World Bank Roundup

China. Approved March 21: International Development Association(IDA) credit of $100 million at standard terms for a third basiceducation project in seven provinces, in three components. Thefirst will finance renovation, rehabilitation and some new constructionof primary and lower secondary schools, furniture, instructionalequipment and books, as well as staff training. The second componentincludes: training of local education management and project implementationauthorities; and development of an education management informationsystem. The third component includes: dissemination, pilotingand evaluation of results of previous experiments; support ofa pupil learning achievement study; national coordination forstudent assistance; and support of an experts panel to coordinateand oversee central activities.

Approved March 21: International Bank for Reconstruction and Development(IBRD) loan of $210 million at standard interest rates for LIBOR-basedUS dollar single currency loans, for the second Shaanxi provincialhighway project. The loan will help finance construction of about259 km of high-grade highways; upgrading 32 km of the Xian-Sanyuanhighway; improvements of three linking roads and constructionor improvements of about 4,100 km of rural roads; highway safetycomponents; institutional strengthening and training; and equipmentfor operation and maintenance.

Approved March 21: IBRD loan of $250 million at standard interestrates for LIBOR-based US dollar single currency loans for thesecond Shanghai sewerage project. This will include an investmentprogram that would support planning, institutional and managementreforms, as well as financial and policy initiatives. The programwill have three components: sewerage and sanitation improvements(equipment and works), wastewater treatment and disposal systems(facilities) and institutional development and training. Policyinitiatives would focus on plans for institutional strengthening,resource mobilization and cost recovery, and control of industrialand domestic wastewater discharges for environmental protection.

Approved March 26, 1996: IDA credit of $100 million at standardterms for a poverty alleviation project in the Shanxi province.The project will finance construction of and improvements in watersupply and irrigation systems; upgrading of rural roads; soiland water conservation works; expansion of livestock raising areasand of fruit and nut tree-growing areas; institutional development;and support for programs targeted at poor and disadvantaged women.

For more information, contact Lauren Ptito, (202) 458-0358, fax522-3405, e-mail lptito@worldbank.org.

Croatia.Approved March 21, 1996: IBRD loan of $17 million,at the Bank's standard variable interest rate, for a project insupport of the government's agricultural policy, providing technology-relatedsupport services to private farmers. The project would help finance:training; creation of pilot farmers' associations; establishmentof an agricultural research council; stronger veterinary services;equipment, training and research to improve pasture potential;new regulations for the seed industry; and policy analysis.

Approved March 26, 1996: IBRD loan of $5 million, at the ratefor LIBOR-based dollar currency loans, for a technical assistanceproject in support of enterprise and financial sector reform.The loan will finance consultancies for studies and advisory servicesfor the restructuring and privatization of state-owned enterprises,including the large oil, gas and industrial group, INA, and thepower, banking and telecommunications sectors.

For more information, contact Barbara Crosby, (202) 473-1379,fax 522-3362, e-mail bcrosby@worldbank.org.

Egypt. Approved March 21, 1996: IDA credit of $17.2 millionfor a population project to improve population growth managementand the conditions of women and children, mainly in rural areas.The project would build capacity in the ministry of health forpopulation and family planning operations, and would support thegovernment's program designed to stimulate demand for family planningand smaller family size where demand is low. The latter componentwould support grants to non-governmental and community organizationsand to public agencies for small, decentralized public educationand awareness campaigns. For more information, contact JeannieYamine, (202) 473-2318, fax 477-7978, e-mail jyamine@worldbank.org.

Ghana. Approved March 26, 1996: IDA credit of $71 million,at standard IDA terms, for an urban environmental sanitation projectin five cities: Accra, Kumasi, Shama-Ahanta East, Tema and Tamale.The project will provide sanitation facilities to about 5,500households, 300 schools and 65 public facilities in the five cities,benefiting some 400,000 people. It will provide improvements indrainage, sanitation and waste management and will support measuresto improve the efficiency and coverage of solid waste collectionthrough private contracting, and would finance new sanitary landfillsin three cities. For more information, contact Eric Chinje, (202)473-4467, fax 473-7917, e-mail echinje@worldbank.org.

Lao PDR. Approved March 21, 1996: IDA credit of $20.7 millionfor a land titling project designed to foster the developmentof efficient land markets and promote domestic resource mobilization.Under the project, about 258,500 parcels of land correspondingto an equal number of families will be registered. This will benefitabout 1.3 million people, most of them low-income land holders.They will have secure tenure against unfair land acquisition,the opportunity to sell land rights at fair prices, and the abilityto use land as collateral. This will reduce conflict over landrights. The IDA credit will finance 76 percent of the projectcost of $28.38 million. For more information, contact Lauren Ptito,(202) 458-0358, fax 522-3405, e-mail lptito@worldbank.org.

Mauritania . Approved March 26, 1996: IDA credit of $14million, at standard IDA terms, for an urban infrastructure andpilot decentralization project aimed at improving access to services,developing the local private sector and improving public sectormanagement. It will finance poverty-oriented, labor intensiveurban works, equipment, training and the introduction of municipalmanagement tools. At the national level, it will prepare new municipalregulations and strengthen the monitoring capacity of the Interior,Posts and Telecommunications ministry. For more information, contactEric Chinje, (202) 473-4467, fax 473-7917, e-mail echinje@worldbank.org.

Sri Lanka. Approved March 26, 1996: IDA credit of $15 million,at standard terms, for a technical assistance project involvingtelecommunications regulation and public enterprise reform. Thecredit will provide expert assistance, consulting services, hardwareand software to the national telecommunications authority, tostrengthen its regulatory and institutional capabilities. It willalso provide consulting, training, and advisory services to thepublic enterprise reform commission.For more information, contactRebeca Robboy, (202) 473-0699, fax 522-0321, e-mail rrobboy@worldbank.org.