Announcement of Environmental Protection in Southern Jiangsu to Benefit Sixteen Million on March 26, 1993

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE VWorld Bank 1818 H Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20433, U.S.A. * Telephone: (202) 477-1234 IBRD News Release No. 93/74EAP Contact: Erin Burns (202)458-2210 External Affairs - EAPVP ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION IN SOUTHERN JIANGSU TO BENEFIT 16 MILLION Washington, D.C., March 26, 1993 --- Approximately 16 million people in Southern Jiangsu, China, will benefit from a concerted effort to reduce industrial pollution and strengthen the institutional framework to protect the environment. The four municipalities participating in the project are Suzhou, Wuxi, Changzhou and Zhenjiang. A World Bank loan of $250 million will support the effort. Southern Jiangsu is one of the highest priority areas for environmental protection in China. It is a fast-growing, heavily industrialized area, remarkable for the number and success of rural non-state enterprises. However, in contrast to the record of economic success are the serious environmental problems in the area. The Southern Jiangsu environmental protection project will address the most pressing of these problems: contaminated water. The project will target industrial pollution, as industry contributes between 70 and 80 percent of the total pollutant in the region. A line of credit will be provided to help finance large and small-scale industrial pollution control sub-projects. These sub-projects are designed to introduce cost-effective, low-polluting technology and processes. The sub- projects will also improve industrial efficiency, thus integrating environmental and economic objectives on a sustainable basis. Other components of the project will help finance the construction of municipal facilities for urban wastewater management and the establishment of solid and hazardous waste management centers. Also included is technical assistance and training for staff of the provincial and municipal environmental protection bureaus, the municipal sewerage companies and the hazardous material storage company. Water pollution control at the industrial level will translate into lower costs for water treatment and urban water supply. Health benefits will also result from the reduction of water-borne diseases and the control of toxic wastes. Finally, strengthening the capabilities of the local environmental agencies will contribute to sustainable environmental management. The total financing required for the project is approximately $588 million. Participating enterprises are providing $282 million, while the government is providing $56 million. The Bank loan is repayable over 20 years, including five years of grace, at the Bank's standard variable interest NOTE: Money figures are expressed in U.S. dollar equivalent. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE World Bank 1818 H Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20433, U.S.A. * Telephone: (202) 477-1234 BANK NEWS RELEASE NO. 93/74 Contact: Ciro Gamarra (202) 473-8721 IDA SUPPORTS INFRASTRUCTURE REHABLITATION IN GUYANA Washington, D.C., March 25, 1993 - The International Development Association (IDA) has approved a credit of SDR 19 million ($26 million) to help finance an infrastructure rehabilitation project in Guyana. IDA is the World Bank's concessionary lending affiliate. The $34 million project consists of rehabilitation and subsequent maintenance of about 4 km of critical sections of the sea defenses system and the establishment of effective management of the coastal areas. Rehabilitation of selected high priority main roads, including the Essequibo coast road and the Linden highway and bridges, and preventive maintenance for about 141 km of selected paved roads in the main network are included under the project. Institutional strengthening of the Ministry of Public Works, Communication and Regional Development for improving transport planning and project formulation and of the Road Administration Division for the supervision of project implementation will also be provided. The project will also finance technical and economic studies for the creation of an off-port container terminal, a study for the establishment of a National Port Authority, an environmental assessment of the Brazil-Guyana road, a study of highways subsector financing, work supervision, and the purchase of fire-fighting equipment for the Timehri airport, all-terrain vehicles, and office equipment. Cost savings to road users and avoidance of major road reconstruction costs and preservation of the sea defenses, to protect agricultural and residential areas and capital infrastructure, will be the primary benefits of the project. The Caribbean Development Bank ($6 million) and the Government of Guyana ($2 million) will finance the remaining portion of project cost. The IDA credit will be disbursed over a period of six years. The $26 million IDA credit to the Republic of Guyana is for 40 years, including 10 years of grace; it carries no interest, but has an annual charge of 0.75 percent on the disbursed balances and a variable charge of up to 0.5 percent (currently zero percent) on the undisbursed balance. NOTE: IDA credits are denominated in SDRs (Special Drawing Rigths), 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 the negotiations of the credit.