Contacts
In Washington: Aby Toure (202) 473 8302 akonate@worldbank.org In Senegal: Mademba Ndiaye (221) 8495000
mademba@worldbank.org WASHINGTON, June 15, 2006 – The World Bank Board of Executive Director today approved an International Development Association (IDA) grant of US$15 million to assist the Government of Guinea-Bissau in the implementation of a national infrastructure rehabilitation program. The Multi-Sector Infrastructure Rehabilitation project will help rehabilitate basic infrastructure services and improve delivery of essential services. It will improve the institutional and management capacity and governance in the power, water and roads sectors and restore the access, reliability and quality of electricity and water supplies in the city of Bissau. Through the project electricity generation is expected to increase from 2.6 MW to 15 MW while electricity bill payment (collection rate) is expected to rise from 40% to 80%. The capacity of the distribution network will grow from 11,500 mwh/yr flows to 65,700 mwh/yr flows with power distribution losses falling to below 10%. Additionally, the project will pilot biomass-based power generation and will finance the preparation of a “Medium-to-Long Term National Energy Development Strategy” which supports the mainstreaming of renewable energy resources and technologies within the country’s energy matrix. The rehabilitation of the water distribution network will help reduce water losses from 70% in 2006 to 50% by the end of the project, which will also fund the construction of a new 700 m3 reservoir, increasing water storage capacity by 68%. “The project will help restore a 24 hour water service for all inhabitants of Bissau and increase direct access to potable water from 26% in 2006 to 36% by the end of the project, with 32,000 additional people served through the extension of tertiary water distribution networks and the installation of 700 private connections and 50 new public standpipes,” said Boris E.Utria and Matar Fall, the World Bank Task Team Leaders of the project. “By project completion there will be improved urban mobility and a reduction of the transit time for public transport services as a result of the rehabilitation of key roads,” added Ibou Diouf, Responsible for the Roads component of the Project, pointing to the expectations on funding rehabilitation of the country’s road infrastructure. The Multi-Sector Infrastructure Rehabilitation project focuses on the following components: Component One, Institutional Development and Sectoral Studies, will support the institutional and capacity development of the ministries involved in the power, water and road sectors. Component Two, Restoration and Rehabilitation of the Power System, aims to support a fast-tracked restoration and rehabilitation of power generation and distribution, and commercial operation in Bissau, bringing delivery of electricity services in Bissau up to 24 hours/day operation. Component Three, Rehabilitation of Water Production, Treatment and Urban Distribution, will finance the rehabilitation and reinforcement of water production systems in the city of Bissau and ensure the long-term financial stability of the utility through the gradual improvement in the commercialization of the water supply and the establishment of metered water connections and paid public standpipes. Component Four, Limited Rehabilitation of Urban Road Infrastructure, will focus on limited rehabilitation of pot holes along a set of roads of 20-30 kilometers in the city of Bissau. This will focus on restoring urban mobility to the most vulnerable social groups along mass transport axes.
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