Announcement of Twenty-Eight Million US Dollars for Tunisia's Second Highway Project on December 19, 1975

•World Bank ll. 1818 H Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20433, U.S.A. • Telephone: (202) 393-6360 BANK NEWS RELEASE NO. 75/101 December 19, 1975 $28 MILLION FOR TUNISIA'S SECOND.HIGHWAY PROJECT The World Bank has today approved a loan of $28 million to help finance a second highway project in Tunisia. In line with the Government's overall development objectives and its policy of stressing maintenance and improvement of the highway network, the project will reduce transport costs and foster dev~lopment. It consists of the improvement of about 225 kilometers of the following roads: • (i) Tunis-LibJ,~.n border road; (ii) Tunis-Medjez-el-Ba.b road; (iii) Beja-Jendouba road: (iv) Tunis-Bizerte road; and (v) Hammamet-Korba road. The project will also include provision of technical assistance for transport planning and the preparation of a rural roads program. This will include about 70 man- months of consultants' services to assist the Ministry of Transport and Communication (MTC) in updating the 1968 Transport Survey. In addition, it will provide on-the-job training for permanent MTC staff. About 110 man-months of consultants' services will assist the Ministry of Public Works (MPW) in the preparation of a rural roads program in less-developed regions of Tunisia which is expected to foster agricultural and rural development. The Deutsche Genossenschaftskasse, Frankfurt, Germany, is participating in the loan. The World Bank loan will be for a term of 24 years, including 4 years of grace, • with interest at 8-1/2% per annum. Note: Money figures are expressed in US dollar equivalents. Form No. 1121 (9-75) PROJECT: T E CHNI CAL Second Highway DAT A • COUNTRY: Tunisia TOTAL COST: $52.3 million BANK FINANCING: $28 million loan OTHER FINANCING: Government IMPLEMENTING ORGANIZATIONS: Direction des Ponts et Chaussees, Ministere de l'Equipement, Tunis, Tunisia; Ministere des Transports et Communications, Tunis, Tunisia PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Second Highway Project will comprise (a) the improvement of • about 225 km of primary and secondary roads; (b) the provision of about 110 man-months of consulting services to assist the Ministry of Public Works in the preparation of a program of rural roads im- provement and construction; (c) the provision of about 70 man-months of consulting ser- vices to assist che Ministry of Transport end Connmnunication (MTC) .in the updating of the 1968 Transport Survey and in on-the-job training for MTC staff. PROCUREMENT: Construction contracts on the basis of unit prices will be awarded after international competitive bidding in accordance with the Bank's Guidelines for P~ocurement. Bids for construction contracts will be invited between January 1976 and May 1977 and related contracts are expected to be awarded between March 1976 and July 1977. The contracts will include price escalation clauses. CONSULTANTS: As indicated in project description (b) & (c). ECONOMIC RATE OF RETURN: ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: 18-42% June 30, 1979 • -0-