Announcement of Special Bank Mission to Colombia on January 10, 1962

~~· :<.t~')§\:§ ":· , FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE '''/'(}_·)" • ~ G .. ..> \\ 1 INTERNATIONAL ' 8ANK FOR RECONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT 1818 H STREET, N.W., WASHINGTON 25 1 D. C. TELEPHONE: EXECUTIVE 3-6360 lUJ Gzl;ii· January 10, 1962 SUBJECT: Special Bank Mission to Colombia The World Bank is sending a special mission to Colombia at the request of the Colombian Government to review its general program of economic and social development. The mission will evaluate the size and composition of the program, its financial implications and the measures and policies de- • signed to carry it out. It. will exam:.i.ne the e~ent to which financial allocations to the various sectors in the public investment program a.re 1 . supported by projects for which preliminary economic and technical studies • have b.een prepared and assess what further work needs to be done. This re- view should help determine the requirements for external assistance in financing the economic development of Colombia. Mr. Gerald.Alter, Economic Adviser in the Bank's Department of Opera- tions for the Western Hemispher,e will be mission Chief. There will be eight other mission members, - Chief Economist, General Economist, Trans- portation, Industrial an,d Agricultural Economists and Advisers on Power, Education and Housing and Urban Development. The mission will arrive in Bogota January 11 and will be in Colombia for approximately seven weeks • •  - 2 - Members of the Special Mission to Colombia Gerald Alter ( U.s.) - Chief of Mission Mr. Alter has been on the Bank staff since 1951 and is currently Economic Adviser to the Department of Operations, Western Hemisphere. He served as Deputy Chief of the Bank's General Survey Mission to Venezuela, and prior to joining the Bank undertook several missions to Latin America, including Colombia. He served as Adviser on National Income Studies to the Banco de la Republica (1947) and as a Special Adviser to the Banco de la Republica (1950). Duncans. Ballantine (U.S.) - Education Adviser Consultant with the Rockefeller Foundation on education problems in Colombia. Bernard Bell (U.S. - Transportation Adviser Vice President of Surveys and Research Corporation in Washington, D.C.; served as Chief Economist on Colombian Transport Sur.vey, 1961. · Eric Carlson ( U.s.) - Adviser on Housing and ·t11J.nicipal Services ___ .. tec~piq~l Adviser to. the G_entraL.Of.ficJf. fo~ Coor.din.ation _and· :eTann,:L.11g .... in the Office of the President of Venezuela; formerly Director of the Inter-American Housing and Planning Centre in Bogota, Colombia. • John Charles Lithgow (Australia) - Power Consultant Engineer with the Bank's Department of Technical Operations in the Public Utilities Division. Roger Nelson (U.S.) - Chief Economist Senior Economist with the Bank's Department of Operations for the Western Hemisphere. Lorne Thomas Sonley (U.S.) - Agricultural Economist Agricultural Consultant; formerly with the Government of Venezuela as Consultant for Economic Affairs. Bertil Walstedt (Sweden) - Industrial Economist Economist with the Bank's Department of Technical Operations in the Industrial Division. Wolfgang Weigel (Germany) - Economist Economist with the International Finance Corporation.