BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA
Seminar on Public-Private Partnerships Aims to Encourage Investment
The World Bank, together with the Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina, hosted a seminar on “Private Sector Participation in Infrastructure” from July 24-26. The Seminar aimed to familiarize public sector officials with the concept of public-private partnerships (PPPs). The government representatives benefited from international experts’ knowledge of how to design and implement the most appropriate PPPs to develop infrastructure in the country. Country Manager Marco Mantovanelli, in a speech to the participants, emphasized the importance of well-designed PPP infrastructure projects in attracting local and foreign investment. Click here for the press release and presentations.
CROATIA
World Bank Helps Modernize Croatia's Tax Administration
The Croatian Minister of Finance and Country Manager Andras Horvai signed a loan agreement for the Revenue Administration Modernization Project for EUR50 million. The Project supports the Government's efforts to make the Croatian Tax Administration (CTA) a more efficient, effective, transparent, and accountable institution. Successful implementation of the project should bring about major improvements for both taxpayers and the CTA’s staff. Overall compliance with revenue legislation by taxpayers will be increased, the cost to taxpayers of complying with the revenue legislation will be reduced, taxpayer satisfaction should increase with improvements in the quality of services rendered by the CTA, and CTA staff satisfaction with the quality of the work environment will increase. Click here for the press release.
GEORGIA
Demographics Flagship Co-Author Presents to Policymakers, Academia
Lead Economist and co-author Mukesh Chawla presented the new ECA flagship From Red to Gray: The “Third Transition” of Aging Populations in Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union at the Georgia Country Office on June 28. Mukesh conveyed the major conclusions of the study and the policy implications for the Region, as well as for Georgia, to the participants, including government officials, civil society representatives, donors, and media. The presentation was followed by a panel discussion with the Director of the International School of Economics in Tbilisi, the Country Director of the Caucasus Research Resource Centers, and the CRRC Regional Director. The following day Mukesh Chawla presented the report at Tbilisi State University, the fourth lecture in a series on important economic issues facing Georgia, co-hosted by the Georgia Country Office and the International School of Economics in Tbilisi. Click here for the press release.
HUNGARY
Demographics Flagship Study Launched in Budapest
Co-authors Arup Banerji and Gordon Betcherman presented the recent flagship From Red to Gray: The “Third Transition” of Aging Populations in Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union in Budapest on June 28.The event was co-organized with the TARKI Social Research Institute and hosted by the Prime Minister-initiated Pension Roundtable at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor. Participants included high-level government officials, policymakers, and academics. Members of the opposition party and the ruling coalition shared views during the roundtable. Commentators included the Deputy Governor of the National Bank of Hungary, the Director of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, and a TARKI lead researcher. The study was featured on the front page of the leading daily "Nepszabadsag". Click here for the press release and the presentation.
MOLDOVA Signing Ceremony for Health and Social Assistance Project
Acting Country Manager Ala Pinzari and the Minister of Finance took part in the signing ceremony for the Health Services and Social Assistance Project, US$17.0 million under IDA terms, on July 2. The project aims to assist the Government of Moldova in addressing the most prevalent health concerns, including reducing the high rates of premature mortality and disability, modernizing the hospital sector, and improving the targeting of social services for Moldova’s poorest people. The project builds on the ongoing reform process outlined in the Government’s Medium Term Expenditure Framework and will be implemented in close coordination with other donors. The ceremony was also attended by the Minister of Health and Minister of Social Protection, Family and Child.
SERBIA PRSP Grant and Five New Operations Signed
A grant agreement worth $494.883 million for planning, implementing, and monitoring the Poverty Reduction Strategy Program of the Serbian government was signed on July 26 by Country Director Orsalia Kalantzopoulos and the Deputy Prime Minister. This is a multi-donor grant to be administered by the World Bank. On July 27, the World Bank and Serbia signed agreements for five operations in the amount of $192.5 million. Two new projects will support the development of the Bor region in eastern Serbia (Bor Regional Development Project) and step up the country’s agricultural competitiveness (Transitional Agriculture Reform Project), while additional financing will assist with flood protection (Irrigation and Drainage Rehabilitation Project), improve road condition and safety (Transport Rehabilitation Project), and increase energy efficiency in Serbia's schools and hospitals (Energy Efficiency Project).
TAJIKISTAN Board Reviews Tajikistan’s Progress and Approves Grant to Improve Services
The Board endorsed on July 19 the Tajikistan Country Partnership Strategy Progress Report and Second Programmatic Development Policy Grant. The Progress Report presented mid-term results under the Country Partnership Strategy for 2006-2009 in all three CPS areas: (i) improving business opportunities in rural and urban areas; (ii) enhancing and preserving the quality of human capital; and (iii) exploiting the country’s hydropower potential. The Second Programmatic Development Policy Grant continues to support the Government’s reform program as outlined in its Poverty Reduction Strategy. The grant will help the authorities improve the environment for private sector development in the cotton, energy, and aviation sectors, and provide service delivery improvements in the health and education sectors. Click here for the press release.
UZBEKISTAN Study Suggests Co-Funding for Project Preparation Studies
The Uzbekistan Country Office hosted a press conference on July 20 to present a study prepared by EuropeAid’s Water Investment Support Facility (WISF). The study is being implemented within the preparation of the World Bank’s Ferghana Valley Water Resources Management Project. IFI loans require a detailed project preparation study covering financial, technical, environmental, social, and other aspects. Professional preparation studies are needed to explore the issues affecting the potential impact of a project. The study’s author suggested that EuropeAid can fund some of these studies, and the Environmental and Social Assessment for the Ferghana Valley Project carried out by WISF is one such example. |
RSS