Contacts: In Paris: Anne Davis Gillet (33) 1 40 69 3381 Cell: (33 6) 67 58 98 37 adavis@worldbank.org In Washington: Emmanuel Noubissie (1-202) 458 5325 enoubissie@worldbank.org In N’Djaména: Edmond Dingamhoudou (235) 52 34 60 edingamhoudou@worldbank.org N’Djamena, July 26, 2005—The World Bank has just read the Oversight Committee’s (Collège de Contrôle et de Surveillance des Revenues Pétroliers) “Report of Mission to Sites of Projects Financed by Oil Revenues”. It is the Oversight Committee’s first inspection of the implementation of projects in the priority sectors financed by Chad’s 2004 oil revenues. The World Bank commends the Oversight Committee on the thoroughness, rigor and transparency demonstrated in this report. It is a sign that the members of the Committee take their responsibilities seriously, and do not intend to play a symbolic role in approving spending towards poverty reduction. It is also testimony to the recently established Committee’s commitment to professionally execute the post-approval monitoring and control included in its mandate, and demonstrates that the group has had the freedom to pursue its investigations. Publication of this report is also a demonstration of the Chadian Government’s commitment to the transparency of its oil revenue management, as claimed in the laws governing these resources. Nonetheless, the World Bank is very concerned by the findings in the report. The report cites incidents of irregularities in transfers of funds; poor quality of, and long delays in the delivery of goods and services; and lack of competitive bidding processes, and cases of overpricing of goods and services. It also assesses that some local authorities were not informed of projects planned in locales under their administrative responsibility. The World Bank welcomes the Oversight Committee’s recommendations in the report as positive, forward-looking and constructive. The World Bank has asked the Government of Chad to accept and facilitate the implementation of the Committee’s recommendations, as a sign of its commitment to the spirit, as well as the letter, of the law that dictates the role of the Oversight Committee, and the use of oil revenues towards poverty reduction.
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