Country Assistance Strategy (CAS)

The Country Assistance Strategy (CAS) is the most important World Bank document for each country. It is tailored to the needs and circumstances of each country and lays down the Bank Group's development priorities, as well as the level and type of assistance to be provided by the group for a period of three years.

The CAS preparation is a participatory process. Before its adoption, key elements of the strategy are discussed with goverment representatives, and to ensure the widest possible involvement, public dialogues are also held, with Internet-based discussions taking place in many countries.

However, the CAS is not a negotiated document. Any differences between the country's own agenda and the Bank's strategy are highlighted in the CAS document. A progress report is issued in the intervening year.

Regional Integration Assistance Strategy for Central Africa, 2003 - 2008

Equatorial Guinea receives Bank assistance through the Regional Integration Assistance Strategy for Central Africa (PDF).  The regional strategy includes IDA funding for various technical assistance and infrastructure investments from July 2003 through June 2008, designed to improve trade links and enhance the economic integration of six Central African countries.  The geographical area, designated as the Communaute Economique et Monetaire de l'Afrique Centrale (CEMAC), is comprised of Chad, the Central African Republic, Cameroon, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon.

While the ultimate goal of poverty reduction remains primarily a national responsibility, the Bank's strategy is based on the premise that regional integration can contribute to poverty reduction by:

	Strengthening the links between the poorer landlocked countries and their more prosperous coastal neighbors
Â	Helping to establish the basis for faster economic growth.

The strategy includes plans to build new roads and improve existing ones, modernize and integrate the financial sector, and speed up transaction time at the ports and customs. This will facilitate the movement of goods, people, and capital and reduce transaction costs.

There are inherent risks to a regional assistance strategy. The greatest risk being the possibility of political tensions degenerating into internal civil strife or conflict between countries.  For more information, please refer to Regional Integration Assistance Strategy for Central Africa (PDF).