Announcement of Four Million One Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars Credit for Livestock in Mauritania on November 4, 1971

• INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION 1818 H STREET. N.W .. WASHINGTON 0. C. 20433 TELEPHONE: EXECUTIVE 3-6360 IDA Press Release No. 71/41 Subject: $4.15 million credit for Nove1m>er 4, 1971 livestock in Mauritania The Intern.;.tional Dew.lopment Association (IDA) .an affiliate- of the World BMlk has approved a crr.~dit of $4.15 million to help finance a live- stock project in the Republic of Mauritania. Three administrative regioos in the southwest contai.ning about half the country's population and 40:~ of its livestock will benefit from the project which rep-resents the World Bank Group's first assistance to agri.c.ul.ture in Mauritania. Livestock develop~nt is vital to the economic growth of Mau=itania, a Pretiomina.'ltly d£:-2-ert cowtry with linu.ted agricult.ural possibilities. ~ livestock herding directly supp.o-rts about 70% of the population.- and • .offers the best possibillties for improvement of the standards· of liviDg, In. recent. years the acti v:!.ties of the Gove:rrn:nent 's Livestock Service have ~~.:i ~eve rely restricted by shortage of funds and of equip!D9.nt. The project was prepa~ed with the assistance of the. Food and Agriculture Organi~ati..on and World. Bank cocperativt:? program.. It provides ·for reconstruc- tion and repair of past.oral wells, training and eqtdpment of well -maintena.nce te..ms; exploratory drilling aud suhse•:ruent well construction; es~lishment ·of ;m ~mal .he.aJ.th program; est.ablishment <'Uld maintenance of firebreaks. The project· will be implemeoted over a four-year period by the Min.i9'trie..q of Rural DeveJ.opment and of Equipmant under the overall supervision of the Ministry of Planning. A Project Coordinating Commission will advise the Minister for Rural Development .on certain aspects of the wells ;ui.d fi~e&ks components of the project. The total.cost of the project i.s estimated at nbout $6.0 million i.Dclwling $3.7 million investnEnt costs and $2.3 million for initial operating costs. The. IDA credit will finance about 70% of project costs, the remainder being • fin.a.need by the Government • The borrower is the Republic~. of M8uri tania and the IDA cred.i t is for SO yea.rs~ including a 10-year grace period. It is interest free except for a 3/4 of 1% s'rvice charge to 111itet IDA's administrative ~n&es. - 0  • November 4 , 19 71 TECHNICAL DATA PROJECT: Livestock COUNTRY: Islamic Republic of Mauritania TOTAL COST: $6.0 million equivalent IDA FINANCING: $4 .15 rrd.llioa equivalent credit, 50, ye.:.irs, 10-year grace pe~iod, 3/4 of 1% service charge. OTHER FINANCING: Approxi.mately 30:~ of the total cost will be financed by the Government. IMPLEMENTING ORGANIZATION: Ministere du Plan et de Recherche, MINIPLAN, Nouakchott. A Project CoordinA.ting Commission will be appointed to • advise tl-~e Minister for Ru~al DeYelopment on certain aspects of the project. The Director of Livestock will be the executive officer for that commission. PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Reconstruction and repair of rural wells~ training and equippi.ng of well maintenance teams; e:<ploratory drilling and subsequent well construction; establishment of an animal health program; establishment and maintenance of firebreaks. PROCUREMENT PROCEDURES: Contracts for well construction will be subject to international competitive bidding except a maximum of 15% of well repair and reconstruction works which, upon recommendation by consultants, may be carried out by the borrower. Vehicles, various i terns of plant and machinery for the well maintenance tt?ams will be procured by intemn- tional competitive bidding. Other items to be procured locally. CONSULTANTS: To be selected. ESTIMATED COMPLETIJ)N DATE: 1976. - 0 - •