Mei 8 2009

World Bank Weekly Update – May 4, 2009

* Support for México’s Fight against Influenza Outbreak

* Questions and Answers on Influenza A (H1N1)

* Social Safety Nets: Lessons from Rich and Poor Countries

* Development Marketplace 2009: Climate Adaptation

* Books – Building Citizenship through Social Guarantees

* International Day of Families 2009

* How is the Crisis Affecting Telecom Privatization?

* Blog – Wrapping up the 2009 Spring Meetings

* Briefing – Infrastructure in Africa

NEWS

Support for México’s Fight against Influenza Outbreak

The Bank is assembling money and manpower and drawing from its
vast public health experience to help Mexico combat the spread
of influenza. Bank President Robert Zoellick announced earlier
that the Bank would provide a US$205 million credit for the
Mexican government and send experts to the region in response
to the flu outbreak in Mexico. Bank officials said that US$25
million of an ongoing health project in Mexico will be
immediately re-oriented to provide drugs and equipment to
offset the impact of the disease. An additional US$180 million
from the Global Avian Flu Fund will be devoted to strategic
actions, including prevention facilities to ensure an efficient
response. This new strain of flu -officially named Influenza A
(H1N1)- is suspected to have killed more than 100 people in
Mexico while more than 1,400 infectious cases have been
reported, creating alarm in the international community. Read
more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:22160262~menuPK:34457~pagePK:34370~piPK:34424~theSitePK:4607,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL“)
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Questions and Answers on Influenza A (H1N1)

On April 25, the World Health Organization declared Swine Flu
virus a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. WHO
did not recommend travel or trade restrictions. WHO and the
Global Alert Response Network are sending experts to Mexico to
work with health authorities. On April 30th, WHO said it would
now refer to the virus as influenza A (H1N1). WHO and partners
are investigating reports of suspected cases in other countries
as they occur. The Bank and Mexico Finance Minister Agustin
Carstens announced April 26 the Bank would support Mexico’s
efforts to fight the spread of influenza A (H1N1) with more
than US$205 million in fast-disbursing funds. Two senior Bank
experts, Keith Hansen, Sector Manager for Health in the Latin
America and Caribbean Region, and Julian F. Schweitzer,
Director of the Human Development Network, provide some answers
about the outbreak of the disease. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:22160388~menuPK:34457~pagePK:34370~piPK:34424~theSitePK:4607,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL“)
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Social Safety Nets: Lessons from Rich and Poor Countries

As the global recession threatens to hamstring the pace of
poverty reduction everywhere, many countries—both rich and
poor—hope to cushion the blow through a fiscal stimulus. Some
of the questions that governments are trying to grapple with
include the size of such stimulus packages, the types of
spending they should consist of, and the channels through which
they might work most efficiently. Martin Ravallion, Director of
the Bank’s Development Research Group, and an expert on
global poverty, emphasizes that there are many reasons why a
stimulus that favors poorer people is more likely to have a
stronger impact than one that does not. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:22158366~menuPK:34457~pagePK:34370~piPK:34424~theSitePK:4607,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL“)
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Development Marketplace 2009: Climate Adaptation

This year’s Development Marketplace competition is looking
for innovative solutions to climate adaptation. Climate change
presents an urgent challenge to the well-being of all
countries, particularly the poorest people. The poor are likely
to suffer the most because of their geographical location, low
incomes, and low institutional capacity, as well as greater
reliance on climate-sensitive sectors like agriculture.
Adaptation to climate change is increasingly important in
developing countries. “The Development Marketplace is an
important opportunity to empower innovators at the local and
community level and to learn from their high quality work,”
says Katherine Sierra, Vice President of Sustainable
Development at the World Bank. “We know that local innovation
and community-based knowledge can provide answers to major
development challenges, including adaptation to climate
change.” Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:22160322~menuPK:34457~pagePK:34370~piPK:34424~theSitePK:4607,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL“)
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PUBLICATIONS

Building Citizenship through Social Guarantees

This book examines the validity of a social guarantees approach
as a framework for evaluating, monitoring, and improving the
design of social policy. Social guarantees are defined as sets
of policy mechanisms that determine citizens’ entitlements
related to basic services and ensure their fulfillment on the
part of the state. The social guarantee concept gives
operational expression to fundamental human rights principles
by providing mechanisms for awareness, participation, equity,
and redress in the delivery of social policy. In addition, the
social guarantees approach responds to an emerging global need
for a comprehensive social policy model that can face up to
the challenges of inclusive and sustainable globalization. The
book, subtitled “New Approaches to Social Policy, Equity and
the Realization of Rights” includes analytical case studies
from Africa, and the Latin American and Caribbean region. Read
more
(“http://publications.worldbank.org/ecommerce/catalog/product?item_id=8961851?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL“)
…

FOR A FULL LIST of available publications:

http://publications.worldbank.org/ecommerce/
(“http://publications.worldbank.org/ecommerce/“)

EVENTS AND DISCUSSIONS

International Day of Families 2009

May 15 – Global – The International Day of Families is an
occasion to celebrate the importance of families to people,
societies and cultures around the world. The year 1994 was
proclaimed as the International Year of Families by the United
Nations. This was a response to changing social and economic
structures, which have affected and still affect the structure
and stability of family units in many regions of the globe. The
International Day of Families is an occasion to reflect on the
work started during 1994 and to celebrate the importance of
families, people, societies and cultures around the world. It
has been held every year since 1995. The theme for this
year’s observance is “Mothers and Families: Challenges in a
Changing World.” Read more
(“http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/family/IDF.html“) …

REGIONAL NEWS AND PROJECTS

Summary of proposed projects in all regions
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/PROJECTS/PROCUREMENT/0,,contentMDK:50004501~menuPK:63001537~pagePK:84269~piPK:60001558~theSitePK:84266,00.htm?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL“)
:

April 30 List of Newly Disclosed Documents
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/PUBLICATION/INFOSHOP1/0,,contentMDK:22163773~pagePK:162350~piPK:165575~theSitePK:225714,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL“)

AFRICA

African Ministers Outline Impact of Crisis on their Countries

Ministers of finance from Africa have called upon international
finance institutions to subject rich countries to the same
rigor of surveillance and conditionalities for preserving
microeconomic stability, which they impose on developing
countries. Speaking during a press conference at the Bank-IMF
Spring Meetings, three ministers decried the set-back Africa
has suffered as a result of the crisis, but reiterated their
countries’ resolve to move past it. The African finance
chiefs chastised international credit rating agencies for
failing to forecast the crisis and challenged international
financial institutions to do a better job of monitoring the
global economy and of holding rich and developing countries
accountable in the same way. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/AFRICAEXT/0,,contentMDK:22159414~menuPK:2246551~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:258644,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL“)
…

4th Africa Region Education Capacity Development Workshop

The Education for All Fast Track Initiative (EFA-FTI) is a
global partnership between donors and developing countries to
ensure accelerated progress toward the Millennium Development
Goal of achieving universal primary education. As a
contribution to the partnership’s agenda, of which it is a
member, the Bank hosts the 4th Africa Region Education Capacity
Development Workshop ‘Country Leadership and Implementation
for Results in the EFA-FTI Partnership’, in Dakar, Senegal,
May 18-22, 2009, in collaboration with the country’s Ministry
of Education in charge of Pre-School, Primary and Middle
Education. Previous workshops took place in Cape Town, South
Africa, in July 2007; in Tunis, Tunisia, in December 2007; and
in the Mauritius, in December 2008, and gathered each of them
over 80 participants from countries either preparing or
implementing education sector plans within the FTI
framework. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/AFRICAEXT/0,,contentMDK:22161624~menuPK:2246551~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:258644,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL“)
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Bank Partners with Angola to Strengthen Health Services

A Municipal Health Service Strengthening Project is being
prepared for Angola based on the lessons learned from the
implementation of the HIV/AIDS Malaria and tuberculosis
(HAMSET) due to end in June 2010. The main objective of the
MHSS project is to improve the population’s access to health
services in five provinces. A Health Care Waste Management Plan
was prepared at the time of the preparation of the HAMSET
project in 2003 to foster a sound management of health care
waste at the national level. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/AFRICAEXT/0,,contentMDK:22161801~menuPK:2246551~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:258644,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL“)
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COTE D’IVOIRE – Protected Area Project – US$2.54 million to
improve the sustainable management of the fauna and habitat of
the Comoe National Park. The Comoé National Park is a national
park in North-Eastern Côte d’Ivoire in the Ivoirian Zanzan
region. The park was initially added as a World Heritage Site
due to the diversity of plant life present around the Comoé
River, including pristine patches of tropical rain forest that
are usually only found further south. As a well-eroded plain
between two large rivers, the park is home to soils and a
moisture regime suitable to a richer biodiversity than
surrounding areas. In 2003 due to a lack of proper management,
it was added to the list of World Heritage Sites in Danger due
to poaching and over-grazing. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/AFRICAEXT/0,,contentMDK:22163939~menuPK:2246551~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:258644,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL“)
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For more regional information: http://www.worldbank.org/afr
(“http://www.worldbank.org/afr“)

EAST ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

Capacity Building Program Delivers Significant Results to
Timor-Leste’s People

The Bank is committed to working with the government of
Timor-Leste to bring about sustainable development and poverty
reduction through social stability, human development and
economic growth. A central element of this strategy is the
Planning and Financial Management Capacity Building Program,
which is a five-year advisory program designed to assist
Timor-Leste’s Ministry of Finance strengthen its planning,
budgeting, public expenditure management and revenue
administration functions with a central focus on capacity
building. The program has delivered significant results for
Timor-Leste since its inception in May 2006. The government’s
budget execution increased from US$76 million in 2005/06 to
US$550 million in 2008; a more than seven fold increase in cash
execution. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/EASTASIAPACIFICEXT/0,,contentMDK:22162651~menuPK:2246553~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:226301,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL“)
…

New Country Assistance Strategy for the Philippines

The Bank’s Board of Executive Directors discussed the new
Country Assistance Strategy for the Philippines for fiscal
years 2010-2012. With a central goal of achieving growth that
works for the poor, the Bank will support the Philippines in
pursuing macroeconomic stability, an improved investment
climate, better public service delivery for the poor, reduced
vulnerabilities to income shocks and natural disasters, and
better governance. Addressing the country’s fundamental
development challenges, the new strategy focuses on poverty
alleviation measures and on operationalizing governance in all
Bank-supported activities. It also addresses emerging global
challenges such as climate change, disaster risk management,
and the financial crisis and emphasizes a knowledge agenda that
supports the Philippines in addressing its own development
challenges. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/EASTASIAPACIFICEXT/0,,contentMDK:22163264~menuPK:2246553~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:226301,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL“)
…

Students to Benefit from the Expansion of Knowledge Sharing
Initiative

The Lao-Singapore Business College and the Bank signed a
Memorandum of Understanding to initiate a three-year
partnership program on knowledge sharing and youth initiative.
Key activities under this partnership program include series of
knowledge sharing seminars on key development issues; regional
and global youth video conferences. The partnership will
provide youths with a pool of development-related information
that the World Bank readily has, will serve as a platform where
youths can share perspectives and learn from others regionally
and globally, and eventually, to empower youths in
decision-making and development process. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/EASTASIAPACIFICEXT/0,,contentMDK:22160646~menuPK:2246553~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:226301,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL“)
…

For more regional information: http://www.worldbank.org/eap
(“http://www.worldbank.org/eap“)

EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA

Global Crisis Pushing Almost 35 Million People Back Into
Poverty

After enjoying a decade of strong growth and poverty reduction,
the countries of Eastern Europe and Central Asia (ECA) are now
seeing the global economic and financial crisis push almost 35
million people back into poverty and vulnerability, or about
one-third of the people that had escaped from it over the last
ten years, the Bank said at its regular regional economic
briefing at the World Bank/IMF Spring Meetings. Nearly 90
million of the Region’s 480 million people – about 18
percent of the population – have moved out of poverty and
vulnerability since 1999. But these gains are at risk as a
result of the financial crisis. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/ECAEXT/0,,contentMDK:22155627~menuPK:258604~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:258599,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL“)
…

Russian Economic Report 18: Refocusing Policy on Households

The Bank’s Moscow office has released its Russian Economic
Report No. 18 which shows that the global outlook remains
extremely uncertain, with declines in world global output and
trade, and very limited capital flows to developing countries
this year and world oil prices in the US$40-50 range during
2009-10. As a result, Russia’s real GDP is likely to contract
in 2009 by 4.5 percent, compared with the positive 5.6 percent
growth in 2008. The fiscal surplus from last year will turn to
a sizeable deficit. The report says unemployment could reach 12
percent by year end. And the crisis threatens to undo some of
the large poverty reduction gains of recent years. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/ECAEXT/RUSSIANFEDERATIONEXTN/0,,contentMDK:22120857~menuPK:305605~pagePK:2865066~piPK:2865079~theSitePK:305600,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL“)
…

Knowledge Economy Forum Urges Countries to Protect R&D
Budgets

The Bank says innovation is vital for Europe and Central Asian
countries’ post-crisis growth and urges countries to focus on
key priorities for sustainable growth by ensuring that
resources for innovation are not cut as part of fiscal
consolidation. The Bank says such resources should be used more
efficiently, and by approaching the crisis as an opportunity to
change policies that would protect Research and Development
(R&D) and investment in human capital. According to a Bank
report that will be discussed at the Bank’s Eighth Annual
Knowledge Economy Forum that is taking place at INSEAD in
Fontainebleau, the economic crisis is a powerful opportunity
for Europe and Central Asian countries to redirect investments
in R&D by restructuring government-sponsored Research &
Development Institutes (RDIs), in order to increase the rate of
return on these investments. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/ECAEXT/0,,contentMDK:22159361~menuPK:258604~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:258599,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL“)
…

Approved

KAZAKHSTAN – South West Roads Project – US$2.125 billion to
help upgrade the trade route linking China to Russia and
Western Europe through Kazakhstan bringing a helpful economic
stimulus to some of Kazakhstan’s poorest provinces. The
project will boost Kazakhstan’s competitiveness and bring
significant economic benefits to Kazakhstan, as well as to
Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Much of the road
network in Kazakhstan was constructed during the Soviet era and
has significantly deteriorated since then due to lack of
adequate maintenance. Read more
(“http://www.worldbank.org.kz/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/ECAEXT/KAZAKHSTANEXTN/0,,contentMDK:22158343~pagePK:141137~piPK:141127~theSitePK:361869,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL“)
…

TAJIKISTAN – Community and Basic Health Project – US$5 million
to increase access to, utilization of, and patient satisfaction
with, health services in project-supported areas. The grant
will help build capacity and efficiency at national levels in
administering a basic package of health benefits and introduce
financing reforms in primary health care. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/ECAEXT/0,,contentMDK:22163928~menuPK:2246556~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:258599,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL“)
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LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

Bank Transfers US$25 million to Mexico for H1N1 Flu

The Bank confirmed that US$25.6 million was deposited into a
Special Account of the Mexico health project, enabling Mexico
to instantly buy drugs such as Tamiflu, medical supplies and
equipment, and to beef up testing capacity in an effort to
combat H1N1 flu at a national level. This financial support is
the first part of the US$205 million in support to Mexico
announced by Bank President Robert Zoellick last Sunday which
will assist the government and mobilize its vast public health
experience in response to the flu outbreak. The financial
package includes a US$180 million fast disbursing project which
is being prepared in connection with the Global Facility for
Avian Influenza to help local authorities finance the full
range of strategic, epidemiologic, regulatory, institutional,
and operational activities needed for an effective
response. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/LACEXT/0,,contentMDK:22164171~menuPK:2246555~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:258554,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL“)
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State of the Cities Report Proposal Approved by Cities Alliance

The Cities Alliance has approved a proposal to co-finance a
Brazil State of the Cities Report which will provide an
analysis of the living conditions of a sample of 400 Brazilian
municipalities out of total of more than 5500. Brazil has
urbanized rapidly over the past few decades. According to a
2000 census, over 80 percent of the population lives in urban
areas. However, much of this urbanization has been unequal;
population has grown around state capitals and neighboring
municipalities of larger metropolitan areas, while other
regions have experienced negative growth rates. The result has
been pockets of poverty with increased social exclusion and
environmental hazards. The Cities report will provide the
opportunity to analyze the country’s socially diverse urban
areas and identify issues for public debate that can be used to
reinforce the national urban agenda and policy strategies set
by local authorities. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/LACEXT/0,,contentMDK:22163318~menuPK:2246555~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:258554,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL“)
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Approved

Costa Rica – Public Finance and Competitiveness Development -
US$500 million to assist the government in addressing public
financing needs to implement actions that strengthen public
revenue generation capacity and fiscal transparency, improve
secondary education attainment and enhance competitiveness to
sustain growth. It is expected to play an important role in the
Government’s contingency plan to cover potential financing
gaps in the event that the global economic and financial
environment worsens significantly, threatening the
implementation of important reforms and undermining the
capacity to sustain key social programs. Key outcomes include
an improvement in tax revenues as a percent of GDP, an
expansion in the number of beneficiaries of the ‘Avancemos”
program, decrease in the secondary drop-out rate, and an
increase in the number of telecom operators and insurance
providers competing in Costa Rica. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/LACEXT/0,,contentMDK:22163765~menuPK:2246555~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:258554,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL“)
…

For more regional information: http://www.worldbank.org/lac
(“http://www.worldbank.org/lac“)

MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA

Approved

EGYPT, SUDAN AND THE EASTERN NILE TECHNICAL REGIONAL – US$8.7
million to increase the adoption by the Eastern Nile Countries
of sustainable land and water management practices in selected
micro-watersheds in the Eastern Nile Basin. There are three
components to the project. The first objective is community
watershed management – to promote wider adoption of sustainable
land and water management practices and technologies, to reduce
land degradation and increase agricultural productivity. The
second objective of the project, cooperative action, which will
strengthen the knowledge base and human resource capacity for
cooperative action on watershed management in the Eastern Nile
Basin. The third component of the project is project
management. This component is aimed at providing technical and
capacity building assistance and incremental operating costs to
support project implementation. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/AFRICAEXT/0,,contentMDK:22163967~menuPK:2246551~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:258644,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL“)
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For more regional information: http://www.worldbank.org/mena
(“http://www.worldbank.org/mena“)

SOUTH ASIA

Approved

AFGHANISTAN – Financial Sector Strengthening Project – US$8
million equivalent to help finance the costs associated with:
strengthening the capacity of Designed Account Afghanistan Bank
in the areas of banking supervision, accounting, internal audit
and human resource management; and developing necessary
financial infrastructure, such as public credit registry,
collateral registry, and the Afghanistan National Institute of
Banking and Finance. The International Finance Corporation
(IFC) will also provide the necessary technical support to
establish a public credit registry and collateral registry in
Afghanistan. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/SOUTHASIAEXT/0,,contentMDK:22163444~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:223547,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL“)
…

INDIA – Small and Medium Enterprise Financing and Development
Project – US$400 million to provide an additional loan to the
Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), with the
guarantee of the Republic of India, for the Small and Medium
Enterprises Financing and Development Project (SMEFDP). The
additional financing will scale up the parent project and
facilitate an: increase in the geographical coverage of the
project; expansion of innovative SME loan products, including
possibly loans to smaller SMEs, and receivables financing;
expansion of SME lending through other participating financial
institutions, subject to demand; exploration of the possibility
of providing loans to promote investments in energy efficiency
improvement technologies, subject to adequate demand from SME
at the SIDBI for such funding; and expansion of the coverage of
the innovative Risk-Sharing Facility (RSF) that was initiated
under the parent project. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/SOUTHASIAEXT/0,,contentMDK:22163494~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:223547,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL“)
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For more regional information: http://www.worldbank.org/sar
(“http://www.worldbank.org/sar“)

BUSINESS AND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

How is the Crisis Affecting Telecom Privatization?

A recent trend in the telecom sector has been the emergence of
several global players based in the developing world. These
companies are proceeding with their overseas expansion plans
and are entering new markets despite the financial crisis. In
January 2009 Telecel Globe, an affiliate of Orascom Telecom,
acquired Namibia’s Cell One mobile operator. Orascom Telecom
has also entered the Korea PDR market (3-G service) and has
expanded its activities in Lebanon (management contract for
Alfa). Etisalat is expanding in Iran, receiving the country’s
third national mobile license as part of a consortium with
Taameen Telecom (Iran). The company has also made substantial
investments in Pakistan’s telecom sector. These companies,
eager to establish themselves as global or regional players,
are helping to lessen the overall adverse impact that the
financial crisis and economic recession have had on foreign
investment in telecoms. Read more
(“http://www.fdi.net/documents/WorldBank/databases/pri-center_mockup/privatizationalert.html“)
…

For a full list of open positions and scholarships

http://www.worldbank.org/jobs (“http://www.worldbank.org/jobs“)

ON THE BLOGS

Wrapping up the 2009 Spring Meetings

Sameer Vasta notes on the Spring Meetings blog that “The 2009
Spring Meetings have now come to a close. We hope that you
enjoyed getting a quick look at some of the events and
announcements coming out of this year’s Meetings, and that this
blog was a useful way to get quick snippets of information and
insight from this past weekend’s proceedings. This blog will
stay live in its current state until the next round of World
Bank meetings, most probably the Annual Meetings taking place
this fall. Until then, feel free to go through the archives, or
click through the daily highlights to get targeted information
about some of the big events and announcements that took
place.” Read more
(“http://blogs.worldbank.org/meetings/wrapping-up-the-2009-spring-meetings?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL“)
…

DID YOU KNOW?

Infrastructure in Africa

Regional cooperation in infrastructure investment through
Spatial Development Initiatives (SDIs) has proven to support
both structural and localized development, by pooling financial
resources to the benefit of several countries, as discussed in
this contributed article on Development Corridors and SDIs in
Africa. To encourage investment in Africa’s infrastructure, the
Public-Private Infrastructure Advisory Facility has recently
published Attracting Investors to African Public-Private
Partnerships: A Project Preparation Guide, which advises
countries on how to develop project proposals when seeking
investors. Noting also the rise in Sovereign Wealth Funds as a
source of capital, PPIAF has published Building Bridges:
China’s Growing Role as Infrastructure Financier for Africa,
which highlights the latest trends in China’s involvement in
the region’s infrastructure projects. Read more
(“http://www.fdi.net/spotlight/spotlight_detail.cfm?spid=41“)
…

MANAGE YOUR SUBSCRIPTION

The World Bank Weekly Update, published Mondays, highlights
activities on the Bank’s Web site for the previous week. For
more information: http://www.worldbank.org
(“http://www.worldbank.org/“)

Comments regarding the newsletter: webresponse@worldbank.org
(“mailto:webresponse@worldbank.org“)

Apr 13 2009

World Bank Weekly Update – April 13, 2009

* Increasing Support for Trade Facilitation in Poor Countries

* Major Economies Seek to Reverse Global Trade Slump

* Signs of Bottoming Out In China Give Hope to East Asian
Economies

* Review Calls for Action to Protect the Marine Environment

* Books – Job Creation in Latin America and the Caribbean

* World Malaria Day 2009

* Assessing the Impact of the Crisis on New PPI Projects

* Blog – No, really… Where Should We Start?

* Project Profile: Khudoni Hydropower Plant

* Anti-corruption Collective Action Competitions 2009

NEWS

Increasing Support for Trade Facilitation in Poor Countries

The Bank launched a US$40 million multi-donor trust fund to
help countries improve their competitiveness and reduce trading
costs through measures such as improving infrastructure,
transport logistics and customs procedures. Due to the global
recession, volumes of trade in goods and services are expected
to drop 6.1 percent in 2009, with a significantly sharper
contraction in trade volumes of manufacturing products,
according to Bank data. The TFF, with US$40 million in funding
over the next four years, will complement ongoing Bank support
for trade-led economic growth. Bank trade lending amounted to
US$1.4 billion in Fiscal Year 2008 in support to trade-related
infrastructure, regional integration, export development and
competitiveness and trade facilitation. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:22133246~pagePK:34370~piPK:34424~theSitePK:4607,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL”)
…

Major Economies Seek to Reverse Global Trade Slump

Reversing the slump in global trade was a key issue at the G-20
Summit in London, where the G-20 announced it would ensure
availability of at least $250 billion for trade finance over
the next two years through export credit and investment
agencies and through the multilateral development banks. The
Bank and several partners will join the effort with a new
Global Trade Liquidity Program that could support up to $50
billion in trade. New Bank forecasts for 2009 paint a dismal
picture of the year ahead, and a weak recovery in 2010. The
2009 Global Economic Prospects predicts developing country GDP
growth will slow to 2.1 percent in 2009, down from 5.8 percent
in 2008. Global growth, as a whole, is expected to contract to
1.7 percent—the first decline in world output since World War
II. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:22128045~pagePK:34370~piPK:34424~theSitePK:4607,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL”)
…

Signs of Bottoming Out In China Give Hope to East Asian
Economies

As countries in the East Asia and Pacific region prepare
themselves for an expected surge in joblessness resulting from
the global slowdown, a ray of hope may be emerging with signs
of China’s economy bottoming out by mid-2009, says the World
Bank’s latest half-yearly assessment of the region’s economic
health. The latest East Asia and Pacific Update, titled
‘Battling the Forces of Global Recession,’ says a recovery
in China is likely to begin this year and take full hold in
2010, potentially contributing to the region’s stabilization,
and perhaps recovery. But with China still heavily reliant on
exports to world markets that continue to contract, the Update
warns that a truly sustainable recovery in the East Asia and
Pacific region ultimately depends on developments in the
advanced economies. In the face of much weaker exports and a
slowing down in domestic demand, the World Bank is forecasting
that real GDP growth in developing East Asia will reach only
5.3 percent in 2009, down from 8 percent in 2008 and 11.4
percent in 2007. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:22131602~pagePK:34370~piPK:34424~theSitePK:4607,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL”)
…

Review Calls for Action to Protect the Marine Environment

Properly valuing coastal and marine ecosystem services is
critical to sustainable development, according to the Bank
publication “Environment Matters 2008.” Titled: “Valuing
Coastal and Marine Ecosystem Services”, the review argues
that while we recognize that the ocean provides vast quantities
of food, offers enormous recreational values, and stores carbon
– what is a critical service in an era of climate change –
these services so vital for humankind have been treated as
“free goods,” and the ecosystems that provide them are
rapidly deteriorating through overuse, pollution, and physical
destruction. Valuation of indirect ecosystem services such as
the regulating role of coastal and marine resources in
providing habitat for fish, as a receptor for wastewater, or to
control beach erosion, is weak. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:22132171~pagePK:34370~piPK:34424~theSitePK:4607,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL”)
…

PUBLICATIONS

Job Creation in Latin America and the Caribbean

This book, subtitled “Recent Trends and Policy Challenges”
analyzes recent labor market trends in Latin American countries
and the factors that underlie the failure to create more—and
more productive and rewarding—jobs, a failure with
substantial political and social costs. The authors analyze how
growth and job creation in the region’s economies compare with
other emerging countries, the impact of job creation and
destruction on productivity growth and the creation of “good”
jobs, and the relative importance and role of labor market
policies in improving labor market outcomes in the
region. Read more
(“http://publications.worldbank.org/ecommerce/catalog/product?item_id=8612185?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL”)
…

FOR A FULL LIST of available publications:

http://publications.worldbank.org/ecommerce/

(“http://publications.worldbank.org/ecommerce/”)

EVENTS AND DISCUSSIONS

World Malaria Day 2009

April 25 – Global – Malaria continues to haunt 40% of the
world’s population. It infects more than 500 million people per
year and kills more than 1 million. The burden of malaria is
heaviest in sub-Saharan Africa but the disease also afflicts
Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and even parts of Europe.
World Malaria Day – which was instituted by the World Health
Assembly at its 60th session in May 2007 – is a day for
recognizing the global effort to provide effective control of
malaria. On this year’s World Malaria Day the Roll Back Malaria
Partnership will focus on malaria as a global health problem.
The partners will engage the international community in their
fight against malaria. Read more
(“http://www.rollbackmalaria.org/worldmalariaday/”) …

REGIONAL NEWS AND PROJECTS

April 9 List of Newly Disclosed Documents
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/PUBLICATION/INFOSHOP1/0,,contentMDK:22136296~pagePK:162350~piPK:165575~theSitePK:225714,00.html”)

AFRICA

Vice President Urges Commodity-dependent Countries to Diversify

The Bank’s Vice President for Africa Obiageli Ezekwesili has
challenged countries in Africa to use the global economic
downturn as an opportunity to transform their economies through
diversifying sources of growth, reforming policies, and
strengthening governance. Speaking at a national Indaba on the
impact of the global economic crisis on Zambia, Ezekwesili said
transforming economies requires political will at the highest
levels, accountability for results by both leaders and
citizens, and plans that are supported by the right policies.
She said countries ought to reform to create an enabling
environment for both local and foreign investors. “After this
crisis ebbs, foreign investors will return but they will be
cautious and invest first in those countries that have kept to
the reforms they had initiated,” she said. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/AFRICAEXT/ZAMBIAEXTN/0,,contentMDK:22132706~menuPK:375673~pagePK:2865066~piPK:2865079~theSitePK:375589,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL”)
…

Bank to Provide US$500m to Boost Trade, Competitiveness

The Bank has said it is prepared to approve an additional
US$360 million over the next three years for a total of US$500
million in support of Africa’s North-South Corridor (NSC)
program. On Monday in Lusaka, the Bank’s Vice President for
Africa, Obiageli Ezekwesili told a conference attended by
several African heads of state that the Bank has already
approved US$140 million in support of the core investment
requirements of the Corridor, and is prepared to commit the
additional funding over the coming three years. The remaining
US$500 million will be for non-core projects that are
complementary to the NSC. Core Corridor projects already being
funded by the World Bank include the Tanzania Integrated
Transport Project, and the Zambia Roads Rehabilitation and
Maintenance Project. Existing complementary projects include
the Beira Railway, and the Roads and Coastal Shipping Projects
in Mozambique, and the Malawi Infrastructure Sector Investment
Project. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/AFRICAEXT/0,,contentMDK:22132210~menuPK:2246551~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:258644,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL”)
…

Congo Power Plant Holds Promise for Energy Supply to Millions
across Africa

The Inga power complex in the Democratic Republic of Congo has
enormous potential, with some estimates indicating that it may
supply energy for as many as 500 million households across
Africa. Yet because of years of neglect in infrastructure
maintenance, power shortages have become the norm rather than
the exception. Inga is now the subject of renewed attention at
the regional level as part of a multi-nation effort to reduce
energy shortages within SADC

The World Bank is helping finance investments in the energy
sector at the regional level, including through the
rehabilitation of the Inga power plant. The Inga complex is the
hub of the country’s power generation industry. Located in
the western section of the country, approximately 300 km
downriver from Kinshasa, the capital city, the Inga site holds
40,000 to 45,000 MW of the country’s 100,000 MW of hydropower
potential. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/AFRICAEXT/0,,contentMDK:22132713~menuPK:2246551~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:258644,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL”)
…

For more regional information: http://www.worldbank.org/afr
(“http://www.worldbank.org/afr”)

EAST ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

Bank, ASEAN Partnership for Regional Infrastructure Finance
Network

The Bank and the Association of South East Asian Nations
(ASEAN) announced a new strategic partnership to facilitate
innovative financing of much needed infrastructure. Bank Vice
President for the East Asia & Pacific region, James Adams
welcomed the announcement of the partnership by the ASEAN
Finance Ministers which was included in their meeting’s Joint
Ministerial Statement. The World Bank – ASEAN Infrastructure
Finance Network (IFN) is a platform for knowledge exchange
between the public and private sectors which will support the
flow of private capital for infrastructure development in the
region. IFN aims to provide global knowledge and training to
national and sub-national governments. The focus will be on new
approaches to financing infrastructure projects and on
establishing credit culture in public sector infrastructure
operations. It also aims to share models of excellence in
infrastructure finance from around the globe with practitioners
and policy makers. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/EASTASIAPACIFICEXT/0,,contentMDK:22135422~menuPK:2246553~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:226301,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL”)
…

Bank Report urges Broadening of China’s Poverty Reduction
Agenda

The Bank poverty assessment report for China brought together
findings from multi-year analytical work undertaken by the Bank
on a policy-oriented assessment of poverty and inequality in
China. A distinguishing feature of the report is its effort to
establish key underlying facts using large-sample, and in most
cases, nationally-representative data, and to provide
empirically-grounded analyses supplemented with in-depth
qualitative work. A central thesis of the report, titled “From
Poor Areas to Poor People: China’s Evolving Poverty Reduction
Agenda”, is that while China’s record of poverty reduction and
growth over the last quarter century has been enviable with the
poverty headcount rate falling from 65% of the population in
1981 to 4% in 2007 and more than half a billion people lifted
out of poverty over this period, the task of poverty reduction
continues and in some respects has become harder. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/EASTASIAPACIFICEXT/0,,contentMDK:22131892~menuPK:2246553~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:226301,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL”)
…

Economy Falls More Than Earlier Expected in Thailand

Thailand’s economic growth is falling by more than earlier
expected amid a sharp and continuing decline in global trade.
As a result, the World Bank has revised its forecast for the
country’s gross domestic product in 2009 to a 2.7 percent
contraction, down from the 2 percent growth projected in the
previous forecast. The global economic slump shut down what has
been, for the past three decades, the main engine for
Thailand’s economic growth: exports. As a result, the
manufacturing sector has been badly hit. The Thai government
estimated that one million or more workers would lose their
jobs this year due to the slowdown. In January, the
unemployment rate stood at 2.4 percent of the total workforce
– a full percentage point higher than the 1.4 percent
recorded in December 2008. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/EASTASIAPACIFICEXT/0,,contentMDK:22131746~menuPK:2246553~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:226301,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL”)
…

For more regional information: http://www.worldbank.org/eap
(“http://www.worldbank.org/eap”)

EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA

Additional Financing for Albania’s Social Services Delivery
Project

Albania and the Bank signed a credit agreement for an
Additional Loan on Social Services Delivery Project, totaling
US$ 5 million. This financing is targeted at making
improvements in the efficiency and the effectiveness of the
Albanian pension system by improving pension system
administration, supporting institutional strengthening,
including improved capacity for pension policy development and
improving public understanding of the pension system. To date,
the original credit has supported service delivery in 43 day
care centers, offering services under newly developed service
standards and policies to more than 25,000 beneficiaries from
vulnerable groups. In addition, 13 residential care centers
were supported to improve service delivery. Finally, the credit
established the legal and strategic framework in the social
care area and strengthened capacity at central and local
government levels. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/ECAEXT/0,,contentMDK:22132033~menuPK:2246556~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:258599,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL”)
…

LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

Approved

BOLIVIA – Rural Alliances Project [Additional Financing] -
US$30 Million to improve accessibility to markets for poor
rural producers in selected sub-regions of the country. The
project consists of three components: Financing technical
assistance and training to provide the institutional and
organizational support needed for the creation of productive
alliances at the local level. The component will give a
particular focus to the development of the institutional
capacity of small producers to become partners in new marketing
arrangements with the private sector. Providing support for the
implementation of the rural alliances prepared under the first
component; Efficient and effective coordination of the project
and a Monitoring and Evaluation system which can measure the
improved access to markets by poor producers, and growth in
rural incomes. The additional funding will finance scaling-up
of project activities to enhance development impact by
expanding the project into two new sub-regions of the country
and by co-financing a greater number of rural alliances in the
original project area. The project development objective will
not be changed. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/LACEXT/0,,contentMDK:22133308~menuPK:258559~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:258554,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL”)
…

BRAZIL – Federal District Multisector Public Management Project
- US$130 Million to support the Government of Brazil’s
development objectives for the Federal District. It will
improve public sector management and accountability by
establishing results-based management practices and improving
fiduciary oversight; and increase access, quality, and
efficiency of the education, health, and public transport
services by modernizing the education system; modernizing,
decentralizing and integrating various levels of health care;
and strengthening the institutional and operational capacity of
the public transport sector. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:22136856~pagePK:34370~piPK:34424~theSitePK:4607,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL”)
…

MEXICO – Support to Oportunidades Project – US$1, 503.76
Million to: increase capacities in health, nutrition and
education of poor families through human capital investment by
promoting regular health check-ups, improving health status,
and raising school enrollment and attendance rates; and build
sustainable connections between Oportunidades and other social
programs of the Government of Mexico in order to improve health
and education outcomes for program participants. The first
component is support to the continuation of the Oportunidades
Program – a conditional cash transfer program which disburses
cash transfers to extremely poor families, conditional on
compliance with certain requirements. The project will finance
bi-monthly cash transfers to the participant families who
comply with the conditions. The second component is technical
assistance for Oportunidades. The project will finance
consultancy services and studies which will support efforts to
improve the connections between Oportunidades and other social
programs and other initiatives to improve the operation of the
program, including implementation of the Indigenous Peoples
Plan (IPP). Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:22136868~pagePK:34370~piPK:34424~theSitePK:4607,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL”)
…

PERU – Results and Accountability (REACT) Development Policy
Loan – US$330 Million to support the government of Peru in
strengthening the accountability framework and improving
results in health, nutrition and education. The Peru REACT DPL
series is supporting actions in primary education, health and
nutrition to define standards and set goals for the outcomes
which families should expect for their children, and is
expected to lead to improved outcomes in second grade literacy;
increased access to institutional birth services; and increased
coverage of individualized growth monitoring and counseling
services for children under 24 months of age in areas with a
high incidence of chronic malnutrition, leading to better
nutrition outcomes. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:22136862~pagePK:34370~piPK:34424~theSitePK:4607,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL”)
…

For more regional information: http://www.worldbank.org/lac
(“http://www.worldbank.org/lac”)

MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA

First Municipal Solid Waste Sector Development Policy Loan in
Morocco

The Bank approved a Municipal Solid Waste Sector Development
Policy Loan as the first Development Policy Loan (DPL) in the
solid waste sector Bank wide and the first Bank project in
solid waste sector in Morocco. An operation built on clear
demand and two years of preparation to support Morocco in its
effort for the reform and the development of municipal solid
waste sector with focus on governance, sustainability, and
environment and social dimensions.

It is a very unique experience using a holistic and
programmatic approach and can lend itself feasible to other
urban economies particularly middle income countries seeking an
environmental branding for global integration. Morocco produces
about 5 million tons of municipal waste per year and could
reach 6.2 million tons in 2020 and the contribution of poor SWM
to the cost of environmental degradation is estimated to 0.5%
of GDP. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/MENAEXT/0,,contentMDK:22125458~menuPK:247603~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:256299,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL”)
…

For more regional information: http://www.worldbank.org/mena
(“http://www.worldbank.org/mena”)

SOUTH ASIA

Safety Net Programs Key at Times of Financial Crisis

Ensuring governance and transparency for maximizing the
benefits from the 100 Days Employment Generation Program was
stressed in a workshop in Bangladesh. At present, it is the
country’s largest social protection program covering around 2
million people. It is very important to have well targeted
social protection programs like this employment generation
scheme and others to protect the poor from the effects of the
global financial crisis. The Ministry of Food and Disaster
Management and the World Bank jointly organized the workshop to
share the international best practices with the view to
improving the design of the employment generation program. The
100 days employment generation programs targeted the
geographical pockets with high poverty rate. The program
covered the poorest of the poor with 37% of the beneficiaries
from bottom quintile. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/SOUTHASIAEXT/0,,contentMDK:22131814~menuPK:2246552~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:223547,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL”)
…

For more regional information: http://www.worldbank.org/sar
(“http://www.worldbank.org/sar”)

BUSINESS AND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

Assessing the Impact of the Crisis on New PPI Projects

Throughout the financial crisis, new private activity has
continued to take place in developing countries with projects
being tendered and brought to financial closure. In the first
months of the full-scale of the financial crisis the rate of
project closure was 26% lower than in the same period in 2007.
However, since then private activity recovered and the project
closure rate in Aug—Dec 2008 was just 15% lower than in the
same period in the previous year. The slowdown reflects an
initial impact of the financial crisis which has made financing
more onerous and difficult to secure. Infrastructure projects
are facing higher cost of financing, and lower demand for
infrastructure services is beginning to impact some sectors.
The major impact to date is projects being delayed, and, to a
lesser extent, cancelled. Transport and energy are the worst
affected sectors so far, while ECA and upper middle income
countries are the most affected groups of countries. Read more
(“http://www.ppiaf.org/content/view/534/462/”) …

For a full list of open positions and scholarships

http://www.worldbank.org/jobs (“http://www.worldbank.org/jobs”)

ON THE BLOGS

No, really… Where Should We Start?

Laura Brix observes in the CGAP blog: “I had a coworker at
the FDIC who used to say “In the land of the blind, the
one-eyed man is king.” I felt a little like the one-eyed man
while on a consumer protection policy diagnostic in Cambodia,
mainly because the words ‘Cambodia’ and ‘consumer
protection’ do not often occur in the same sentence. Talk
about a nearly clean slate–it was hard not to be the most
knowledgeable person on the subject in most of the meetings.
Then, my colleague at IFC asked me quite sincerely “So, where
would you suggest Cambodia start?” and after unleashing some
excruciatingly vague principles like “transactions should be
transparent,” and “customers should not be sold unsuitable
products,” and “clients should have adequate recourse,” I
was not feeling quite so good about myself. I saw how easy it
was to declare that MFIs should not abuse their customers but
harder to translate these principles into policies that can be
implemented and enforced without choking off access to those
who most need it, especially when the client base is low
literacy, low-income, and unlikely to express dissatisfaction
with all sorts of questionable behavior. Join the conversation
(“http://microfinance.cgap.org/?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL”)
…

TAKE A LOOK

Project Profile: Khudoni Hydropower Plant

In the past, Georgia relied heavily on its neighboring
countries to meet its energy needs. In 2004, Georgia imported
17 percent of the power used in the country. This situation has
been turned around, and in 2007 Georgia became a small net
exporter of electricity. Unlike the situation a few years ago,
power is now supplied to paying consumers 24 hours a day.
Faults in the system are quite rare, and the utilities are
getting better at handling the system to avoid or minimize
blackouts. The system currently has sufficient capacity to meet
domestic demand at peak hours when households cook dinner
or run washing machines. However, Georgia still relies on gas
imports for thermal power stations – essential to meeting the
winter’s power demand. The reservoirs at the existing
hydropower stations are not large enough to supply Georgia with
enough winter power. Georgia needs to import power during the
winter and exports power during the spring and summer. Read
more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/ECAEXT/0,,contentMDK:22133782~menuPK:2246556~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:258599,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL”)
…

DID YOU KNOW?

Anti-corruption Collective Action Competitions 2009

The World Bank Institute and partners are hosting two
competitions linked to its Executive Development Program on
fighting corruption through collective action. Main prizes
cover participation and travel expenses to the World Bank
Institute’s Executive Development Program: “Fighting
Corruption through Collective Action in Today’s Competitive
Marketplaces” that will be held in Washington, June 8 to 11.
Winners will also be given the opportunity to present their
work at this program and will have their case study published
on the World Bank Institute’s portal. Read more
(“http://info.worldbank.org/etools/antic/anticorruption_competition.asp”)
…

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Apr 8 2009

World Bank Weekly Update – April 6, 2009

* G20 Seek Solutions to Global Trade Slump

* Bank Provides Financial Platform for Pilot Vaccine Program

* Bank Updates Global Economic Forecasts

* Zoellick Says Financial Crisis is Hurting Developing
Countries

* Books – The Social Dimensions of Climate Change

* World Health Day 2009

* Speak Out with Dilip Ratha on Remittances

* Call for Papers: International Conference on Diaspora for
Development

* Blog – Buddy, Can You Spare $20 Billion?

* Briefing – MIGA Support Paves Way for Toll Road in Costa
Rica

* The Bank and TB Control

NEWS

G20 Seek Solutions to Global Trade Slump

Fixing the problem of the slump in global trade was a key issue
at the G-20 Summit in London, where the G-20 announced it would
ensure availability of at least $250 billion for trade finance
over the next two years through export credit and investment
agencies and through the multilateral development banks. The
Bank and several partners will join the effort with a new
Global Trade Liquidity Program that could support up to $50
billion in trade. New Bank forecasts for 2009 paint a dismal
picture of the year ahead, and a weak recovery in 2010. The
2009 Global Economic Prospects predicts developing country GDP
growth will slow to 2.1 percent in 2009, down from 5.8 percent
in 2008. Global growth, as a whole, is expected to contract to
1.7 percent—the first decline in world output since World War
II. The Bank now expects a 6.1 percent contraction in 2009 in
the volume of world trade in goods and services. The value of
world trade will collapse much more because of the fall in
commodity prices. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:22128045~pagePK:34370~piPK:34424~theSitePK:4607,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL”)
…

Bank Provides Financial Platform for Pilot Vaccine Program

The Bank’s Board of Executive Directors has approved a
financial platform for a pilot vaccine program that will
benefit millions of children in the developing world. The
Advance Market Commitment (AMC) pilot will help accelerate the
creation of a viable market for pneumococcal vaccines by
providing up-front financing for incremental costs of vaccine
production to meet demand from developing countries. “This
program will give children in developing countries timely
access to safe, effective vaccines, at affordable prices. We
are very pleased to join donors and partners on this innovative
and life-saving effort,” said Bank President Robert B.
Zoellick. An AMC is a commitment to finance the future
purchase, up to a pre-determined price, of a vaccine needed in
developing countries. It is estimated that AMC funds will
help immunize nearly 700 million infants, directly preventing
about 2.8 million deaths through 2020. In addition, it is
estimated that the accelerated introduction of pneumococcal
vaccines will prevent another 4.9 million deaths. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:22128835~pagePK:34370~piPK:34424~theSitePK:4607,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL”)
…

Bank Updates Global Economic Forecasts

Rich countries across the world are in simultaneous recession,
with their output falling sharply in the last quarter of 2008.
And of the 16 developing countries that have quarterly data
available, 15 have shown a fourth-quarter GDP decline. As heads
of governments convened in London for the G-20 summit, the Bank
sharply marked down its November 2008 forecast of 4.4 percent
GDP growth in the developing world in 2009 to 2.1 percent,
noting that there may be a weak recovery in 2010. However, the
pace and timing of recovery remain highly uncertain. Global GDP
growth, after a robust eight-year stretch, is now set to
contract by 1.7 percent this year, the Bank predicts. This is a
historic contraction, with world output set to decline for the
first time since World War II. The investment banking collapse
last year and the ensuing credit crunch were followed by a
sharp decline in industrial production across the world,
especially in economies specializing in investment goods. Read
more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:22122200~pagePK:34370~piPK:34424~theSitePK:4607,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL”)
…

Zoellick Says Financial Crisis is Hurting Developing Countries

Bank President Zoellick said the crisis is hurting developing
countries and the G-20 countries must restore confidence, as
the new Bank forecast sees sharp slowdown in growth, putting
the poor at risk. Speaking at a Thomson Reuters Newsmaker in
London ahead of the G20 Summit, Zoellick said there would be a
sharp slowdown in economic growth in the developing world this
year, putting more poor people at risk, and the Group of 20
must not shrink from combining ideas and actions to restore
confidence in the world economy. “This is not a moment for
complacency. It is not a day for expressing false confidence
that all has been done that can be done. It is not a time for
narrow nationalist or even regional responses. The one
certitude we can draw from events over the past year is our
inability to predict what is to come, and how it may trigger
other unexpected events,” Zoellick said. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:22121605~pagePK:34370~piPK:34424~theSitePK:4607,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL”)
…

PUBLICATIONS

The Social Dimensions of Climate Change

Climate change is arguably the most profound challenge facing
the international community in the 21st century. Tremendous
strides have been made over recent years in improving
scientific understanding of the human processes driving climate
change, but much less understood is how these dynamics in the
physical environment interact with socio-economic systems. This
book brings together the work of prominent researchers and
practitioners who take stock of the latest knowledge on the
social dimensions of climate change. Read more
(“http://publications.worldbank.org/ecommerce/catalog/product?item_id=8961826?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL”)
…

FOR A FULL LIST of available publications:

http://publications.worldbank.org/ecommerce/

(“http://publications.worldbank.org/ecommerce/”)

EVENTS AND DISCUSSIONS

World Health Day 2009

April 7 – Global – World Health Day is celebrated on 7 April to
mark the founding of WHO. Each year, the Organization selects a
key global health issue and organizes international, regional
and local events on the Day and throughout the year to
highlight the selected area. In 2009, World Health Day is
dedicated to the theme “Save lives. Make hospitals safe in
emergencies.”

Among the casualties in emergencies, disasters and other crises
are often health workers, facilities and services. This, in
turn, deprives affected populations of vital health services
that can be the difference between life and death. Read more
(“http://www.who.int/mediacentre/events/annual/world_health_day/en/index.html”)
…

Speak Out with Dilip Ratha on Remittances

Remittances will fall more than originally expected this
year—from $305 billion last year to an amount closer to $290
billion in 2009, according to the latest World Bank research.
But even with drop, remittances will still outstrip private
capital flows, expected to fall by half in 2009, and official
development aid, typically around $100 billion. Remittances are
“resilient” because many migrants are unlikely to leave their
adopted countries and will continue to send money home, says
economist Dilip Ratha, who leads the Bank’s Migration and
Remittances team. Bank remittances expert Dilip Ratha will
answer your questions in a live online discussion
(“http://discuss.worldbank.org/content/interview/detail/9277/?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL”)
on Wednesday, April 8 at 10 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time.

REGIONAL NEWS AND PROJECTS

AFRICA

Placing Corporate Social Responsibility High on the Development
Agenda

A high-level two-day international seminar jointly organized by
the Bank and the governments of Mozambique, Australia, and
Norway took place in Maputo with the aim of discussing ways of
enhancing the development impact of resource industries through
the effective use of its revenues in socially responsible
investments. The conference involved representatives of
governments, industry, and civil society from the SADC
countries. The workshop was attended by two Heads of State,
both of whom delivered keynote speeches and promised to press
ahead and commit their governments to the advancement of the
corporate social responsibility agenda. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/AFRICAEXT/0,,contentMDK:22123407~menuPK:2246551~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:258644,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL”)
…

Côte d’Ivoire Reaches Decision Point under HIPC Debt Relief
Initiative

The Bank’s International Development Association and the IMF
have agreed that the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire qualifies for
debt relief under the enhanced Heavily Indebted Poor Countries
(HIPC) Initiative, enabling it to reach the decision point
under the Initiative. Côte d’Ivoire will receive interim debt
relief from certain creditors, but in order to qualify for
irrevocable debt relief at the completion point, Côte d’Ivoire
will be implementing a broad set of reforms. In particular,
Côte d’Ivoire has adopted a Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS)
in 2009 and has established a track record of policy
performance under the economic programs supported by the IMF’s
Emergency Post-Conflict Assistance. In order to reach the
completion point, Côte d’Ivoire will have to implement the
PRS for at least one year and maintain macroeconomic
stability. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/AFRICAEXT/0,,contentMDK:22124146~menuPK:2246551~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:258644,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL”)
…

Productive Safety Net Project Helps Lift Communities out of
Hunger

Close to 9000 people in the Silte zone of Ethiopia’s Southern
region are participating in a project that is at once lifting
them out of extreme poverty and hunger, enhancing the
environment and building community assets. The project, the
Productive Safety Net Project, or PSNP, initially launched in
2005 and scaled up in 2006, supports a large-scale public works
initiative which pays wages to food insecure, but able-bodied,
citizens, who in turn develop small-scale projects to
sustainably rehabilitate highly degraded environments – one
of the main causes of food-insecurity. The program provides
direct grants, along with wages, to those physically unable to
work and is reaching an estimated seven and a half million
people in Ethiopia. Implemented throughout the country, the
multi-donor program is supported by the Bank and other partner
countries and organizations. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/AFRICAEXT/0,,contentMDK:22121609~menuPK:2246551~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:258644,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL”)
…

Approved

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC – Support to Vulnerable Groups
Community Development Project – US$8.0 million to rehabilitate
social infrastructure and improve the capacity of local
stakeholders to plan and manage local recovery in targeted
areas of the Central African Republic. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/AFRICAEXT/0,,contentMDK:22124236~menuPK:2246551~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:258644,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL”)
…

COTE D’IVOIRE – Second Economic Governance and Recovery Grant -
US$150 million to promote growth and achieve sustainable
reductions in poverty. Specifically, it will: support
government-owned reforms to improve governance, transparency,
and efficiency in public expenditure management and control;
and help enhance governance and efficiency in the energy,
cocoa, and financial sectors. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/AFRICAEXT/0,,contentMDK:22124228~menuPK:2246551~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:258644,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL”)
…

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO – Forest and Nature Conservation
Project – US$70 million to enhance the capacity of the Ministry
of Environment, Nature Conservation and Tourism (MECNT) and the
Congolese Nature Conservation Institute (ICCN), and increase
collaboration among government institutions, civil society, and
other stakeholders in order to manage forests sustainably and
equitably for multiple uses in pilot provinces. Project
components include: institutional strengthening of MECNT;
community participation in forest management; and management of
protected areas and support to ICCN. The project will also help
support a US$250 million multi-donor national forest and
conservation program prepared by the government and its
development partners, including the World Bank. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/AFRICAEXT/0,,contentMDK:22128020~menuPK:2246551~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:258644,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL”)
…

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO – National Parks Network
Rehabilitation Project – US$7 million to enhance the
administrative, financial management and advocacy capacity of
the public institution in charge of managing protected areas
(Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature). It will
also help strengthen the capacity of this institution to
evaluate and expand the national protected areas system,
through the participation of local communities, indigenous
groups and civil society organizations, as well as technical
studies and consultations at the national level, and will help
rehabilitate two priority national parks and their buffer
zones. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/AFRICAEXT/0,,contentMDK:22128030~menuPK:2246551~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:258644,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL”)
…

KENYA – Energy Sector Reform Project (Additional Financing) -
US$80 million to enable the project to meet its original
project development objectives and to scale-up the project’s
energy access program to enhance the project’s impact.
The objectives of this additional financing operation are
consistent with those of the original project, namely to
enhance the policy, institutional and regulatory environment
for private sector participation and sector development;
support the efficient expansion of power generation capacity to
meet demand; and increase access to electricity in urban and
peri-urban areas while improving efficiency, reliability and
quality of service to existing customers. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/AFRICAEXT/0,,contentMDK:22128090~menuPK:2246551~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:258644,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL”)
…

KENYA – Northern Corridor Transport Improvement Project
(Additional Financing) – US$253 million to support the
implementation of the post-election recovery program, which in
part involves the reconstruction of vital infrastructure and
replacement of vehicles and equipment damaged during the
crisis, thereby facilitating the provision of essential
services. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/AFRICAEXT/0,,contentMDK:22128094~menuPK:2246551~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:258644,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL”)
…

KENYA – Orphans and Vulnerable Children Project – US$50 million
to increase social safety net access for extremely poor OVC
households, through an effective and efficient expansion of the
CT-OVC Program. The project would: increase the capacity of
the Department of Children Services to manage the CT-OVC
program; and support effective program implementation in
selected districts, by providing timely and predictable
transfers to eligible OVC households, and by contributing to
improved human capital for OVC in those households. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/AFRICAEXT/0,,contentMDK:22124169~menuPK:2246551~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:258644,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL”)
…

MAURITIUS – Third Trade & Competitiveness DPL – US$100
million equivalent to support the third year of the medium-term
program designed to respond to two major challenges: the
“triple trade shock” of trade preference erosion in sugar
and apparel and high oil prices; and the transition from low
wage, low skill sugar and apparel exporter to innovative,
knowledge and skill based services economy. The reform program
aims at returning the economy to a higher growth path and
making it more competitive, flexible and adaptable by: fiscal
consolidation and improving public sector efficiency; enhancing
trade competitiveness; improving the investment climate; and
widening the circle of opportunity through participation,
social inclusion and sustainability. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/AFRICAEXT/0,,contentMDK:22124109~menuPK:2246551~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:258644,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL”)
…

RWANDA – First Community Project (Development Policy Lending) -
US$6 to assist the Republic of Rwanda in implementing key
social protection and health policy initiatives designed to
help reduce extreme poverty, initially in 30 pilot sectors, and
to expand access to high-impact health, nutrition and
population interventions at the community level. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/AFRICAEXT/0,,contentMDK:22128074~menuPK:2246551~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:258644,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL”)
…

TOGO – Financial Sector and Governance – US$12 million
equivalent to help improve financial sector stability by
supporting the government of Togo’s financial sector reform
program, which will lead to more efficient resource allocation
towards poverty-reducing and growth-inducing sectors. The grant
will provide technical assistance to various stakeholders
through four components: banking sector restructuring;
strengthening of the microfinance sector; pension sector
reform; and support for implementation of reforms in the
financial and private sectors. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/AFRICAEXT/0,,contentMDK:22124211~menuPK:2246551~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:258644,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL”)
…

UGANDA – Post-Primary Education & Training Project – US$150
million to support the Ugandan government’s efforts to:
increase access to lower secondary education; improve the
quality of lower secondary education; and enhance the enabling
environment for post primary education and training. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/AFRICAEXT/0,,contentMDK:22124165~menuPK:2246551~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:258644,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL”)
…

For more regional information: http://www.worldbank.org/afr
(“http://www.worldbank.org/afr”)

EAST ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

Open a Book at the KDCs

Booklatan sa KDC in the Philippines wants to promote good
reading habits and an appreciation for books among young
people. Development issues are discussed through story-telling
techniques using the World Bank Manga comics as the jump off
point. “Let them fall in love with the story first, then the
love for reading will eventually follow”, advised Mr. Tony
Yanza, one of the resource speakers of the Booklatan (or Open a
Book) sa KDC in the Palawan State University in Puerto Prinsesa
City. And as the workshop participants later found out, getting
young people to develop a love for reading is easier said than
done. This kind of appreciation for the written word requires
as much effort from the teacher as well as the students. Read
more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/EASTASIAPACIFICEXT/0,,contentMDK:22120668~menuPK:2246553~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:226301,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL”)
…

Approved

CHINA – Hubei Yiba Highway Project – US$150.0 million to
improve passenger and freight flows in the Yichang-Badong
corridor in Hubei Province by construction of an expressway
with enhanced environmental management practices. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/EASTASIAPACIFICEXT/0,,contentMDK:22124216~menuPK:2246553~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:226301,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL”)
…

For more regional information: http://www.worldbank.org/eap
(“http://www.worldbank.org/eap”)

EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA

Bank is Not Recommending 70 Years as Threshold for Retirement

Central, Eastern and Southern European countries, including
Romania, will need to continue reforming their pensions and
financial market systems in order to deliver old age economic
security to their retired citizens, according to two new Bank
reports launched in Vienna: “Adequacy of Retirement Income
after Pension Reforms in Central, Eastern, and Southern Europe;
and Aging Population, Pension Funds, and Financial
Markets—Regional Perspectives and Global Challenges for
Central, Eastern, and Southern Europe.” The Bank also warned
that the growing impact of the global financial crisis
reinforces the need for Central, Eastern and Southern European
countries, including Romania, to counter the fall-out on
pension payments for current and future retirees, and not to
reverse the important reform efforts of the last decade. The
authors of the studies further clarify the messages of the
World Bank for the Romanian audience. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/ECAEXT/0,,contentMDK:22122805~menuPK:2246556~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:258599,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL”)
…

Press Tour “The Open Day – Trial External Testing”

A press tour under the title “The Open Day – Trial
External Testing” took place at one of the selected
institutions of trial external testing, Lyceum №100, Kyiv.
Students were invited to take a trial external test, under the
same conditions as they would face at the end of their
secondary education prior to entering university, and
journalists were invited to follow and report directly on the
experience. The event was organized by the Information Center
of Independent Assessment established under the joint project
of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and the
Bank “Equal Access to Quality Education in Ukraine” in
Kyiv. There was a lot of interest from the general public and
from mass media in the event; as a result the Open Day was
covered by six national and four regional television channels,
five radio stations; over 190 publications appeared in printed
and online media. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/ECAEXT/0,,contentMDK:22130183~menuPK:2246556~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:258599,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL”)
…

Bank Offices in Central Asia Open Doors to Youth

The Bank’s Central Asia Regional Office in Almaty
(Kazakhstan) and the Country Offices in Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan),
Dushanbe (Tajikistan), and Tashkent (Uzbekistan) hosted the
fourth regional Central Asia Youth Open House. This year the
event was devoted to the theme of regional integration in
Central Asia and organized in line with the topics of the World
Development Report 2009, one of the Bank’s major annual
publications. More than 140 young people representing
universities (students and young staff) and youth organizations
gathered in the World Bank offices in Central Asia. The agenda
of the Youth Open House was tailored to the interests of young
people and developed so that young people could learn, share,
discuss, and have fun. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/ECAEXT/0,,contentMDK:22126566~menuPK:2246556~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:258599,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL”)
…

Approved

KYRGYZ REPUBLIC – Small Towns Infrastructure and Capacity
Building Project – US$4 million to improve the availability,
quality and efficiency of local infrastructure services for the
population of participating small towns. The project
finances rehabilitation and/or repair of basic infrastructure
and utility service installations and equipment, and assists
local governments in increasing the effectiveness of the
management of local infrastructure services. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/ECAEXT/0,,contentMDK:22128093~menuPK:2246556~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:258599,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL”)
…

LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

Integration, Key for Growth and Poverty Reduction

A a new Bank study says the acceleration of trade integration
in the Caribbean is essential to boost the region’s growth,
create jobs, and reduce poverty. The report argues that despite
their small size, economies in the Caribbean must strive to
become more competitive to fully reap the benefits of global
trade integration. The report, “Caribbean: Accelerating Trade
Integration. Policy Options for Sustained Growth, Job Creation,
and Poverty Reduction,” presented at the World Trade
Organization’s (WTO) Committee on Trade and Development,
acknowledges the region’s efforts in pursuing an external
trade policy over the past three decades anchored on
preferential access to the European and North American markets,
but stresses that the Caribbean’s integration into the world
economy has been slow and compares poorly with some Asian
countries with similar levels of integration 30 years
ago. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:22128538~pagePK:34370~piPK:34424~theSitePK:4607,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL”)
…

Fund to Help Strengthen Paraguayan Bank System

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) Recapitalization
Fund will make its inaugural investment of $20 million in
Paraguay’s Banco Continental, which will help strengthen one of
the country’s leading financial institutions and ensure
continued lending to small and medium enterprises. The fund, a
key IFC initiative aimed at helping mitigate the effects of the
global financial crisis, will invest in Banco Continental’s
preferred stock, which is part of the bank’s Tier 1 Capital.
Banco Continental is the largest locally owned financial
institution in Paraguay. The bank provides commercial lending
products and services to small and medium enterprises and
corporate client. Banco Continental serves more than 62,000
customers through a network of 31 branches. Read more
(“http://www.ifc.org/ifcext/media.nsf/content/SelectedPressRelease?OpenDocument&UNID=4B919B799F314290852575850060BCB9″)
…

Approved

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC – Water and Sanitation in Tourist Areas
Project – Phase I (Adaptable Program Loan I) – US$27.5 million
to assist the Dominican Republic in: strengthening and
consolidating the policy framework of the water and sanitation
sector; improving and expanding access to sanitation and
wastewater treatment and disposal services in the Puerto Plata
region; improving the financial and operational performance of
CORAAPPLATA, the region’s water utility; and enhancing
operational and commercial performance of other regional
utilities and preparing them to participate in the second phase
of the Program (APL II). Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/LACEXT/0,,contentMDK:22127746~menuPK:258559~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:258554,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL”)
…

For more regional information: http://www.worldbank.org/lac
(“http://www.worldbank.org/lac”)

MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA

Bank Delegation Considers Iraq’s Investment Potential

Representatives of the Bank’s board and senior management are
visiting Iraq next week to discuss the country’s investment
potential and underscore the Group’s commitment to assisting
in its sustainable economic recovery. “A key element of the
World Bank Group’s strategy in Iraq is to enable private
sector development as the driver of job creation” says
Daniela Gressani, the Bank’s Vice President for the Middle
East and North Africa Region. The team will meet with
business leaders and government officials as well as Iraq’s
National Investment Commission, which has been established to
promote investment into the country. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:22128689~pagePK:34370~piPK:34424~theSitePK:4607,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL”)
…

For more regional information: http://www.worldbank.org/mena
(“http://www.worldbank.org/mena”)

SOUTH ASIA

Building Legitimacy of Government is Key to Security in
Afghanistan

Bank Managing Director Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala told the
International Conference on Afghanistan in The Hague that
building the legitimacy, capacity, and credibility of the state
is vital to foster peace and development in Afghanistan and
needs to top the agenda of the international community.
Okonjo-Iweala said the gap between the expectations of the
Afghan people and the ability of their government to deliver
services is widening rather than narrowing. Afghanistan’s
leadership had a vision for national programs from the start,
for providing basic health services, education, rural
infrastructure, and microfinance, said Okonjo-Iweala. She
pointed to the doubling of functioning health care facilities,
the decline in infant mortality, and the six-fold increase of
children in school, now numbering 6 million, 35 percent of them
girls. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/SOUTHASIAEXT/0,,contentMDK:22123267~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:223547,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL”)
…

South Asia Regional Development Marketplace on Nutrition

Despite experiencing unprecedented economic growth during the
last decade, South Asia including India, has the highest rates
of malnutrition and the largest numbers of undernourished
children in the world. Undernourished children have higher
rates of mortality, lower cognitive and school performance, are
more likely to drop out of school, and as adults are likely to
earn lesser incomes. Addressing the causes of undernutrition is
particularly important as it impedes productivity, economic
growth and poverty reduction. The prevalence of underweight
children in India is among the highest in the world. WHO
estimates that about 49 percent of the world’s underweight
children, 34 percent of the world’s stunted children and 46
percent of the world’s wasted children live in India. The
Bank earlier this month launched a South Asia Regional
Development Marketplace on Nutrition. The Development
Marketplace aims to identify and fund innovative ideas that
deliver improved nutrition to infants and young children during
their first two years of life, as well as to pregnant women.
Read this and more in our India Newsletter
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/SOUTHASIAEXT/0,,contentMDK:22124480~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:223547,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL”)
…

Updated Poverty Maps Help Targeted Policy Intervention for
Poverty Reduction

The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics and the World Bank, in
collaboration with the World Food Program (WFP), updated the
Poverty Maps for Bangladesh. Poverty mapping is an important
statistical instrument that can estimate the poverty incidence
at Upazila levels. The new generation of poverty maps is based
on the Household Income and Expenditure Survey of 2005 and the
Population Census of 2001. The updating exercise was
financially supported by the UK’s Department for
International Development. Bangladesh has experienced
significant poverty reduction over the past two decades.
The poverty incidence declined from 57 percent at the beginning
of the 1990s to 40 percent in 2005. However, a closer look
to the recent reduction in the national poverty rate shows
uneven progress amongst different areas and communities. In
fact, there remain many areas where the incidence of poverty is
far larger than the national figures would suggest. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/SOUTHASIAEXT/0,,contentMDK:22126561~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:223547,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL”)
…

For more regional information: http://www.worldbank.org/sar
(“http://www.worldbank.org/sar”)

BUSINESS AND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

Call for Papers: International Conference on Diaspora for
Development

The Migration and Remittances team of the Development Economics
and Prospects Group of the Bank is organizing an International
Conference on Diaspora and Development on July 13-14, 2009 in
Washington. The Diaspora of developing countries can be a
potent force for development for their countries of origin,
through remittances, but more importantly, also through
promotion of trade, investments, knowledge and technology
transfers. The conference aims to consolidate research and
evidence on these issues with a view to formulating policies in
both sending and receiving countries. The program committee
invites economists (and non-economists) and policy makers to
submit proposals for papers on related themes. Read more
(“http://peoplemove.worldbank.org/en/content/call-for-papers-international-conference-on-diaspora-for-development?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL”)
…

For a full list of open positions and scholarships

http://www.worldbank.org/jobs (“http://www.worldbank.org/jobs”)

ON THE BLOGS

Buddy, Can You Spare $20 Billion?

On the Africa Can blog, Shanta poses the question: How much
additional foreign aid will it take to prevent the global
financial crisis from becoming an economic, social, political
and human crisis in Africa? He goes on to say that: “As my
co-authors and I tried to point out in an earlier study of the
additional aid needed to reach the Millennium Development
Goals, this is not the most important question. Much more
important are: what developing country governments can do, and
how the additional resources will be spent. Nevertheless, as
world leaders gather for the G-20 summit outside London, the
magnitude of additional resources to the world’s poorest
continent will be discussed.” Join the conversation
(“http://africacan.worldbank.org/buddy-can-you-spare-20-billion?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL”)
…

TAKE A LOOK

MIGA’s Support Paves Way for Toll Road in Costa Rica

A new road can have a tremendous impact, especially in an
increasingly global marketplace where commerce is not limited
by borders. Communities rely on transportation networks to
connect with homes, schools, businesses, and health care. Trade
depends on the ability to get goods to market. And with growing
demand comes opportunity. A new road can bring the potential
for improved livelihoods. Such is the case for the owner of
“Soda Escobal”, a small café shop selling staples in Costa
Rica, along the new toll road corridor between the capital San
José and the port of Caldera on the Pacific coast. “The new
road will bring increased activity to what was a quiet area,”
he says. “Our small shop is now close enough to the road to
get better business and we hope to see new
opportunities”. Read more
(“http://www.miga.org/news/index_sv.cfm?aid=2263″) …

DID YOU KNOW?

The World Bank and TB Control

Globally, tuberculosis infects more than 9.2 million people
each year and kills 1.7 million. The majority of TB/HIV
co-infection is in Sub-Saharan Africa. The Bank is increasing
its effort to fight TB globally through a scale-up in disease
control activities. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/AFRICAEXT/EXTWBSTOTB/0,,menuPK:4722968~pagePK:64168427~piPK:64168435~theSitePK:4722934,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL”)
…

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Mar 31 2009

worldbank update newsletter 30 maret 2009

* Ask the World Bank President about the Global Crisis

* Lower Remittances Forecast for 2009 as Financial Crisis
Deepens

* Launch of Bank’s Largest-Ever Bond Issue

* Bank Support Grows for Brazil’s Environment

* 2009 Development Marketplace Grant Competition Launched

* Books – New Industries from New Places

* Group of 20 (G20) Summit

* UN Road Safety Week 2009

* Speak Out with Dilip Ratha on Remittances

* Business – First Trade Guarantee for Energy Efficiency Deals

* Blog – Is Low-carbon Growth the only Sustainable Way to
Overcome World Poverty?

* Briefing – Thailand Infrastructure Annual Report 2008

NEWS

Ask the World Bank President about the Global Crisis

World Bank President Robert Zoellick, who has said that 2009
will be a “dangerous year”, will be speaking on March 31st
and has agreed to take questions from Reuters readers. Zoellick
has been outspoken during the current economic crisis
predicting the first shrinking of the economy since the ’30s,
warning that increased government spending will simply create a
‘sugar high‘ until banks’ toxic assets are dealt with
properly, and urging a tougher stand against protectionism.
With the London summit of the Group of 20 nations on April 2nd
fast approaching what do you want to know about the Bank’s
role in shoring up the world economy and helping poorer
nations? Read more on how to submit your questions
(“http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2009/03/20/ask-the-world-bank-president/?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL“)
…

Lower Remittances Forecast for 2009 as Financial Crisis Deepens

Many developing countries depend heavily on the money millions
of workers send home from abroad. Yet migrant workers are
facing more difficult circumstances as the financial crisis
deepens around the world. Bank researchers predict remittances
will fall more than originally expected this year—from $305
billion last year to an amount closer to $290 billion in 2009.
Even with a drop of between 5 and 8 percent, remittances will
still outstrip private capital flows, expected to fall by half
in 2009, and official development aid, typically around $100
billion.Remittance flows will stay “resilient” because many
countries have a well-established “stock” of migrants who
are unlikely to leave their adopted countries. They will
continue to send money home, even if they have to reduce the
amount they send, says the Bank’s Migration and Remittances
team. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:22115303~menuPK:34457~pagePK:34370~piPK:34424~theSitePK:4607,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL“)
…

Launch of Bank’s Largest-Ever Bond Issue

The Bank completed its largest-ever bond issue, raising US$6
billion through a globally-distributed fixed-rate note. The
money raised through this transaction will enable the Bank to
provide much-needed investments in developing countries dealing
with the impacts of the global financial crisis. IBRD could
make new commitments of up to $100 billion over the next three
years. This year, lending could almost triple to $35 billion.
The bond issue comes at a time when developing countries are
facing financing gaps of $270 – $700 billion, as private sector
creditors shun emerging markets. Only one-quarter of the most
vulnerable countries have the resources to prevent a rise in
poverty. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:22118832~menuPK:34463~pagePK:34370~piPK:34424~theSitePK:4607,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL“)
…

Bank Support Grows for Brazil’s Environment

The approval earlier this month of a US$1.3 billion World Bank
loan to support environmental policy actions in Brazil has
greater significance than the actual size of the loan itself
– one of the largest of its kind. It represents the
commitment of the Brazilian government to address environmental
issues head on, despite the financial crisis, and to mainstream
sustainability into polices that spur economic growth. The new
project is part of the Bank’s active full-service partnership
with the country on the environment, ranging from analytical
work to projects and integrated multi-sector work. The history
and goals of this new operation could be a useful example for
other countries facing similar challenges. In few countries is
the ecosystem as crucial to development and people’s welfare as
in Brazil. The country has one-third of the world’s tropical
rain forests, the largest reservoir of fresh water and a
savanna with the greatest biodiversity in the world. A
significant part of Brazil’s economy relies on the use of
natural resources for production inputs. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:22116801~pagePK:34370~piPK:34424~theSitePK:4607,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL“)
…

2009 Development Marketplace Grant Competition Launched

The 2009 Global Development Marketplace (DM2009) today launched
its annual global search for innovative local projects and
project ideas, with the focus this year on how to help poor and
vulnerable communities disproportionately affected by current
and predicted climate threats. Innovating organizations from
civil society, governments, and the private sector are invited
to submit project proposals online from today to May 18, to
enter the competition for grants provided by the World Bank
Group, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and other
partners. An award pool of more than US$5 million will support
20-25 projects. Typically, DM competitions attract nearly 3,000
applicants, from which about 100 finalists are selected.
Finalists competing for grants will be invited to the
Development Marketplace to be held November in
Washington. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:22113148~menuPK:34463~pagePK:34370~piPK:34424~theSitePK:4607,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL“)
…

PUBLICATIONS

New Industries from New Places

This book presents the first rigorous comparison of the growth
of the IT industries in China and India, based on interviews
with over 300 companies. It explains the different growth paths
of the software and hardware sectors in each country, providing
insights into the factors behind the emergence of China and
India as global economic powers. It provides a compelling case
study of how differences in economic policies and the
investment climate affect industrial growth. This book
subtitled “The Emergence of the Hardware and Software
Industries in China and India” sheds new light on common
debates on “China versus India”, on why India is the software
capital of the world while China is a manufacturing powerhouse.
It refutes common myths about the growth of these industries
for example, the role of Non-Resident Indians or the Y2K
problem in the growth of the Indian software industry, the role
of government intervention in industrial growth, and the
relative size of China and India’s software industries. Read
more
(“http://publications.worldbank.org/ecommerce/catalog/product?item_id=5351372?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL“)
…

FOR A FULL LIST of available publications:

http://publications.worldbank.org/ecommerce/
(“http://publications.worldbank.org/ecommerce/“)

EVENTS AND DISCUSSIONS

Group of 20 (G20) Summit

April 2 – London – On 2 April 2009, world leaders from the
G20 countries – representing 85% of the world’s output –
will meet in London. They will meet against the backdrop of the
worst international banking crisis in generations. Confidence
in the international banking system has fallen. Major
institutions have failed. Countries around the world have
entered recession, with falling trade and rising unemployment.
The London Summit will take place against the backdrop of
exceptionally challenging economic circumstances. But, just as
after the Second World War visionary leaders laid the
groundwork for 30 years of prosperity and growth, built on
international economic cooperation, this crisis is also an
opportunity. Read more (“http://www.londonsummit.gov.uk/en/“)
…

UN Road Safety Week 2009

April 1 – Global – In 2004 the United Nations General
Assembly resolution on “Improving global road safety”
invited WHO to act as coordinator on road safety issues across
the United Nations system. Since the World Health Assembly
accepted this invitation, WHO has hosted three meetings of the
UN Road Safety Collaboration. The Week, which will focus on
young road users, is an historic opportunity to raise the issue
of road traffic injuries to a higher level. During the Week, it
is expected that hundreds of initiatives – local, national,
regional and global – will take place around the world,
organized by governments, nongovernmental organizations, United
Nations and other international agencies, private sector
companies, foundations and others working for safer roads. It
is hoped the events of the Week will serve as launching points
for new and effective road safety initiatives in the years
ahead. Read more (“http://www.who.int/roadsafety/en/“) …

Speak Out with Dilip Ratha on Remittances

Remittances will fall more than originally expected this
year—from $305 billion last year to an amount closer to $290
billion in 2009, according to the latest World Bank research.
But even with drop, remittances will still outstrip private
capital flows, expected to fall by half in 2009, and official
development aid, typically around $100 billion. Remittances are
“resilient” because many migrants are unlikely to leave their
adopted countries and will continue to send money home, says
economist Dilip Ratha, who leads the Bank’s Migration and
Remittances team. Bank remittances expert Dilip Ratha will
answer your questions in a live online discussion
(“http://discuss.worldbank.org/content/interview/detail/9277/?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL“)
on Wednesday, April 8 at 10 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time.

REGIONAL NEWS AND PROJECTS

AFRICA

Ethiopia Launches General Education Quality Improvement Program

The Ethiopian Government and the World Bank on March 14
officially launched the General Education Quality Improvement
Program. Prime Minister Meles Zenawi presided over the launch
ceremony. The project aims to support Ethiopia’s effort to
improve the quality of general education through, among other
things, improvements in teaching and learning conditions in
primary and secondary institutions as well as management
planning and budget capacity of the Ministry of Education and
Regional Education Bureaus. Specific activities include a
Teacher Development Program; curriculum, textbooks and
assessment; education management information systems; and a
school improvement program. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:22121070~pagePK:34370~piPK:34424~theSitePK:4607,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL“)
…

Ivorian President Lauds Bank for Support in Tackling Solid
Waste Management

World Bank and Ivorian government officials launched the Solid
Waste Management component of the Bank’s Emergency Urban
Infrastructure Project in Côte d’ Ivoire. Called “Clean City
Operation”, the three-month initiative will help dispose of
500,000 tons of solid waste in the 13 communes of the District
of Abidjan, the nation’s economic capital. The total cost of
the project is US$12 million. Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo
presided over the launch ceremony in Abidjan, and praised the
Bank for its financial support. He congratulated Bank Country
Director for Côte d’Ivoire Madani M. Tall, for his
commitment to helping the country tackle the ever insolvable
issue of solid waste in Abidjan. President Gbagbo said Ivorians
should be grateful to the Bank because the project is funding
not only solid waste, but also other important sectors, such as
sanitation, water supply and roads rehabilitation. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/AFRICAEXT/0,,contentMDK:22120007~menuPK:258649~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:258644,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL“)
…

Bank Vice President for Africa Announces Key Initiatives for
Ghana

The World Bank will provide Ghana with up to US$1.2 billion in
interest-free loans over the next three years, Bank Vice
President for Africa Obiageli Ezekwesili. Ezekwesili said at
the end of a three-day visit to Accra. The financing will
benefit projects in sectors including water and sanitation,
agriculture and fisheries, energy, natural resource management
and transport, and will top-up an ongoing portfolio of close to
US$1 billion. About 48 percent of the amount will be disbursed
through budget support. Ghana, which has been internationally
credited with good governance, investing in its people,
fostering democracy and implementing major economic reforms,
still faces unprecedented challenges. Like other countries in
the region, it has been hit by the global financial crisis and
is struggling to meet its goal of reaching middle-income
country status by 2015. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:22119142~pagePK:34370~piPK:34424~theSitePK:4607,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL“)
…

Uganda CSOs Share Views on World Bank Support

Civil Society Organizations in Uganda have welcomed the World
Bank’s outreach efforts but say more needs to be done to
support non-state actors in their development efforts. At an
open dialogue and networking dinner with the major civil
society networks in Uganda, Bank Country Manager for Uganda,
Kundhavi Kadiresan, assured the heads of the ten agencies
present that the Bank greatly values and appreciates their
important role in the development process, and promised to
always carefully consider their views. Executive Director of
the Uganda National NGO Forum, Richard Ssewakiryanga, said if
the Bank was to be a more effective partner, it needed to make
deliberate effort to commit substantial funding to civil
society organizations. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/AFRICAEXT/0,,contentMDK:22120141~menuPK:258649~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:258644,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL“)
…

Bank Launches 14 Public Information Centers in Cameroon

Between January and March 2009, the Bank’s Cameroon office
reached out to high schools, colleges, higher learning
institutions, youth organizations, and CSO/NGOs through the
establishment of 14 satellite Public Information Centers
(PICs). The centers, an offshoot of the main center at the
Bank’s office in Yaounde, are repositories for Bank
publications and other development information. The PICs target
non-traditional Bank partners and since January have shared
more than 20,000 publications. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:22112945~pagePK:34370~piPK:34424~theSitePK:4607,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL“)
…

Bank’s Uganda Office Launches Monthly Media Dialogue Series

The World Bank Uganda country office launched a monthly
dialogue series with the media aimed at promoting informed
debate on development issues. Dubbed “monthly coffee press
dialogue”, the series is supposed to foster a structured
exchange of information and feedback between the Bank and the
media in an informal and relaxed setting, in addition to other
continuing media efforts. The launch event was presided over by
the Bank’s Country Manager for Uganda Kundhavi Kadiresan. The
project leaders briefed the media on the key developments in
their various sectors and answered questions relevant to their
areas of expertise. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/AFRICAEXT/0,,contentMDK:22120198~menuPK:258649~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:258644,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL“)
…

Approved

NIGER – Growth Policy Reform Grant 1 – US$40 Million to help
overcome policy constraints and institutional bottlenecks to
growth by: addressing the main business environment obstacles,
including taxes; relieving infrastructure constraints for the
private sector; promoting rural sector growth; pursuing public
finance management reform; and addressing demographic issues.
The expected outcomes of this grant are: improved business
environment, freeing up financing for short term capital needs,
increased access to finance; improved road infrastructure;
increased private sector participation in public infrastructure
projects; a better performing agricultural sector, through food
imports rationalization and technology investment; improved
public financial management; and implementation of the
government’s policy on demographics. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:22118682~pagePK:34370~piPK:34424~theSitePK:4607,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL“)
…

For more regional information: http://www.worldbank.org/afr
(“http://www.worldbank.org/afr“)

EAST ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

Cambodia’s Trade Development Support Program Launched

The Cambodian Ministry of Commerce and four of its development
partners launched a US$12.6 million Trade Development Support
Program (TDSP) aimed at assisting Cambodia to expand its
international trade. The program is financed by the European
Commission, the Danish International Aid Agency and the United
Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), and it
will be administered by the World Bank. The program focuses on
legal reforms, trade facilitation and product standards, and is
designed to empower the Royal Government of Cambodia to
facilitate trade by improving regulations and internal
processes. TDSP is part of the trade sector-wide approach
(known as the Trade SWAp), which unites all activities funded
by development partners to assist the government to enhance its
trade potential. The Trade SWAp covers activities in different
areas through addressing legal reform, product and service
development for exports and capacity development for trade, and
takes on board many of the government’s ongoing reforms in
such areas as decentralization and public finance
management. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/EASTASIAPACIFICEXT/0,,contentMDK:22112180~menuPK:2246553~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:226301,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL“)
…

For more regional information: http://www.worldbank.org/eap
(“http://www.worldbank.org/eap“)

EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA

Bank Prepared To Support Multilateral Financial Crisis Support
Package for Romania

As part of the multilateral financial support agreed to today
with Romania to address the effects of the global economic and
financial crisis and promote the reform agenda of the
government, the World Bank is prepared to provide support
amounting to one billion Euros, subject to approval from its
Executive Board. The World Bank support would focus on
longer-term structural issues in three key areas: public sector
reforms, notably in fiscal/public financial management to
improve the transparency and predictability of public spending
and quality of public services; strengthening social protection
to cushion the impact of the crisis on the vulnerable and
improve the efficiency and viability of these programs; and 3)
financial sector reforms to enhance the resilience and
functioning of the sector. These measures would support the
country’s longer-term stabilization and economic
restructuring agenda. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/ECAEXT/0,,contentMDK:22116733~menuPK:2246556~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:258599,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL“)
…

Bank Supports Refocusing Anti-Crisis Policy on Households in
Russia

Russia is better positioned to weather the worldwide recession
than many countries given its prudent fiscal policies, and
should now focus increasingly on protecting poor and vulnerable
people as growth decelerates more rapidly than expected,
according to the Russian Economic Report 18 released in Moscow
today. The impact of the global crisis is proving far deeper
and broader than previously thought, with Russia not being an
exception. The impact on Russia has been accentuated by
structural vulnerabilities in the economy, including dependence
on the oil and gas sector, a narrow industrial base, and a
comparatively modest small and medium-size enterprise sector.
And evidence is mounting of severe repercussions on labor
markets and poverty. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:22120857~pagePK:34370~piPK:34424~theSitePK:4607,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL“)
…

Rapid Aging and Financial Crisis Pressure Countries to Deliver
Pensions for the Elderly

With some of the fastest-aging populations in the world, and
high outwards migration to their wealthier OECD neighbors, the
countries of Central, Eastern, and Southern Europe (CESE) will
need to continue reforming their pensions and financial market
systems in order to deliver old age economic security to their
retired citizens, according to two new Bank reports launched in
Vienna with the cooperation of Austria’s ERSTE Foundation.
The Bank also warns that the growing impact of the global
financial crisis reinforces the need for CESE countries to
counter the fall-out on pension payments for current and future
retirees, and not to reverse their important reform efforts
over the last decade. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/ECAEXT/0,,contentMDK:22120772~menuPK:2246556~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:258599,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL“)
…

Approved

MACEDONIA – Municipal Services Improvement Project – US$25
Million to improve transparency, financial sustainability, and
delivery of targeted municipal services in the participating
municipalities. The project aims to achieve this objective
through a focus on infrastructure and services under the
responsibility of participating municipalities and their
communal service enterprises, such as water supply, sanitation,
and solid waste management, but may also include support for
other functions such as energy efficiency, urban transport, and
other services under municipal provision. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/ECAEXT/0,,contentMDK:22119217~menuPK:2246556~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:258599,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL“)
…

MOLDOVA – Social Investment Fund III Project [Additional
Financing] – US$5 Million to support the government of
Moldova’s National Development Strategy and empower poor
communities and vulnerable population groups to manage their
priority development needs. The additional financing will be
targeted to the poorest villages and to small towns; giving
preference to villages and small towns damaged by recent
floods. Most towns have already benefited from MSIF and have
community development plans. With the additional financing, the
Project will fund an additional 45 sub-projects, using the
community driven development methodology, and would directly
benefit and additional 53,600 people. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/ECAEXT/0,,contentMDK:22116196~menuPK:2246556~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:258599,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL“)
…

TAJIKISTAN – Programmatic Development Policy Operation – US$20
Million to support the government of Tajikistan’s reform
program. It aims to improve the environment for private sector
development, and to improve overall functioning of the public
sector and the delivery of key public services. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/ECAEXT/0,,contentMDK:22118962~menuPK:2246556~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:258599,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL“)
…

LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

Climate Change Aspects in Agriculture

The Regional Climate Change Strategy identifies the need to
improve knowledge to support adaptation efforts and identify
mitigation opportunities as one of its key action steps. In
this context a stocktaking of available resources on climate
change and agriculture was carried out. The Notes identify
country-specific climatic constraints and policy interventions
related to the agricultural sector, highlighting the
institutional make-up in the dialogue of climate change and
agriculture, broadly defined. Information on adaptation and
mitigation action frameworks is provided, as well as
information related to insurance mechanisms and social
interventions to reduce risk. The Country Notes are a useful
tool for organizing in a systematic way the available
information relevant to climate change and agriculture, as well
as for informing the discussion with clients for future Bank
engagement in climate change and agriculture projects. Read
more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/LACEXT/0,,contentMDK:22077094~pagePK:146736~piPK:146830~theSitePK:258554,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL“)
…

For more regional information: http://www.worldbank.org/lac
(“http://www.worldbank.org/lac“)

MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA

Approved

MOROCCO – Solid Waste Sector Development Policy Loan (DPL) -
Euro 100 Million to provide budget support and assist the
government of Morocco to implement a program of reforms aimed
at improving the financial, environmental, and social
performance of the municipal solid waste sector in Morocco.
Specifically, the DPL will support government policy, and
legal, regulatory, and administrative reforms in the areas of
governance of the municipal solid waste sector, the
sustainability of municipal solid waste management services,
and the mainstreaming of social and environmental
considerations into solid waste investments. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/MENAEXT/0,,contentMDK:22110203~menuPK:2246554~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:256299,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL“)
…

TUNISIA – Integration and Competitiveness Development Policy
Loan – US$250 Million to support two key pillars of the
Government of Tunisia’s 11th National Development Plan:
accelerating the pace of growth and preserving macroeconomic
stability. Specifically, it will support policy actions in the
following areas: reducing trade transaction costs and enhancing
Tunisia’s global economic integration; further improving the
business climate to enhance competitiveness of Tunisian firms,
including services; and; strengthening the capacity of the
financial sector to increase private investment flows. Read
more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/MENAEXT/0,,contentMDK:22117979~menuPK:2246554~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:256299,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL“)
…

YEMEN: Flood Protection and Emergency Reconstruction Project
[Additional Financing] – US$35 Million to help finance the
costs associated with the reconstruction and rehabilitation of
selected key infrastructure destroyed or damaged by the
level-three tropical storm and floods that hit Yemen in October
2008. The additional funds will support the existing Taiz
Municipal Development, and Flood Protection Project (TMDFPP) to
repair and rebuild, to adequate flood-proof standards, selected
priority damaged infrastructure in the disaster-affected areas
in Hadramout and Al-Mahara Governorates in the aim of
rehabilitating this critical infrastructure to enable the
restoration of livelihoods affected by the disaster, and
protecting residents, economic activities and infrastructure
from the effects of future flooding. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/MENAEXT/0,,contentMDK:22115780~menuPK:2246554~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:256299,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL“)
…

For more regional information: http://www.worldbank.org/mena
(“http://www.worldbank.org/mena“)

SOUTH ASIA

Approved

AFGHANISTAN – Strengthening Health Activities for the Rural
Poor Project (SHARP) – US$30 Million to help finance the costs
associated with the provision of health services to the Afghan
population with particular attention to basic health services
for women and children in underserved areas. The project will
build on previous Bank health sector initiatives in Afghanistan
by: initiating a programmatic approach to the sector based on
the Afghanistan Health and Nutrition Sector Strategy; expanding
the delivery of the basic package of health services (BPHS);
supporting the delivery of essential package of hospital
services; further strengthening the capacity of the Ministry of
Public Health (MOPH) both at central and provincial level; and
testing innovations to increase utilization of health services.
The project is expected to improve the health status of the
Afghan population by reducing morbidity and mortality,
especially among children and women. It will also contribute to
the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals in
Afghanistan. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/SOUTHASIAEXT/0,,contentMDK:22115637~menuPK:2246552~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:223547,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL“)
…

PAKISTAN – Poverty Reduction and Economic Support Operation
(PRESO) – US$500 Million to support government of Pakistan’s
policy measures that promote macroeconomic stability. It seeks
to strengthen Pakistan’s competitiveness by bolstering the
financial sector and cutting barriers to business entry and
exit. The operation also supports measures to ensure that poor
and vulnerable people are shielded from major adverse impacts
of the stabilization process. This entails improving the
targeting of the government’s cash transfer programs,
focusing especially on the Benazir Income Support
Program. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/SOUTHASIAEXT/0,,contentMDK:22118905~menuPK:2246552~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:223547,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL“)
…

For more regional information: http://www.worldbank.org/sar
(“http://www.worldbank.org/sar“)

BUSINESS AND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

First Trade Guarantee for Energy Efficiency Deals

In a ground-breaking agreement, the International Finance
Corporation (IFC) will provide Pakistan’s Allied Bank with
guarantees for sustainable finance and energy-efficient trade
deals. Allied is the first bank to join the IFC Global Trade
Finance Program with a dedicated sustainable finance component.
The move is part of IFC’s strategy to promote energy efficiency
and climate change mitigation, including renewable energy, in
finance. This innovative product is expected to be replicated
with other banks in the IFC Global Trade Finance Program
network within the Middle East and North Africa and globally.
The agreement will also provide Allied, the sixth-largest bank
in Pakistan, with a general trade guarantee line. Read more
(“http://www.ifc.org/ifcext/media.nsf/content/SelectedPressRelease?OpenDocument&UNID=39299CA623508DA9852575760052A31D?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL“)
…

For a full list of open positions and scholarships

http://www.worldbank.org/jobs (“http://www.worldbank.org/jobs“)

ON THE BLOGS

Low-carbon Growth: the only Sustainable Way to Overcome World
Poverty

Nicholas Stern says on the Climate Change blog that “the two
great challenges of the 21st century are the battle against
poverty and the management of climate change. On both we must
act strongly now and expect to continue that action over the
coming decades. Our response to climate change and poverty
reduction will define our generation. If we fail on either one
of them, we will fail on the other. The current crisis in the
financial markets and the economic downturn is new and
immediate, although some years in the making. All three
challenges require urgent and decisive action, and all three
can be overcome together through determined and concerted
efforts across the world… Some may argue that the global
financial crisis and economic downturn means that we should
delay our efforts to tackle poverty and climate change. But
delaying on poverty would condemn millions of people to many
more years of hardship… So what do we need to do to combat
the threat of climate change whilst boosting efforts to reduce
poverty and tackling the global economic downturn? Join
the conversation
(“http://climatechangeblog.worldbank.org/low-carbon-growth?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL“)
…

TAKE A LOOK

Thailand Infrastructure Annual Report 2008

Different stages of development require different levels of
infrastructure upgrades or enhancements to ensure that
infrastructure facilitates economic growth rather than impedes
it. A middle-income country, Thailand is facing a number of
infrastructure challenges. To name a few: there is a need for
infrastructure services to catch up with economic development
and international competition, manage the growth in urban
areas, respond to global energy prices, and ensure basic
services for the poor. Most of the infrastructure development
in Thailand has been responsive to demand rather than
forward-looking. Availability and accessibility appear to no
longer be a challenge. The next step for Thailand is to put
more emphasis on quality of service delivery, management, and
sound regulation. Read more
(“http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/EASTASIAPACIFICEXT/0,,contentMDK:22040516~menuPK:2246553~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:226301,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL“)
…

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