Announcement of Sierra Leone Receives IDA Funds for a Second Highway Project on May 4, 1981

. ' . FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ,World Bank 1818 H Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20433, U.S.A.• Telephone: (202) 477-1234 IDA NEWS RELEASE NO. 81/71 May 4, 1981 SIERRA LEONE RECEIVES IDA FUNDS FOR A SECOND HIGHWAY PROJECT Sferra Leone will receive a credit of SDR 8.1 million ($10 mill ion) from the International Development Association (IDA) for a second high- way project, it was announced today. IDA is the World Bank's affi 1 iate for concessionary lending. The main purpose of the project is to improve Sierra Leone's exist- ing road network, thereby reducing t~ansportation costs. The entire 4,400 mile long road network will receive routine main- tenance under the project, while some 200 miles of paved roads will be • reseal~d and 370 miles of gravel roads rehabilitated . Sierra Leone's rural and urban populations wil 1 both benefit from the increased accessibility of remote agricultural areas. For city dwellers, lower transport costs will mean a cheaper and more abundant food supply; rural families will benefit from improved agricultural ex- ten~ion services and better distributio~ of farm inputs. Substantial technical assistance and training are also provided to increase the efficiency of the Ministry of Works' staff both in road maintenance and in the preparation of engineering studies. Joining IDA in financing this project are the OPEC Fund for Inter- national Development ($7 million) and the African Development Fund {$5.9 mi 11 ion) . The IDA credit is for 50 years, including 10 years of grace. It bears no interest, but carries a service charge of 3/4 of 1% to cover the Associat:on's administrative costs. The credit will be committed when funds are available. NOT€: IDA credits are denominated in SDRs {Special Drawing Rights), which are valued on the basis of a ''basket" of currencies. The U.S. dol- lar equivalent of the SDR amount of the IDA credit reflects the ex- • change rates existing at the time of negotiation of the credit . FORM NO. 1121 (5-76) T ECHN I CAL D A T A PROJECT: Second Highway COUNTRY: Sierra Leone TOTAL COST: $29 million IDA FINANCING: SDR 8.1 million ($10 million), standard IDA terms OTHER FINANCING: OPEC Fund for International Development, $7 million; African Development Fund, $5.9 million; Government of Sierra Leone, $6. 1 mil lion IMPLEMENTING ORGANIZATION: Ministry of Works Freetown, Sierra Leone PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The project will improve the efficiency of road maintenance operations, preserve links between Freetown and the pro- vinces, and improve road transport among major towns in the provinces through planning and implementation of routine maintenance on about 4,400 miles of primary, secondary, and subsidiary roads; resealing of about 200 miles of paved roads; rehabilitation of about 370 miles of gravel roads; and consulting services and training. ~ PROCUREMENT: The Ministry of Works' requirements for non-proprietary spare parts, lubricants and materials for routine maintenance and the rehabilitation of grave? roads will be standardized and purchased in bulk under con- tracts awarded under international competitive bidding according to·W~rld Bank guide- lines. A 15% margin of preference on the import duty if lower will be granted on goods made in Sierra Leone. Spare parts and materials which cannot be grouped for bulk pur- chase into lots greater than $50,000 will be procured under local competitive bidding procedures. CONSULTANTS: The following consultants will be required: a senior highway engineer (39 man-months); a training specialist (15 months); and 2 highway maintenance engineers (65 months); a second highway engineer (27 months); a mechanical engineer (24 months); a transport economist (24 months); and six Sierra Leonean area road engineers (39 months each). The consultants' team will be complemented by short term specialists (32 man-months). They will also be supported by staff from the technical assistance project (29 man-months). ECONOMIC RATE OF RETURN: over 100% ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: 1985 - 0 - •