall have exceeded $790 in constant 1985 dollars for five consecutive years, and (ii) the Bank shall consider the Borrower creditworthy for Bank lending, the Association may, subsequent to the review and approval thereof by the Executive Directors of the Association and after due consideration by them of the development of the Borrower's economy, modify the terms of repayment of installments under paragraph (a) above by requiring the Borrower to repay twice the amount of each such installment not yet due until the principal amount of the Credit shall have been repaid. If so requested by the Borrower, the Association may revise such modification to include, in lieu of some or all of the increase in the amounts of such installments, the payment of interest at an annual rate agreed with the Association on the principal amount of the Credit withdrawn and outstanding from time to time, provided that, in the judgment of the Association, such revision shall not change the grant element obtained under the above-mentioned repayment modification. (c) If, at any time after a modification of terms pursuant to paragraph (b) above, the Association determines that the Borrower's economic condition has deteriorated significantly, the Association may, if so requested by the Borrower, further modify the terms of repayment to conform to the schedule of installments as provided in paragraph (a) above. Section 2.O8. The currency of the United States of America is hereby specified for the purposes of Section 4.O2 of the General Conditions. ARTICLE III Execution of the Project Section 3.01. (a) The Borrower declares its commitment to the objectives of the Project as set forth in Schedule 2 to this Agreement, and, to this end, shall carry out the Project through MFO with due diligence and efficiency and in conformity with appropriate forestry, financial and administrative practices, and shall provide, promptly as needed, the funds, facilities, services and other resources required for the Project. (b) Without prejudice to the provisions of paragraph (a) above, the Borrower shall employ, short-term technical specialists whose qualifications, experience and schedule of employment satisfactory to the Association, for the purposes of assisting road construction, logging and transport under Part A of the Project. Section 3.O2. Except as the Association shall otherwise agree, procurement of the goods and consultants' services required for the Project and to be financed out of the proceeds of the Credit shall be governed by the provisions of Schedule 3 to this Agreement. Section 3.03. (a) The Borrower shall ensure that the Project will be carried out in compliance with environmental standards acceptable to the Association. (b) Without prejudice to the provisions of paragraph (a) above, the Borrower shall take all necessary measures to reduce hazards of fire and insect infestations in the Project Area. Section 3.04. The Borrower shall establish arrangements satisfactory to the Association for the purposes of operation and maintenance of aircraft provided under the Project. Page 4 ARTICLE IV Financial Covenants Section 4.O1. (a) The Borrower shall maintain or cause to be maintained records and accounts adequate to reflect in accordance with sound accounting practices the operations, resources and expenditures in respect of the Project of the departments or agencies of the Borrower responsible for carrying out the Project or any part thereof. (b) The Borrower shall: (i) have the records and accounts referred to in paragraph (a) of this Section including those for the Special Account for each fiscal year audited, in accordance with appropriate auditing principles consistently applied, by independent auditors acceptable to the Association; (ii) furnish to the Association, as soon as available, but in any case not later than six months after the end of each such year, a certified copy of the report of such audit by said auditors, of such scope and in such detail as the Association shall have reasonably requested; and (iii) furnish to the Association such other information concerning said records, accounts and the audit thereof as the Association shall from time to time reasonably request. (c) For all expenditures with respect to which withdrawals from the Credit Account were made on the basis of statements of expenditure, the Borrower shall: (i) maintain or cause to be maintained, in accordance with paragraph (a) of this Section, records and accounts reflecting such expenditures; (ii) retain, until at least one year after the Association has received the audit for the fiscal year in which the last withdrawal from the Credit Account was made, all records (contracts, orders, invoices, bills, receipts and other documents) evidencing such expenditures; (iii) enable the Association's representatives to examine such records; and (iv) ensure that such records and accounts are included in the annual audit referred to in paragraph (b) of this Section and that the report of such audit contains a separate opinion by said auditors as to whether the statements of expenditure submitted during such fiscal year, together with the procedures and internal controls involved in their preparation, can be relied upon to support the related withdrawals. ARTICLE V Effective Date; Termination Section 5.01. The following event is specified as an additional condition to the effectiveness of the Development Credit Agreement within the meaning of Section 12.01 (b) of the General Conditions, namely, that the Borrower's State Council shall have approved the Development Credit Agreement. Section 5.02. The date ninety (90) days after the date of this Agreement is hereby specified for the purposes of Section 12.04 of the General Conditions. ARTICLE VI Representatives of the Borrower; Addresses Page 5 Section 6.01. The Minister of Finance of the Borrower is designated as representative of the Borrower for the purposes of Section 11.O3 of the General Conditions. Section 6.O2. The following addresses are specified for the purposes of Section 11.O1 of the General Conditions: For the Borrower: Ministry of Finance Sanlihe Beijing People's Republic of China Cable address: Telex: FINANMIN 22486 Beijing For the Association: International Development Association 1818 H Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 2O433 United States of America Cable address: Telex: INDEVAS 44OO98 (ITT) Washington, D.C. 248423 (RCA) or 64145 (WUI) IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto, acting through their duly authorized representatives, have caused this Agreement to be signed in their respective names in the District of Columbia, United States of America, as of the day and year first above written. PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA By /s/ Qian Yong Nian Authorized Representative INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION By /s/ Attila Karaosmanoglu Regional Vice President Asia SCHEDULE 1 Withdrawal of the Proceeds of the Credit 1. The table below sets forth the Categories of items to be financed out of the proceeds of the Credit, the allocation of the amounts of the Credit to each Category and the percentage of expenditures for items so to be financed in each Category: Amount of the Credit Allocated % of Page 6 (Expressed in Expenditures Category SDR Equivalent) to be Financed (1) Equipment, 34,200,000 100% of foreign machinery, expenditures or vehicles and 100% of local aircraft expenditures (ex-factory cost) (2) Civil works 3,000,000 90% (3) Consultants' 600,000 100% of foreign services and expenditures training (4) Unallocated 3,300,000 __________ TOTAL 41,100,000 2. For the purposes of this Schedule: (a) the term "foreign expenditures" means expenditures in the currency of any country other than that of the Borrower for goods or services supplied from the territory of any country other than that of the Borrower; and (b) the term "local expenditures" means expenditures in the currency of the Borrower or for goods or services supplied from the territory of the Borrower. 3. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph 1 above, no withdrawals shall be made: (i) in respect of payments made for expenditures prior to the date of this Agreement, except that withdrawals, in an aggregate amount not exceeding the equivalent of SDR 5,100,000, may be made in respect of Categories (1) and (3) on account of payments made for expenditures before that date but after February 16, 1988; and (ii) in respect of payments for aircraft unless the arrangements referred to in Section 3.04 of this Agreement shall have been established. SCHEDULE 2 Description of the Project The objectives of the Project are to assist the Borrower in: (i) salvaging the large quantity of timber affected by the recent fire in the Project Area; and (ii) establishing fire protection and rehabilitation programs to protect, restore and maintain the sustainable productive capacity of the forests in the Project Area. The Project consists of the following parts, subject to such modifications thereof as the Borrower and the Association may agree upon from time to time to achieve such objectives: Part A: Salvaging operations (1) Felling and logging of about 14 million cubic meters (cbm) of dead timber of lumber quality; (2) Temporary storage and preservation of timber which can not be transported or marketed immediately; and (3) Transportation and marketing of about 14 million cbm of timber through the construction and upgrading of about 3,900 km of roads including temporary roads. Part B: Fire Protection Establishment of a comprehensive fire protection system for the Project Area. Page 7 Part C: Regeneration Regeneration of the burnt area through improvements in seed collection and processing, and on research and trials with advanced nursery and regeneration methods and silvicultural treatment. Part D: Consultants' Services and Training Provision of consultants' services and training to support planning and implementation of the Project activities and to improve management of forest resources in the Project Area. * * * The Project is expected to be completed by September 30, 1991. SCHEDULE 3 Procurement and Consultants' Services Section I. Procurement of Goods and Works Part A: International Competitive Bidding Except as provided in Part C hereof, goods shall be procured under contracts awarded in accordance with procedures consistent with those set forth in Sections I and II of the "Guidelines for Procurement under IBRD Loans and IDA Credits" published by the Bank in May 1985 (the Guidelines). Part B: Preference for Domestic Manufacturers In the procurement of goods in accordance with the procedures described in Part A hereof, goods manufactured in China may be granted a margin of preference in accordance with, and subject to, the provisions of paragraphs 2.55 and 2.56 of the Guidelines and paragraphs 1 through 4 of Appendix 2 thereto. Part C: Other Procurement Procedures 1. Machinery, equipment and aircraft estimated to cost not exceeding the equivalent of $7,000,000 in the aggregate, may be procured under contracts awarded through limited international bidding procedures on the basis of evaluation and comparison of bids invited from a list of at least three qualified suppliers eligible under the Guidelines and in accordance with the procedures set forth in Sections I and II of the Guidelines (excluding paragraphs 2.8, 2.9, 2.55 and 2.56 thereof). 2. Contracts for civil works shall be awarded in accordance with local competitive bidding procedures acceptable to the Association. Part D: Review by the Association of Procurement Decisions 1. Review of invitations to bid and of proposed awards and final contracts: (a) With respect to each contract estimated to cost the equivalent of $200,000 or more, the procedures set forth in paragraphs 2 and 4 of Appendix 1 to the Guidelines shall apply. Where payments for such contract are to be made out of the Special Account, such procedures shall be modified to ensure that the two conformed copies of the contract required to be furnished to the Association pursuant to said paragraph 2 (d) shall be furnished to the Association prior to the making of the first payment out of the Special Account in respect of such contract. (b) With respect to each contract not governed by the preceding paragraph, the procedures set forth in paragraphs 3 and 4 of Appendix 1 to the Guidelines shall apply. Where payments for such contract are to be made out of the Special Account, such procedures shall be modified to ensure that the two conformed copies of the contract together with the other information required to be furnished to the Association pursuant to said paragraph 3 shall be furnished to the Association as part of the evidence to be furnished pursuant to paragraph 4 of Schedule 4 to this Page 8 Agreement. (c) The provisions of the preceding subparagraphs (a) and (b) shall not apply to contracts on account of which the Association has authorized withdrawals from the Credit Account on the basis of statements of expenditure. Such contracts shall be retained in accordance with Section 4.01 (c) (ii) of this Agreement. 2. The figure of 15% is hereby specified for purposes of paragraph 4 of Appendix 1 to the Guidelines. Section II. Employment of Consultants In order to assist in carrying out the Project, the Borrower shall employ consultants whose qualifications, experience and terms and conditions of employment shall be satisfactory to the Association. Such consultants shall be selected in accordance with principles and procedures satisfactory to the Association on the basis of the "Guidelines for the Use of Consultants by World Bank Borrowers and by the World Bank as Executing Agency" published by the Bank in August 1981. SCHEDULE 4 Special Account 1. For the purposes of this Schedule: (a) the term "eligible Categories" means Categories (1), (2) and (3) set forth in the table in paragraph 1 of Schedule 1 to this Agreement; (b) the term "eligible expenditures" means expenditures in respect of the reasonable cost of goods and services required for the Project and to be financed out of the proceeds of the Credit allocated from time to time to the eligible Categories in accordance with the provisions of Schedule 1 to this Agreement; and (c) the term "Authorized Allocation" means an amount equivalent to SDR 4,000,000 to be withdrawn from the Credit Account and deposited in the Special Account pursuant to paragraph 3 (a) of this Schedule. 2. Except as the Association shall otherwise agree, payments out of the Special Account shall be made exclusively for eligible expenditures in accordance with the provisions of this Schedule. 3. After the Association has received evidence satisfactory to it that the Special Account has been duly opened, withdrawals of the Authorized Allocation and subsequent withdrawals to replenish the Special Account may be made as follows: (a) On the basis of a request or requests by the Borrower for a deposit or deposits which add up to the aggregate amount of the Authorized Allocation, the Association shall, on behalf of the Borrower, withdraw from the Credit Account and deposit in the Special Account such amount or amounts as the Borrower shall have requested. (b) The Borrower shall furnish to the Association requests for replenishment of the Special Account at such intervals as the Association shall specify. On the basis of such requests, the Association shall withdraw from the Credit Account and deposit into the Special Account such amounts as shall be required to replenish the Special Account with amounts not exceeding the amount of payments made out of the Special Account for eligible expenditures. All such deposits shall be withdrawn by the Association from the Credit Account under the respective eligible Categories, and in the respective equivalent amounts, as shall have been justified by the evidence supporting the request for such deposit furnished pursuant to paragraph 4 of this Schedule. 4. For each payment made by the Borrower out of the Special Account for which the Borrower requests replenishment pursuant to paragraph 3 (b) of this Schedule, the Borrower shall furnish to the Association, prior to or at the time of such request, such documents and other evidence as the Association shall reasonably request, showing that such payment was made for eligible expen Page 9 ditures. 5. (a) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph 3 of this Schedule, no further deposit into the Special Account shall be made by the Association when either of the following situations first arises: (i) the Association shall have determined that all further withdrawals should be made by the Borrower directly from the Credit Account in accordance with the provisions of Article V of the General Conditions and paragraph (a) of Section 2.02 of this Agreement; or (ii) the total unwithdrawn amount of the Credit allocated to the eligible Categories, minus the amount of any outstanding special commitment entered into by the Association pursuant to Section 5.02 of the General Conditions with respect to the Project, shall be equal to the equivalent of twice the amount of the Authorized Allocation. (b) Thereafter, withdrawal from the Credit Account of the remaining unwithdrawn amount of the Credit allocated to the eligible Categories shall follow such procedures as the Association shall specify by notice to the Borrower. Such further withdrawals shall be made only after and to the extent that the Association shall have been satisfied that all such amounts remaining on deposit in the Special Account as of the date of such notice will be utilized in making payments for eligible expenditures. 6. (a) If the Association shall have determined at any time that any payment out of the Special Account (i) was made for any expenditure or in any amount not eligible pursuant to paragraph 2 of this Schedule, or (ii) was not justified by the evidence furnished to the Association, the Borrower shall, promptly upon notice from the Association deposit into the Special Account (or, if the Association shall so request, refund to the Association) an amount equal to the amount of such payment or the portion thereof not so eligible or justified. No further deposit by the Association into the Special Account shall be made until the Borrower has made such deposit or refund. (b) If the Association shall have determined at any time that any amount outstanding in the Special Account will not be required to cover further payments for eligible expenditures, the Borrower shall, promptly upon notice from the Association, refund to the Association such outstanding amount for crediting to the Credit Account.