Contacts In Washington: Aby Toure (202) 473 8302 akonate@worldbank.org In Senegal: Mademba Ndiaye (221) 8495000 mademba@worldbank.org WASHINGTON, April 29, 2008 – The World Bank Board of Executive Directors today approved an International Development Association grant of US$10 million to support an Emergency Public Service Delivery Project (EPSD) in Guinea-Bissau to mainly finance the salary of primary education teachers (civil servant and contractors). This grant will ensure continued delivery of essential basic education services in 2008, especially to the poor and will help the government deal with a difficult fiscal situation and lack of resources for the education sector. It will also pave the way for broader-based support after 2008 through the multi-donor Education for All program (EFA). Analyzing this grant, Iradj Alikhani, the World Bank Task Team Leader for the project, recalled that, “in-spite of the difficult circumstances and many challenges to be faced in the sector, the positive evolution of the education sector encouraging as concluded the social sector review prepared by the World Bank in collaboration with UNDP, UNICEF, and AfDB”. He added that “the most visible progress in education in the country is the large increase in coverage in the recent years as a result of unprecedented public, community-base and private efforts to build new classrooms and to stimulate demand”. Since Guinea-Bissau may still be able to make significant progress towards reaching the education MDG, notably thanks to an Education For All-Fast Tract Initiative support, but only available in 2009, Alikhani said “that this US$10-million provides essential bridge support the EFA-FTI, by contributing to a successful completing of the 2007-2008 school year and helping to ensure that the next school year starts on time”. He recalled that in Guinea-Bissau, education sector wage arrears have been a cause of teacher strikes at the beginning of the school year. By assuring a regular payment of teacher’s salary, the World Bank would contribute to the uninterrupted delivery of critical public services. ### For more information on the World Bank’s work in sub-Saharan Africa visit www.worldbank.org/afr For more information about World Bank’s activities in Guinea Bissau visit www.worldbank.org/afr/guineabissau For more information about the project, please visit: http://web.worldbank.org/external/projects/main?pagePK=64283627&piPK=73230&theSitePK=356669&menuPK=356704&Projectid=P109722 |
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