Announcement of First IDA Credit Approved to Haiti for Forestry on June 6, 1982

. . f()R IMME.DIA TE RELEASE . . . . I • i .world Bank 1818 H Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20433, U.S.A. •Telephone: {202) 477-1234 IDA NEWS RELEASE NO. 82/82 Contact: Ciro Gamarra June 7,1982 (202) 477-8034 FIRST IDA CREDIT APPROVED TO HAITI FOR FORESTRY A first step at improving Haiti's forest resources will be taken with the assistance of an SDR 3.6 million ($4 million) credit from the International Development /~ssociation (IDA), the World Bank's concessionary lending affiliate. This will be IDA's first er.edit to help Haiti's forestry development. Since forest resources are the major energy base and wood meets 72% of the energy needs, the project aims at increasing fuelwood production. Institution building for a systematic approach to reforestation will also be initiated. The $5.08 million project will provide technical assistance for the development of a professional corps of foresters to be achieved through the provision of training and education at all levels. Consultants will assist the Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development with its fuelwood planting and forest management programs. They will be assigned to the department's •• Forestry Bureau to help carry out the project and also to identify potential reforestation areas and review existing forestry policy. Project works include fuelwood trials as well as pilot fuelwood plantings near Port-au-Prince and in the northwest. A seed laboratory will be established at Damien. Additionally, a pine forest management program with agricultural support services will be implemented to rehabilitate the La Selle pine forest in the southeast 9 extending over 20,000 hectares. Co-financing for the project will come from the French Association of Volunteers for Progress (AFVP) for technical assistance, and from Canada's International Development Research Center (IDRC) for the research aspects. The $4 million 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 balance. NOTE: IDA credits are denominated in SDRs (Special Drawing Rights) which are valued on the basis of a "basketu 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 t ~ ;d . tst:fff i '' - t t .,., ' t"