Contacts In Washington: Timothy Carrington +1 202 473 8133 tcarrington@worldbank.org In Niamey : Ibrahim Amadou 227-20 73 56 16 iamadou@worldbank.org Ibrahim Cheick Diop 227-20 73 56 16 idiop@worldbank.org WASHINGTON, June 19, 2007 – The World Bank Board of Directors today approved an International Development Association (IDA) grant of US$50 Million to provide budget support to help the Government of Niger overcome bottlenecks identified as constraints to policy and institutional reforms in Public Expenditure Management, Agriculture and Rural Development, Health, Education, and Demographic growth and gender issues. As its predecessor operation (Rural and Social Policy Reform 1), the grant supports a goal of shared growth by addressing key policy and institutional constraints in human development and sustainable development, while pursuing reforms in public expenditure management. The new grant will continue to focus on selected policy and institutional reforms, consistent with the Government’s priorities. Elements of the program include: (i) improved management of public resources; (ii) establishment of an environment more conducive to economic growth through the development of both agriculture and the private sector; (iii) and improved basic social services in education and health, along with a response to rapid population growth and extended rights for women. Bank support in Niger has been built around a medium term results framework which has identified the proposed reforms in the rural economy and in human development as being the appropriate next steps to support growth. This is aligned with the Government’s poverty-reduction strategy, which identifies agriculture as the engine of growth. To further strengthen reforms in support of shared growth, the Bank will support the Government in addressing policy bottlenecks in private/financial sector development and infrastructure, while completing the ongoing reforms. ### For more information on the World Bank’s work in sub-Saharan Africa visit: http://www.worldbank.org/afr For more information about the World Bank in Niger visit: www.worldbank.org/niger For more information about this project visit: http://web.worldbank.org/external/projects/main?pagePK=64283627&piPK=73230&theSitePK=382450&menuPK=382484&Projectid=P098963 |
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