Announcement of Thirty Million US Dollars to Improve Infrastructure in Zambia Through Support to Community-Led Microprojects on June 29, 1995

The World Bank 1818 H Street, N.W., Washington, D.C., 20433, USA IDA News Release No. 95/87/AFR Contacts: Eric Chinje (202) 473-4467 (Internet: Echinje@worldbank.org) Sheela Reddi (202) 473-5091 USS30 MILLION TO IMPROVE INFRASTRUCTURE IN ZAMBIA THROUGH SUPPORT TO COMMUNITY LED MICROPROJECTS WASHINGTON, June 29, 1995-The Board of Directors of the World Bank has approved a US$30 million credit to finance community-based microprojects in Zambia and enhance the capacity of Zambian institutions to collect and analyze poverty-related data. The credit, provided by the World Bank's concessionary lending arm, the International Development Association (IDA), is for 40 years, including ten years of grace; it carries no interest, but has an annual charge of 0.75 percent on the disbursed balance and a variable charge of up to 0.5 percent (currently zero percent) on the undisbursed balance. The Second Social Recovery Project will help mitigate the effects of the country's economic crisis on the poor by helping communities conceive and implement microprojects to improve the quality of social and economic infrastructure. This will be achieved through the construction or rehabilitation of classrooms, clinic buildings, markets, rural ridges, safe water points, sanitation facilities and earth surface roads. The credit will also be used to stimulate economic growth at district and community levels through support of economic infrastructure such as markets, rural bridges and earth surface roads, and safe water points. The project will focus on: * community-based microprojects and capacity building identified, prepared, and implemented by communities under the appraisal and supervision of the Microprojects Unit; * an annual quantitative Living Conditions Monitoring Survey and a number of complementary qualitative participatory assessments to be carried out by the Participatory Assessment Group, a non-governmental organization being created for the purpose; * policy-relevant research on poverty and social issues in a demand-driven framework through a Study Fund designed to be responsive to sector ministry needs. This credit is to follow on an earlier credit of US$20 million which was utilized in a similar program which supported more than 400 community microprojects country wide. NOTE: Allfigures are expressed in US dollar equivalent. Archives/Records Center, H B1-OO1 ( 1)