2007/122/AFR
World Bank Pledges Full Commitment to Liberia; And Provides Additional Support for Liberia’s Infrastructure Reconstruction

Washington, United States of America – The World Bank Board of Executive Directors today approved an International Development Association (IDA) grant of US$16.5 million which will provide additional assistance to the Emergency Infrastructure Project in Liberia.

The Emergency Infrastructure Project Supplemental Component (EIPSC) supports the rebuilding of rural roads and rehabilitating of urban infrastructure while maximizing job creation. The project will prioritize the rehabilitation of five critical rural road networks, through the rebuilding of bridges and culverts. Streets will be cleaned, repaved, and proper drainage systems will be reconstructed. A total of 374km of rural roads and 32.4 km of city streets will be impacted. The project also aims to rapidly rehabilitate urban infrastructure particularly in the capital city of Monrovia.

This additional support complements an earlier assistance under the Emergency Infrastructure Project Grant of $30m which was approved in June by the World Bank’s Executive Directors. With this new funding, the Bank’s total commitment to Liberiaas of October 2006 amounts to $84,269,500, all of which is in the form of grants.

The Project will include the rehabilitation of critical rural road sections across the country and the resurfacing of the streets’ pavement, fixing potholes, cleaning and unblocking of affected road drainage along the selected city streets. It will also support simple rehabilitation works in urban areas, mainly in Monrovia, focusing on rehabilitation of public toilets; repair of selected and limited main and secondary gravity lines in the urban sewer network; repair of urban storm drainage system; large-scale collection of accumulated solid waste and associated activities; and small visible urban works such as repair of market places and painting of public buildings.

According to Ben Gericke, the World Bank Task Team Leader for the project, “The additional resources will translate into quantifiable benefits such as cleaner city environment with lower health hazards, connection of rural districts to the rest of the country and improved conditions of streets in Monrovia”

As is demonstrated with the commitment of more than US$82 million in various projects and programs over the past few years, the World Bank is fully committed to doing business with Liberia, and is particularly interested in interventions that make a difference in the lives of ordinary Liberians.

For more information on the World Bank’s work in sub-Saharan Africa visit: http://www.worldbank.org/afr

For more information on the World Bank’s work in Liberia visit: http://web.worldbank.org/liberia

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