Announcement of IDA Approves Credit for Technical Assistance to Rwanda on March 18 , 1982

" . . .. . . . FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE . .. J • • •World Bank 1818 H Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20433, U.S.A.• Telephone: (202) 477-1234 IDA NEWS RELEASE NO. 82/44 Contact: Pushpa Schwartz March 18 , 1982 (202) 477-5306 IDA APPROVES CREDIT FOR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO RWANDA Rwanda will impro\e its ability to carry out development projects with the aid of experts recruited internationally. To help pay for their services 1 a credit of SOR 4.3 million ($5 million) has been approved by the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank's affiliate for concessionary lending. The main coordinating agency for development in Rwanda is the Ministry of Planning. Its Programs Directorate will be supported by a study fund, financed by the IDA credit, to pay for preinvestment and engineering studies. The fund will finance about 545 staff-months of expert assistance. In addition, a project economist will be hired to help manage the fu~d. A documentation center will also be established in the ministry. • Other directorates of the Ministry of Planning are assisted by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and bilateral agencies of Belgium, France, the Federal Republic of Germany, and Switzerland. The strengthening of the Programs Directorate will contribute to a more balanced staffing and better coordination among the technical ministries. The UNDP will contribute $1 million in technical assistance to the IDA-supported project. A financial analyst will be provided to the National Bureau for the Study of Projects. Among its duties, this bureau prepares documentation (technical, economic, and financial) necessary for submitting projects for outside financing. Two-week training seminars on project preparation and implementation will be held for Rwandan officials. The IDA credit to the Rwandese Republic is for a term of 50 years including 10 years of grace. It is interest-free but carries a service charge of 3/4 of 1% a year to help cover IDA administrative costs. The address of the Ministry of Planning is:Ministere du Plan, Bofte Postale 46, Kigali, Rwanda, Telex: MINIPLAN KIGALI. • NOTE: IDA credits are denominated in SDRs (Special Drawing Rights) which are valued on the basis of a "basket" of currencies. The U.S. dollar equivalent of the SDR amount of the IDA credit reflects the exchange rates existing at the time of negotiation of the credit.