Announcement of 4.5 Million Dollars Credit for Telecommunications Development and 2.85 Million Dollars Credit for an Education Project in Upper Volta on June 25, 1973

• INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION 1818 H STREET, N.W., WASHINGTON D. C. 20433 TELEPHONE: EXECUTIVE 3-6360 IDA Press Release No. 73/54 Subject: ~4.5 million credit for telecommunications June 25, 1973 development and $2.85 million credit for an education project in Upper Volta The International Development Association (IDA), an affiliate of the World Bank, approved two credits of ~4.~ million and $2.85 million for the development of the telecommunications and education systems in the Republic of Upper Volta. Upper Volta is located north of Ghana and the Ivory Coast in West Africa. It has few resources and its agricultural and livestock sectors -- the livelihood of 90% of the population -- are hampered by poor soil, scarce water and low farming technology. Rural development has first priority. It implies a balanced development of food crops and cash crops, the integration of cattle raising into agriculture, • improvements in the transportation system, relief from endemic diseases, a more relevant rural education, a better regional distribution of the population, and a better communications system between urban and rural areas. 1DA has already helped finance a cotton project in 1970, a rural development fund, and a road project in 1972. These projects were designed to channel funds to local communities and provide financing for a variety of activities to raise the income and well-being of the rural population. tducation_Project Limited economic opportunities at home, particularly in rural areas, have frequently compelled young people to migrate to coastal countries~ where wages are much higher than in Upper Volta. Although their contribution of Upper Volta's oalance of payments in the form of foreign exchange remittances is substantial, the rural economy of the country is thus drained of its most dynamic element. The Government strategy in education is aimed at retaining the dynamic elements by establishing a non-formal village education system parallel to the expansion of its formal system and, built around a network of i{ural Education • Centers (Centres d'Education Rurale -- CE~) which will provide rural youth with a minimum of 11ractical training so as to assist them in becoming more productive farmers. At tile same time the Government intends to strengthen the teaching of science in secondary schools as a basis for further training at technical and professional levels. /more  • IUA P.R. No. 73/S4 -- Upper Volta - 2 - The ~2.85 million credit will assist in construction and equipping of science laboratories in 21 secondary schools, financing reconstruction and equipping of 40 CERs, and eq~ipping of 80 other CERs out of about 350 now in operation. It will also provide financing for the creation and equipping of 150 post school cooperative groups of 1S CER leavers each; the construction and equipping of three rural development training centers (Centre de Promotion Rurale -- CPR) for further training of 60 GER graduates in eac11 center aimed at 018,king them rural development agents. The project will be carried out over five years and administered by a project unit to be established within the Ministry of Agriculture and headed by the Director of Rural Education with the assistance of a proj~ct manager, directors of the Office Regionaux de Developpement, rural development specialists attached to them, and an equipment procurement specialist. Second Telecommunications Project The development of the telecommunications system in Uppe1· Volta has been hampered by lack of funds and organizational system. Telecommunications (OPT). In 1969, IDA made a first credit to assist the urgently needed rehabilitation program and expansion work of the Office des Postes et The program is expected • to be completed in November 1973. The present credit of $4.5 million will assist financing a second OPT's 1974-77 expansion program aimed at rehabilitating and modernizing the local and long-distance facilities to improve the quality of service and meet anticipated demand through 1980. The project will cost an estimated $5.6 million equivalent and will be carried out by the OPT, an autonomous agency, with the technical assistance of consultants to be selected. The borrower for both credits is the Republic of Upper Volta. The credits will be on IUA standard terms -- interest free except for a 3/4 of 1% service charge to cover IDA's administrative expenses. The Government will make the proceeds of the telecommunications credit available to OPT for a term of 20 years, includ- ing a four-year grace period, at an annual interest rate of 7 1/4%. 0 • • June 25, 1973 TECHNICAL DATA PROJECT: Second telecommunications project COUNTRY: Republic of Upper Volta TOTAL COST: ~?5. 6 million equivalent IDA FINANCING: $4.5 million, 50 years, 10 years of grace, interest free except for 3/4 of 1% service charge to cover IDA's administrative expenses. • OTHER FINANCING: Office des Postes et Telec:onununications de Haute Volta (OPT) IMPLEMENTING ORGANU~ATION: .Office des Postes et Telecommunications de Hallte Volta,Ouagadougou, Upper Volta. PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Automatic switching equipment f~r 4,800 exchange lines; local distribution network and subscriber plant; two low-capacity micro- wave links; equipment for the national and international transit exchange and trunk switching equipment; reconstruction of about 390 miles of existing interurban overhead lines and the construction of about 390 miles of new routes between regional centers and rural communities; new buildings, a power plant, vehicles and miscellaneous technical equipment and materials; consultants' services to cover the detailed engineering and construction supervision of the project, studies on tariffs and budget organization; and training of technical and administrative personnel. PROCUREMENT: Technical equipment, furniture, building materials and miscel- laneous items~ consultants'services to cover the detailed engineering and construction supervision. All goods and services will be procured through international competitiv,! bidding except for the construction of buildings and the two microwave links. CONSULTA1'n'S: To be selected • i:::STIMA'IBD COMPLETION DATE: December 1977 • 0 INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION 1818 H STREET. N.W., WASHINGTON D. C. 20433 TELEPHONE, EXECUTIVE 3-6360 • June 25, 1973 TECHNICAL DATA PROJECT: Education project COUNTRY: Upper Volta TOTAL COST: $3.6 million equivalent IDA FINANCING: ~2.85 million, 50 years, 10 years of grace, interest free except for 3/4 of 1% service charge to cover IDA's administrative expenses. OTHER FrnANCING: Government of Upper Volta IMPL.t!:MEN'.rING ORGANIZATION: Project Unit in the Ministry of Agriculture, Ouagadougou, Upper Volta. PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Providing for reconstruction and equipment of 40 Rural • Education Centers (Centres d'Education Rurale) and for equipment of 80 other CERs out of about 350 now in operation; creating and equipping about 150 post-school cooperative groups of 15 CER leavers each, con- structing and equipping ttlree rural development training centers (Centre de Promotion Rurale -- CPR) for further training of 60 CER graduates in each center towards making them rural development agents; providing technical assistance for the project including an evaluation of the rural education program; and studying the feasibility of an appropriate system to train managers for rural development projects. PROCUR.EMr.lff: Furniture and equipment will be procured through international competitive bidding, civil works subject to competitive bidding wil_, local advertising only; draft animals will be procured locally. CONSLlLTANTS: To be selected. ESTHk\TED C0:1PLETI0N DATE: November 1978. 0 •