Conformed Copy - C2355 - Agricultural Services Project - Development Credit Agreement

Page 1 CONFORMED COPY CREDIT NUMBER 2355 NIR (Agricultural Services Project) between REPUBLIC OF NIGER and INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION Dated June 12, 1992 CREDIT NUMBER 2355 NIR DEVELOPMENT CREDIT AGREEMENT AGREEMENT, dated June 12, 1992, between REPUBLIC OF NIGER (the Borrower) and INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION (the Association). WHEREAS the Borrower, having satisfied itself as to the feasibility and priority of the Project described in Schedule 2 to this Agreement, has requested the Association to assist in the financing of the Project; WHEREAS the Association has agreed, on the basis, inter alia, of the foregoing, to extend the Credit to the Borrower upon the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement; NOW THEREFORE the parties hereto hereby agree as follows: ARTICLE I General Conditions; Definitions Section 1.01. The "General Conditions Applicable to Deve- lopment Credit Agreements" of the Association, dated January 1, Page 2 1985, with the last sentence of Section 3.02 deleted (the General Conditions) constitute an integral part of this Agreement. Section 1.02. Unless the context otherwise requires, the several terms defined in the General Conditions and in the Preamble to this Agreement have the respective meanings therein set forth and the following additional terms have the following meanings: (a) "Coordinating Committee" means the committee referred to in Section 3.04 of this Agreement; (b) "INRAN" means Institut National de Recherches Agronomiques du Niger; (c) "MAE/C" means Ministcre des Affaires Etrangcres et de la Cooperation; (d) "MAG/EL" means Ministcre de l'Agriculture et de l'Elevage; (e) "MEF" means Ministcre de l'Economie et des Finances; (f) "MEN/R" means Ministcre de l'Education Nationale et de la Recherche; (g) "MH/E" means Ministcre de l'Hydraulique et de l'Environnement; (h) "Project Coordinator" means the official appointed as such under the Project; (i) "Project Preparation Advance" means the project preparation advance granted by the Association to the Borrower pursuant to a first exchange of letters, dated October 30, 1987 and November 17, 1987, and to a second exchange of letters, dated December 23, 1991 and January 2, 1992, between the Borrower and the Association; (j) "SMS" means subject matter specialist; (k) "Special Account" means the account referred to in Section 2.02 (b) of this Agreement; and (l) "VEW" means village extension worker. ARTICLE II The Credit Section 2.01. The Association agrees to lend to the Borrower, on the terms and conditions set forth or referred to in the Development Credit Agreement, an amount in various currencies equivalent to twelve million nine hundred thousand Special Drawing Rights (SDR 12,900,000). Section 2.02. (a) The amount of the Credit may be withdrawn from the Credit Account in accordance with the provisions of Schedule 1 to this Agreement for expenditures made (or, if the Association shall so agree, to be made) in respect of the reasonable cost of goods and services required for the Project described in Schedule 2 to this Agreement and to be financed out of the proceeds of the Credit. (b) The Borrower shall, for the purposes of the Project, open and maintain in CFAF a special deposit account in a commercial bank on terms and conditions satisfactory to the Association, including appropriate protection against set-off, seizure or attachment. Deposits into, and payments out of, the Special Account shall be made in accordance with the provisions of Schedule 5 to this Agreement. (c) Promptly after the Effective Date, the Association Page 3 shall, on behalf of the Borrower, withdraw from the Credit Account and pay to itself the amount required to repay the principal amount of the Project Preparation Advance withdrawn and outstanding as of such date and to pay all unpaid charges thereon. The unwithdrawn balance of the authorized amount of the Project Preparation Advance shall thereupon be cancelled. Section 2.03. The Closing Date shall be June 30, 1998, or such later date as the Association shall establish. The Association shall promptly notify the Borrower of such later date. Section 2.04. (a) The Borrower shall pay to the Association a commitment charge on the principal amount of the Credit not withdrawn from time to time at a rate to be set by the Association as of June 30 of each year, but not to exceed the rate of one-half of one percent (1/2 of 1%) per annum. (b) The commitment charge shall accrue: (i) from the date sixty days after the date of this Agreement (the accrual date) to the respective dates on which amounts shall be withdrawn by the Borrower from the Credit Account or cancelled; and (ii) at the rate set as of the June 30 immediately preceding the accrual date or at such other rates as may be set from time to time thereafter pursuant to paragraph (a) above. The rate set as of June 30 in each year shall be applied from the next payment date in that year specified in Section 2.06 of this Agreement. (c) The commitment charge shall be paid: (i) at such places as the Association shall reasonably request; (ii) without restrictions of any kind imposed by, or in the territory of, the Borrower; and (iii) in the currency specified in this Agreement for the purposes of Section 4.02 of the General Conditions or in such other eligible currency or currencies as may from time to time be designated or selected pursuant to the provisions of that Section. Section 2.05. The Borrower shall pay to the Association a service charge at the rate of three-fourths of one percent (3/4 of 1%) per annum on the principal amount of the Credit withdrawn and outstanding from time to time. Section 2.06. Commitment charges and service charges shall be payable semiannually on April 1 and October 1 in each year. Section 2.07. (a) Subject to paragraphs (b) and (c) below, the Borrower shall repay the principal amount of the Credit in semi- annual installments payable on each April 1 and October 1 commencing October 1, 2002 and ending April 1, 2032. Each installment to and including the installment payable on April 1, 2012 shall be one percent (1%) of such principal amount, and each installment thereafter shall be two percent (2%) of such principal amount. (b) Whenever: (i) the Borrower's gross national product per capita, as determined by the Association, shall have exceeded $790 in constant 1985 dollars for five consecutive years; and (ii) the Bank shall consider the Borrower creditworthy for Bank lending, the Association may, subsequent to the review and approval thereof by the Executive Directors of the Association and after due consideration by them of the development of the Borrower's economy, modify the terms of repayment of installments under paragraph (a) above by requiring the Borrower to repay twice the amount of each such installment not yet due until the principal amount of the Credit shall have been repaid. If so requested by the Borrower, the Association may revise such modification to include, in lieu of some or all of the increase in the amounts of such installments, the payment of interest at an annual rate agreed with the Association on the principal amount of the Credit withdrawn and outstanding from time to time, provided that, in the judgment of the Association, such revision shall not change the grant element obtained under the above-mentioned repayment modification. (c) If, at any time after a modification of terms pursuant to paragraph (b) above, the Association determines that the Page 4 Borrower's economic condition has deteriorated significantly, the Association may, if so requested by the Borrower, further modify the terms of repayment to conform to the schedule of installments as provided in paragraph (a) above. Section 2.08. The currency of the French Republic is hereby specified for the purposes of Section 4.02 of the General Conditions. ARTICLE III Execution of the Project Section 3.01. (a) The Borrower declares its commitment to the objectives of the Project as set forth in Schedule 2 to this Agreement and, to this end, shall carry out Part A of the Project through MAG/EL and MH/E, Parts B and C of the Project through MAG/EL, MH/E and MEN/R, and Part D of the Project through MEN/R, with due diligence and efficiency and in conformity with appropriate administrative, financial and technical practices, and shall provide, promptly as needed, the funds, facilities, services and other resources required for the Project. (b) Without limitation upon the provisions of paragraph (a) of this Section, and except as the Borrower and the Association shall otherwise agree, the Borrower shall carry out the Project in accordance with the Implementation Program set forth in Schedule 4 to this Agreement. Section 3.02. Except as the Association shall otherwise agree, procurement of the goods, works and consultants' services required for the Project and to be financed out of the proceeds of the Credit shall be governed by the provisions of Schedule 3 to this Agreement. Section 3.03. The Borrower shall ensure that all motorcycles and mopeds purchased under the Project for use by supervisors, VEWs and Monitoring & Evaluation agents shall be assigned to the appropriate local government, which shall thereafter be required to assume responsibility for the maintenance of such vehicles and for their insurance. Section 3.04. The Borrower shall establish a coordinating committee, consisting of the Project Coordinator and representatives of each of the following Directorates, and of INRAN, to be responsible for the review and approval of the work program and annual budget, and for the overall coordination and supervision of the Project: MAG/EL: (i) Agriculture, (ii) Plant Protection, (iii) Livestock, (iv) Studies and Programming, MH/E: (v) Environment, MEF: (vi) Programs and Plan, (vii) Public Debt, MEN/R: (viii) Functional Literacy, MAE/C: (ix) International Organizations and Confe- rence. ARTICLE IV Financial Covenants Section 4.01. (a) The Borrower shall maintain or cause to be Page 5 maintained records and accounts adequate to reflect in accordance with sound accounting practices the operations, resources and expenditures in respect of the Project of the departments or agencies of the Borrower responsible for carrying out the Project or any part thereof. (b) The Borrower shall: (i) have the records and accounts referred to in paragraph (a) of this Section including those for the Special Account for each fiscal year audited, in accordance with appropriate auditing principles consistently applied, by independent auditors acceptable to the Association; (ii) furnish to the Association, as soon as available, but in any case not later than six months after the end of each such year, a certified copy of the report of such audit by said auditors, of such scope and in such detail as the Association shall have reasonably requested; and (iii) furnish to the Association such other information concerning said records, accounts and the audit thereof as the Association shall from time to time reasonably request. (c) For all expenditures with respect to which withdrawals from the Credit Account were made on the basis of statements of expenditure, the Borrower shall: (i) maintain or cause to be maintained, in accordance with paragraph (a) of this Section, records and accounts reflecting such expenditures; (ii) retain, until at least one year after the Association has received the audit report for the fiscal year in which the last withdrawal from the Credit Account or payment out of the Special Account was made, all records (contracts, orders, invoices, bills, receipts and other documents) evidencing such expenditures; (iii) enable the Association's representatives to examine such records; and (iv) ensure that the said accounts and records shall be audited on a semiannual basis by said auditors, who shall prepare audit reports accordingly and furnish them to the Association, not later than three (3) months after the end of such semiannual audit period, along with an opinion as to whether the statements of expenditure submitted during such period, together with the procedures and internal controls involved in their preparation, can be relied upon to support the related withdrawals. ARTICLE V Effective Date; Termination Section 5.01. The following events are specified as additional conditions to the effectiveness of the Development Credit Agreement within the meaning of Section 12.01 (b) of the General Conditions: (a) The Coordinating Committee has been duly established. (b) The Borrower has prepared and submitted to the Page 6 Association, for comments and approval, a detailed procurement plan, including an indicative timetable, of all procurement actions envisaged under the Project. (c) The auditors referred to in Section 4.01 of this Agreement have been recruited for a three-year period, and an accounting and financial management system capable of meeting the requirements of the said Section has been duly established. Section 5.02. The date ninety (90) days after the date of this Agreement is hereby specified for the purposes of Section 12.04 of the General Conditions. ARTICLE VI Representatives of the Borrower; Addresses Section 6.01. The Minister of Economy and Finance of the Borrower is designated as representative of the Borrower for the purposes of Section 11.03 of the General Conditions. Section 6.02. The following addresses are specified for the purposes of Section 11.01 of the General Conditions: For the Borrower: Ministcre de l'Economie et des Finances B.P. 862 Niamey Niger Cable address: Telex: MINIPLAN 5463 NI Niamey For the Association: International Development Association 1818 H Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20433 United States of America Cable address: Telex: INDEVAS 248423 (RCA) Washington, D.C. 82987 (FTCC) 64145 (WUI) or 197688 (TRT) IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto, acting through their duly authorized representatives, have caused this Agreement to be signed in their respective names in the District of Columbia, United States of America, as of the day and year first above written. REPUBLIC OF NIGER By /s/ Adani Illo Authorized Representative INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION By /s/ Edward V. K. Jaycox Page 7 Regional Vice President Africa SCHEDULE 1 Withdrawal of the Proceeds of the Credit 1. The table below sets forth the Categories of items to be financed out of the proceeds of the Credit, the allocation of the amounts of the Credit to each Category and the percentage of expenditures for items so to be financed in each Category: Amount of the Credit Allocated % of (Expressed in Expenditures Category SDR Equivalent) to be Financed (1) Civil works 570,000 100% (excluding construction of functional literacy centers) (2) Vehicles, 3,060,000 100% equipment, materials and furniture (3) Consultants' 210,000 100% services (4) Training 640,000 100% (5) Operating costs 6,050,000 100% (6) Refunding of 1,070,000 Amount due Project pursuant to Preparation Section 2.02 (c) Advance of this Agreement (7) Unallocated 1,300,000 TOTAL 12,900,000 ========== 2. For the purposes of this Schedule, the term "operating costs" means the incremental costs arising under the Project on account of salaries of local contractual staff, travel allowances, office supplies and equipment, vehicles and fuel; excluding, however, all expenditures incurred in connection with the maintenance and insurance of the motorcycles and mopeds referred to in Section 3.03 of this Agreement. 3. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph 1 above, no withdrawals shall be made in respect of payments made for expenditures prior to the date of this Agreement. SCHEDULE 2 Description of the Project The objectives of the Project are to improve the incomes of the rural population and to diminish rural poverty, by improving the effectiveness of agricultural and livestock extension, improving the linkage between research and extension, and providing support to village populations through functional literacy and numeracy training. The Project consists of the following parts, subject to such Page 8 modifications thereof as the Borrower and the Association may agree upon from time to time to achieve such objectives: Part A: Agricultural, Livestock and Environment Protection Extension Services 1. Consolidating the extension activities started under the pilot project in three departments and extending them progressively to two additional departments and the urban district of Niamey. 2. Review of the organization of extension services, with particular emphasis on the need for adequate human and physical resources, at the farm, regional and national levels. 3. Strengthening of relations between crop, livestock, and environment services so as to ensure effective extension support not only for agriculture, but for livestock and environmental protection as well. Part B: Training Regular and continuous training of extension staff at all levels by means of fortnightly, monthly and annual training sessions, including training courses held outside Niger or conducted by external participants. Part C: Linkage between Research and Extension Strengthening of the linkages between extension and national and regional agricultural research in order to find solutions to farmers' problems; giving priority under the adaptive research programs, as agreed upon between INRAN and the Directorates of Agriculture, Livestock and Environment, to technical problems, such as those related to soil and water conservation, diversification of production through cropping systems adapted to particular ecological zones and to the environment, soil fertility, and ecologically adapted varieties. Part D: Functional Literacy Functional literacy and numeracy training for both men and women, including stepped-up promotion of participation by women to enable them to play a more active role in rural development and to assume a progressively greater role in village activities and management. * * * The Project is expected to be completed by December 31, 1997. SCHEDULE 3 Procurement and Consultants' Services Section I. Procurement of Goods and Works Part A: International Competitive Bidding 1. Except as provided in Part C hereof, goods shall be procured under contracts awarded in accordance with procedures consistent with those set forth in Sections I and II of the "Guidelines for Procurement under IBRD Loans and IDA Credits" published by the Bank in May 1985 (the Guidelines). 2. To the extent practicable, contracts for goods shall be grouped into bid packages estimated to cost the equivalent of $100,000 or more. Part B: Preference for Domestic Manufacturers In the procurement of goods in accordance with the procedures Page 9 described in Part A.1 hereof, goods manufactured in Niger may be granted a margin of preference in accordance with, and subject to, the provisions of paragraphs 2.55 and 2.56 of the Guidelines and paragraphs 1 through 4 of Appendix 2 thereto. Part C: Other Procurement Procedures 1. Items or groups of items estimated to cost the equivalent of $100,000 or less per contract, up to an aggregate amount equivalent to $500,000, as well as civil works for an aggregate amount not exceeding $900,000, may be procured under contracts awarded on the basis of competitive bidding, advertised locally, in accordance with procedures satisfactory to the Association; provided, however, that (a) no preference shall be allowed in favor of local contractors and suppliers; (b) foreign bidders shall be given an opportunity to participate in the bidding process; (c) all evaluation criteria shall be specified in quantitative terms in the bidding documents; (d) the time period allowed for bid preparation shall not be less than 30 days; and (e) no contract shall be negotiated without the prior approval of the Association. 2. Items or groups of items estimated to cost the equivalent of $30,000 or less per contract, up to an aggregate amount equivalent to $200,000, may be procured under contracts awarded on the basis of comparison of price quotations obtained from at least three suppliers eligible under the Guidelines, in accordance with procedures acceptable to the Association. 3. Contracts for the purchase of functional literacy texts may be awarded after direct negotiations with the supplier, in accordance with procedures acceptable to the Association. Part D: Review by the Association of Procurement Decisions 1. Review of invitations to bid and of proposed awards and final contracts: (a) With respect to each contract for goods, works and services estimated to cost the equivalent of $100,000 or more, the procedures set forth in paragraphs 2 and 4 of Appendix 1 to the Guidelines shall apply. Where payments for such contract are to be made out of the Special Account, such procedures shall be modified to ensure that the two conformed copies of the contract required to be furnished to the Association pursuant to said paragraph 2 (d) shall be furnished to the Association prior to the making of the first payment out of the Special Account in respect of such contract. (b) With respect to each contract not governed by the preceding paragraph, the procedures set forth in paragraphs 3 and 4 of Appendix 1 to the Guidelines shall apply. Where payments for such contract are to be made out of the Special Account, such procedures shall be modified to ensure that the two conformed copies of the contract together with the other information required to be furnished to the Association pursuant to said paragraph 3 shall be furnished to the Association as part of the evidence to be furnished pursuant to paragraph 4 of Schedule 5 to this Agreement. (c) The provisions of the preceding subparagraph (b) shall not apply to contracts on account of which withdrawals from the Credit Account are to be made on the basis of statements of expenditure. 2. The figure of 10% is hereby specified for purposes of paragraph 4 of Appendix 1 to the Guidelines. Section II. Employment of Consultants In order to assist the Borrower in carrying out the Project, the Borrower shall employ consultants whose qualifications, experience and terms and conditions of employment shall be satisfactory to the Association. Such consultants shall be selected Page 10 in accordance with principles and procedures satisfactory to the Association on the basis of the "Guidelines for the Use of Consultants by World Bank Borrowers and by the World Bank as Executing Agency" published by the Bank in August 1981. SCHEDULE 4 Implementation Program 1. (a) The Borrower and the Association shall, not later than October 31, 1993 and, thereafter, not later than October 31 of each subsequent year, undertake a joint review of the Project or, as the case may be, not later than October 31, 1994, a mid-term review, during which they shall exchange views on all matters relating to the progress of the Project and the performance by the Borrower of all its obligations under this Agreement, including, in particular, any commitment made by the Borrower, pursuant to Section 3.01 (a) of this Agreement, to make adequate annual budgetary allocations, and provide the staffing requirements and other facilities, needed for the proper implementation of the Project. (b) Not later than one month prior to each such review, the Borrower shall furnish to the Association, for its comments, a report, in such detail as the Association shall reasonably request, on the progress and status of the Project, and on all other related matters due to be addressed during such review. (c) Following each such review, the Borrower undertakes to act promptly and diligently, in order to take any corrective action deemed necessary to remedy any shortcoming noted in the imple- mentation of the Project, or to implement such other measures as may have been agreed upon between the parties in furtherance of the objectives of the Project. 2. The Borrower shall submit to the Association, for its review, semiannual reports on the progress of the Project, including detailed information on the progress of procurement actions under the Project and, if need be, on matters arising out of the preceding annual or mid-term review, as the case may be. 3. The Borrower shall cause the competent authorities in each district that is affected by the Project to prepare and submit, not later than January 15 of each year, a work program together with a detailed budget for the agricultural year next following, for consideration by the Project Coordinator, who shall be required, on the basis of each such submission, to submit, not later than March 15 of each year, a consolidated program and budget to the Coordinating Committee, for its approval. 4. The Borrower shall ensure that a cooperation program shall be agreed upon annually between INRAN and the Directorates of Agriculture, Livestock and Environment, in order to define INRAN's role in the planning and supervision of research trials, in the training of extension staff and, more generally, in current proposals to strengthen the linkages between research and extension. 5. The Borrower shall ensure that a training workshop shall be organized annually and prior to the commencement of the planting season, during which the yearly training programs for the training of VEWs and SMSs shall be discussed and agreed upon. 6. The Borrower shall, not later than March 31 of each year, submit to the Association, for comments and approval: (a) the consolidated program and budget, referred to in paragraph 3 of this Schedule, as approved by the Coordinating Committee for the current year; (b) the cooperation program referred to in paragraph 4 of this Schedule for the current year; and (c) the training program referred to in paragraph 4 of this Schedule for the current year. SCHEDULE 5 Page 11 Special Account 1. For the purposes of this Schedule: (a) the term "eligible Categories" means Categories (1) through (5) set forth in the table in paragraph 1 of Schedule 1 to this Agreement; (b) the term "eligible expenditures" means expenditures in respect of the reasonable cost of goods and services required for the Project and to be financed out of the proceeds of the Credit allocated from time to time to the eligible Categories in accordance with the provisions of Schedule 1 to this Agreement; and (c) the term "Authorized Allocation" means an amount equivalent to $1,000,000 to be withdrawn from the Credit Account and deposited into the Special Account pursuant to paragraph 3 (a) of this Schedule. 2. Payments out of the Special Account shall be made exclusively for eligible expenditures in accordance with the provisions of this Schedule. 3. After the Association has received evidence satisfactory to it that the Special Account has been duly opened, withdrawals of the Authorized Allocation and subsequent withdrawals to replenish the Special Account shall be made as follows: (a) For withdrawals of the Authorized Allocation, the Borrower shall furnish to the Association a request or requests for a deposit or deposits which do not exceed the aggregate amount of the Authorized Allocation. On the basis of such request or requests, the Association shall, on behalf of the Borrower, withdraw from the Credit Account and deposit into the Special Account such amount or amounts as the Borrower shall have requested. (b) (i) For replenishment of the Special Account, the Borrower shall furnish to the Association requests for deposits into the Special Account at such intervals as the Association shall specify. (ii) Prior to or at the time of each such request, the Borrower shall furnish to the Association the documents and other evidence required pursuant to paragraph 4 of this Schedule for the payment or payments in respect of which replenishment is requested. On the basis of each such request, the Association shall, on behalf of the Borrower, withdraw from the Credit Account and deposit into the Special Account such amount as the Borrower shall have requested and as shall have been shown by said documents and other evidence to have been paid out of the Special Account for eligible expenditures. All such deposits shall be withdrawn by the Association from the Credit Account under the respective eligible Categories, and in the respective equivalent amounts, as shall have been justified by said documents and other evidence. 4. For each payment made by the Borrower out of the Special Account, the Borrower shall, at such time as the Association shall reasonably request, furnish to the Association such documents and other evidence showing that such payment was made exclusively for eligible expenditures. 5. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph 3 of this Schedule, the Association shall not be required to make further deposits into the Special Account: (a) if, at any time, the Association shall have determined Page 12 that all further withdrawals should be made by the Borrower directly from the Credit Account in accordance with the provisions of Article V of the General Conditions and paragraph (a) of Section 2.02 of this Agreement; or (b) once the total unwithdrawn amount of the Credit allocated to the eligible Categories, less the amount of any outstanding special commitment entered into by the Association pursuant to Section 5.02 of the General Conditions with respect to the Project, shall equal the equivalent of twice the amount of the Authorized Allocation. Thereafter, withdrawal from the Credit Account of the remaining unwithdrawn amount of the Credit allocated to the eligible Categories shall follow such procedures as the Association shall specify by notice to the Borrower. Such further withdrawals shall be made only after and to the extent that the Association shall have been satisfied that all such amounts remaining on deposit in the Special Account as of the date of such notice will be utilized in making payments for eligible expenditures. 6. (a) If the Association shall have determined at any time that any payment out of the Special Account: (i) was made for an expenditure or in an amount not eligible pursuant to paragraph 2 of this Schedule; or (ii) was not justified by the evidence furnished to the Association, the Borrower shall, promptly upon notice from the Association: (A) provide such additional evidence as the Association may request; or (B) deposit into the Special Account (or, if the Association shall so request, refund to the Association) an amount equal to the amount of such payment or the portion thereof not so eligible or justified. Unless the Association shall otherwise agree, no further deposit by the Association into the Special Account shall be made until the Borrower has provided such evidence or made such deposit or refund, as the case may be. (b) If the Association shall have determined at any time that any amount outstanding in the Special Account will not be required to cover further payments for eligible expenditures, the Borrower shall, promptly upon notice from the Association, refund to the Association such outstanding amount. (c) The Borrower may, upon notice to the Association, refund to the Association all or any portion of the funds on deposit in the Special Account. (d) Refunds to the Association made pursuant to paragraphs 6 (a), (b) and (c) of this Schedule shall be credited to the Credit Account for subsequent withdrawal or for cancellation in accordance with the relevant provisions of this Agreement, including the General Conditions. (b) "local currency" means the currency of the Recipient; and (c) "Starting Date" means the date from which the periods specified for the submission of reports are measured, as set forth in the Time Schedule included in Appendix A hereto, and after which the Consultants may receive payments hereunder subject to the effectiveness hereof. Unless otherwise agreed in writing between the Bank and the Consultants, the Starting Date shall be the thirtieth day following the date of effectiveness of this Contract.