The World Bank has been helping these countries, at their request, in the design of strategies to ensure that this accord can effectively promote inclusive development.

The Bank's strategy includes a total of $1.14 billion in already-approved loans to bolster investments and reforms in support of DR-CAFTA's complementary agenda. Loans include financing for infrastructure development (roads, ports and electricity), improvements in the investment climates (customs modernization, reductions in costs of doing business), investments in rural development and in strengthening governance and institutions.

In addition, resources to expand access and improve the quality of education are essential components of the Bank's strategies in most countries. New loans are scheduled for approval later in 2005 for inclusive growth and support for small and medium enterprises in El Salvador; for infrastructure in the Dominican Republic; for inclusive growth, rural development and land administration in Guatemala; for rural infrastructure and governance in Honduras; and for roads and rural development in Nicaragua.

Bank assistance also includes grants to aid small and medium enterprises in accessing trade opportunities associated with DR-CAFTA. The World Bank's support strategies have been shared with DR-CAFTA's Trade Capacity Building Committee, which is serving a valuable role in coordinating aid and technical assistance needs for implementation of the agreement.

The Bank has also responded to requests from the countries for analytical and advisory support to address the policy challenges of implementing DR-CAFTA. Recently released country-specific reports have focused on overall growth challenges, the potential benefits of DR-CAFTA, as well as labor, agricultural and competitiveness issues. A forthcoming regional report, Challenges and Opportunities of DR-CAFTA for Central America, also addresses the potential impact of the agreement and presents recommendations for the complementary agenda. See the country specific studiesand a preliminary summary of conclusions of the regional report(40k pdf).

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