Announcement of World Bank Provides Nineteen Million Dollars to Jordan for Third Education Project on December 17, 1979

" FOR IMMEDIATE . RELEASE " ' " ~ .VorldBank 1818 H Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20433, U.S.A.• Telephone: (202) 477-1234 BANK NEWS RELEASE NO. 80/34 December 17, 1979 WORLD BANK PROVIDES $19 MILLION TO JORDAN FOR THIRD EDUCATION PROJECT lhe World Bank has approved a loan of $19 million to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan for a thfrd education project. The project will help expand vocational/ technical training and thereby help to meet the continuing shortage of skilled manpower in the commercial, industrial, and construction sectors. It wi 11 also help to improve the quality of secondary agricultural education. The project will consist of: construction or extension of and equipment and furniture for the Saahab training complex, five comprehensive secondary schools (two extensions), the Shoubak agricultural secondary school, a prevocational teacher training institute (extension), the Zarqa Community College, and one computerized management information system; equipment for eight mobile building • maintenance units; and technical assistance related to the above, and for strengthening the Ministry of Education (MOE) 's capabilities in research, evalua- tion, and project implementation. The project will assist in meeting the needs for technicians and teachers through the development of a new type of post-secondary training institution. The project will also help to improve the relevance and quality of basic and secondary education through the training of prevocational subject teachers, and diversification of the secondary school system. About 5,400 new training places (about 3,100 for replacement) will be provided and about 1,300 existing places will be upgraded. School building maintenance capability will be improved by providing mobile building maintenance units. The capability of the MOE for planning, research, evaluation and management will also be strengthened through the provision of technical assistance. The World Bank loan to Jordan is for a term of 17 years, including a 4-year grace period, with interest at 7.95% per annum. NOTE: Money figures are expressed in U.S. cio"ii"ar equivalents . • FORM NO. 1121 (5-76) T EC HN I CAL DAT A PROJECT: COUNTRY: TOTAL COST: Third Education Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan $40. 1 mi 11 ion • BANK FINANCING: $19 million for a term of 17 years, including a grace period of 4 y~ars, at 7.95% per ann~m OTHER FINANCING: Governmen~ of Jordan, $19.6 million United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), $1.5 million IMPLEMENTING ORGANIZATION: Ministry of Education (MOE) Project Implementation Unit P.O. Box 1646 Amman, Jordan TELEX: 925 1396 PROJECT DESCRIPTION: It consists of: (a) construction/extension of and equip- ment and furniture for the Saahab training complex; five comprehensive secondary schools (two extensions); the Shaubak agricultural secondary school and prevocational teacher training institute (extension), the Zarqa Community College, and one computerized management information system; (b) equipment for eight mobile building maintenance units; and (c) technical assistance related to the above, and for strengthening the MOE's capability in research, evaluation, and project im- plementation. PROCUREMENT: Civil works contracts (amounting to about $24.3 million including contingencies) and contracts for furniture and equipment in excess of $100,000 will be awaidcd on the basis of international compe- • titive bidding (ICB). Equipment and furniture items (amounting to $10.3 million in- cluding contingencies) will be grouped to the extent possible in large packages to permit bulk procurement. Small items or groups of items estimated to cost less than $100,000, or items of a specialized nature for which ICB will not be practical, will be procured under normal government procedures which are satisfactory to the Bank. The total value of these items wi 11 not exceed $1 mi 11 ion. In ICB comparisons, local manufacturers of furniture and equipment will be allowed a margin of preference equal to the existing rate of customs duties applicable to competing imports or 15% of the c. i .f. price, whichever is lower. CONSULTANTS: The project includes 20 man-years of foreign experts' services to assist in curriculum development, administration for the project institutions, and institutional support for the MOE, including the management information system . ECONOMIC RATE OF RETURN: n.a. ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: 1984 - 0 - •