Contacts: In Washington DC: Elisabeth Mealey tel: (202)458 4475 emealy@worldbank.org In Sydney: Sue Spencer tel +61 2 9235 6551 or +61 409 740 725 sspencer@worldbank.org Washington DC, 11 September 2007: The World Bank Board of Executive Directors today approved a US$3.2 million International Development Association (IDA) grant to strengthen the rural economy of the Solomon Islands by increasing access for rural communities to infrastructure and services. The Rural Development Project (RDP) is the first phase of the implementation of the Solomon Islands Agricultural and Rural Development Strategy which was launched in April of this year and which aims to promote growth, create jobs and to increase incomes in rural communities using a community-driven approach. The RDP will support the Solomon Islands Government’s national rural development goals and will focus both on institution building and stimulating rural growth. It includes four components: a) local infrastructure and service delivery; b) improved agricultural services; c) rural business development and d) program management. “Eighty-four per cent of Solomon Islanders live in rural areas with little access to public services or basic infrastructure,” said Nigel Roberts, World Bank Country Director for the Pacific Islands. “The Rural Development Project will provide rural households with agricultural advice, a broad range of community infrastructure and support for small businesses. Close consultation and the empowerment of local communities in decision-making are important features of the project, as is the creation of strong partnerships between the central Government, provincial governments, local communities and NGOs.” Initially, the RDP will be carried out in the provinces of Choiseul, Western, Malaita and Temotu and will later be scaled up to cover all provinces of the Solomon Islands. The first phase of the Project will cover five years (2008-2011) and there are plans for a second phase to cover a further five years. In addition to the World Bank IDA grant, the program will be financed with grants from the European Commission, AusAID and the Government of the Solomon Islands, totaling USD 22 million.
For more information about this project, please visit: http://web.worldbank.org/external/projects/main?pagePK=64283627&piPK=73230&theSitePK=40941&menuPK=228424&Projectid=P089297 For more information on the World Bank’s work in the Solomon Islands and the Pacific go to: www.worldbank.org/pi |
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