World Bank Program

Program to Date

Lithuania joined the World Bank in 1992 (see Membership page). Since then, the Bank has played an important role in Lithuania’s transition through such tools as lending, policy dialogue, and analytical and advisory assistance. In addition to Bank-supported investment projects, the Bank supported lines of credit through commercial banks to assist enterprises and provided support for the international effort to reduce pollution in the Baltic Sea, with two projects dealing with major sources of water pollution. Based on analytical work, structural reforms were supported through two operations in 1997 and 2000.

The Bank’s current activities includes two ongoing investment projects totaling US$41.5 million - loan for upgrades to the Klaipeda port and a grant from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) supporting sustainable energy for the City of Vilnius.

Lithuania also continues to benefit from a number of cross-country analytical and advisory activities, including a programmatic study of public finance reform issues in the EU8 group of countries, a social inclusion report, EU8+2 Regular Economic Reports, and seminars on public private partnerships.

The Bank’s current program includes three loans totaling about US$82 million - supporting upgrades to the Klaipeda port, a nationwide health project and an education improvement project. In addition, a  grant from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) supports sustainable energy for the City of Vilnius.

Lithuania also continues to benefit from a number of cross-country analytical and advisory activities, including a programmatic study of public finance reform issues in the EU8 group of countries, a social inclusion report, EU8 Quarterly Economic Reports , and seminars on accounting, auditing and public/private partnerships.

Ongoing Bank activities are focused on the following:

• increasing competitiveness and maintaining macro stability for growth and job creation;
• reducing regional and other disparities;
• reforming human development sectors, such as the social safety net, education, health, and housing, and;
• creating a knowledge-based economy.