ARTICLE - $180 MILLION FOR PROJECTS

SIGNATURE OF AN AGREEMENT OF $180 MILLION
(Haiti Libre) -

The Haitian government and the World Bank have signed an agreement of USD$180 million Wednesday afternoon, January 11, 2012, at the Primature. The document was signed by Lemercier Georges, the Minister of Economy and Finance, and Alexandre Abrantes, the Special Envoy of the World Bank in Haiti, in the presence of the Prime Minister Garry Conille and of President Michel Martelly.

The USD$180 million will fund three major projects:

- Education for all Phase II (USD$70 millions)
- Project for the management of major natural risks (USD$60 millions)
- Relaunching agriculture (USD$50 millions)

Following the signing of this agreement, the Prime Minister, Dr. Garry Conille delivered a speech for the occasion

"[...] I am delighted to preside this afternoon, the signing ceremony between the World Bank and the Government of Haiti, for three projects of funding: HT 7460-H, HT 7400-H and the Strengthening Project of the Management of Public Services; projects that are part of the promotion of the excellence and the capacity building of the Haitian State.

[...] Distinguished Representatives of the World Bank,

By making the move to the signing of these MOUs, you demonstrate, unequivocally, the will of your institution and all its member countries to support the Haitian government in the implementation of the roadmap indicating the objectives set by the Government at its inauguration.

The signing ceremony demonstrates, once again, the confidence and quality that prevail in the relations between the Bank and the Government of Haiti. We will continue to strengthen these relationships and we will do our best to achieve or exceed expected results, ensuring that the projects for which we are signing today and the funding agreements are implemented quickly and efficiently.

The partnership project between the World Bank and the Government of Haiti, of 70 million U.S. dollars, offers, a real opportunity, especially for children in the country living in suburban areas. It will allow about 100,000 students per year to attend school for free in about 1,200 establishments, while 75,000 children will receive hot meals at school every day. In addition, 8,280 master students will be trained faster, increasing the level of teachers for primary education. For children living in rural areas without access to school, the project will establish a network of community schools for more than 6,000 students in 200 communities, and will generate about 36,000 additional spaces in these schools for years to come.

Similarly, the project management of major natural risks, an envelope for about sixty million dollars, will enable the Government to address the destructive natural phenomena, whether climatic, meteorological, geological or related to activities and to human error. This project will culminate in the implementation of relevant instruments of territorial space management at various levels. It will increase the responsiveness of the Government of Haiti, and will improve the resilience of the critical transportation infrastructure. For the Haitian people, more exposed than any other people in the world to natural hazards with 96% of the population living in a risk environment, this project is of vital importance.

The third project we are signing today is for fifty million dollars. It is aimed at increasing agricultural productivity, competitiveness and improving food security and nutrition of the vulnerable. Agriculture plays a dominant role in Haiti's economy, contributing nearly 25% of GDP and providing about 50% of all jobs in the country The implementation of this project will:

- strengthen the capacity of the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development (MARNDR) to implement its national strategy for agricultural extension;

- to improve access of 50,000 small and medium producers to modern technology in animal and vegetable health ;

- to provide financial support to emergency responders in the agricultural sector.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Be aware that these projects fit well with the vision of the policy of excellence of the President of the Republic and the Government, particularly in their willingness and determination to strengthen the partnership with goodwill, both bilaterally and multilaterally.