Announcement that the Report on the Technical Mission to Colombia has been made Public on August 13, 1950

• HOLD FOR BELFASE HOLD.FOR RELEASE FOR THE PRESS Preas Release No. "The Basis of a Development Program ·for Colombia;", the report ·ot the technical mission to Colombia, was· today made available to the public. The report is the result of studies me.de by a mission aent to C~lombia under ::h~ sponsor~ip of the Internationa.l Bank for Beconatruction and Development in orde:r to assist the Gov-ernment ot Colombta in its development plans. The mission was the International Be.n~'a first comprehensive survey type of mission. It marked a new phase j.n the Bank's ope;rations - that of render- · ing large-scale technical assistance to its member countr.:les. The mission spent four months in Colombia, from July to November 1949, and undertook the broadest and most intensive study ever made of that co~ntry'e reepurces. and needs. Its purpoa·e was to formulate a long,.range development l)rpgram des.igned to raise the standard of living of the Colombian people. The report, there- fore, is focused on how the nation's physical and fipancial re$ources can~best be used and what government tUid private action sho~ld be taken to contribute to that ehd. Its reco:rpm~ndatton$ are designed to lay the groundwork for co~ ordinated action on various fronts to achieve affective economic development in Colombia. In h;l.s lE?tter t:r~smitting the report to the P:restdent of Ooloinbi~, Eugene R. Black, Presia.ent of the Internatiop.al Bank, saj.d the.tin the opinion Q:f' the Bank, "the Report provides f;l.!l objective, unbitieeQ: e,nal,ysis of Colombia's development poten.tialities e,.nq p~obleIQS by a ~ompeuent group of independe:nt ~xperte,. Yqu wtll, o()·eourt:Je, :recc,gntze that tl\e Banlt .he.a not ., had tJle opportuntty- to constder t\lllY the :n\Ull~:roue rec0Jm?1.el'ld~tion~ co:qtained in the Report anC,. therefore must ;regar<l tbem as matte1:"e .for st1.,1.ey and future  - 2 - • discussion with your Government rather than recommendations of the Be.nk to your Government. At the same time, we believe their analyses and reco~enda- tione are deserving of the most careful and sympathetic consideration by the Government and people of Colombia. The Report can be fully effective, however, only if it serves as a basis and guide for the Colombian authorities themselves to work out a sound, well-balanced developinent program, and as e. means of educating public 9pinion." The Beport of the mission, which was headed by Dr. I.,auchlin Currie, has been prepared in two fo?1nS: a SUMMABY of the Beport; designed for the general reade~, setting forth the high+ig~ts of the program, and the COMPBE- BENSIVE BEPOBT. The latter contains extensive deacriptive material, charts, maps, tables, and technical analysis and explanation of the recommendations. • It is divided as follows: (1) ~ description ~d diagnosis of economic con- ditions and proble~ in the vafio~a fields discussed, and (2) proposed mea- sures for improvement and estimates of financial and other requirements to carry them out. Thia is the first time a Bank mission report has been made publicly available. English and Spanish editions are being issued simultaneously in Washington and Bogota, respectively. The English version wi-11 be available for purchase at the International Bank, 1818 R Street, N.W., Washington, n.c. The SUMMARY@ 50¢ per copy is immeg.iately available; the COMPREHENSIVE REPORT, includi~g the Summary,@ $5.00 per copy is b~ing printed and wi11 be available about September 20. The Banco de la Republica of Colombia is publishing.the Spanish editions of the Summary 8.lld Comprehensive Reports and will handle their distribution. The following list indicates the wide range of topics covered in the Report. • • - 3· - I. ~!CULTURE Land Use and Land Tenure Technical, Educational and Credit Services Expansion of Agricultural Production Capital Requirements II. INDUSTRY AND FUEIS Industrial Productivity Potential Expa.neion of In~ustry Iron and Steel Petroleum Oil Befinery Coal Forest Products Other Industrtes Power tor·In4uatry Capital Requirements lII. TBANSPpBTATION • Regulation ~f Transportation Railroad Tr~nsportation ·Improvem:~nt of Operatiqn Proposed Expa?iQion of Bailroads Highway Transportation )perational Improvements Major Highw~y ~xtensions · Water frans~ortation and Port Facilities Improvement of Operating Efficiency Biver and Port Projects Ocea.ri anq Coastwise Sh!pping Pi;pelin,es Air Transportatton Capital ~eq~iremente zy. J?UBLIC HEALTH, WELFARE AND E'I):TCATION ' ' ' i I' 1-. .. -, , Public Health Priority Objective of the P'ublic. Health Prog:ram Organization Env;l.ronment Personnel Hospitals and Health Center~ Welfare · Edu,cat io??. and Training •  .. 4 - V. ELECTRIC POWER AND COMMUNITY FACILITIES Electric Power . Expansion of }tower Capacity Type and Location of Facilities Planning and Administration Other Services Water Supply and Sewerage Public Martets and Slaughterhouse Telephones Street Paving and Cleaning 8,Jld Waste Collection Administration and Finanqing of Community Facilit!es Utility Rates Municipal Finances f.Pld Administration VI. HOUSING AND OTHER BUILDING VII. - PUBLIC FINANCE AND FISCAL POLlCY . !1 Ta.itea /I Budgetary Practices Dep~rtmental and Municipal Finance - • VIII. IX. MONETARY AND BANKING POLICY ,.._. FOBEIGN . ' .. '!'RADE AND.. EXCHANGE Foreign ~change Policies Foreign InveetJJ1ent irade Policy Government Organization and Adminiet;r~tion Economic ·,ata, Natio~~l Accounts Members of the Mission were: D1". t.auchl1n Currie Chief of M!asion Roge:r. Anderson Advise+ on fo~eign ~cha.nee Haywood R. Faison Adviser on Highways and Waterways Carl W. Flesher Adviser on Induetni, Fuels and ;power Freqerick c. Gill Advi~er on Transport~tion :pavid I,. Gordon . Adviser on Comm\lnity Facilities Baymond c. Smith Adviser on Agriculture· Wilfred Johns Assistant Adviee~ on Agr,iculture Joseph W. Mo'l,Ultin Adviser oQ.He~lth and Welfare Juan Antonio Montoya Aae1~t~t Adviser on Health • AdviseJ:" on Fineince and Money IU'ld l3anking Richard A. M\legrave Joseph Wbiite Advise~ on Eailroa~~ · Jacql,\es Tort~ EccmoJ11.:f.et Gordon Grwson A~etst81'lt to Cniet of r1,;:Jas1.on