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3RD SEPTEMBER 2003 APPROVAL OF
AN ADF GRANT OF UA1, 256,000 FOR The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank (ADB) have approved the granting of an ADF - African Development Fund -Grant of 1, 256,000 Unit of Account or $1, 721, 147.04 which is equivalent to approximately Le 4.1 billion Leones. The Freetown-Lungi Road study, which is one of the components of the studies, has been approved for financing by the fund and the Government of Sierra Leone, was prepared by the African Development Bank in 1997 and distributed to the Board in October 1998. However, the study was shelved due to the deteriorating security situation in the country, which culminated in the January 1999 invasion of Freetown. The Bandajuma to Mano River Bridge section of the Freetown-Monrovia Highway is part of the Trans-West African Coastal Highway, which envisages to traverse the West African Coast from Nouakchott to Lagos through Dakar, Banjul, Bissau, Conakry, Freetown, Monrovia, Abidjan, Accra, Lome and Cotonou. The Sierra Leone section of the roads project when completed will be in conformity with Government's developmental goals and its commitments to the proper development of the Trans-Africa Highway, which is an indispensable element in the promotion of economic integration in the West African sub-region. In the view of the African Development Bank the political and social environment in Sierra Leone has been steadily improving since the declaration of the end of war in January 2002 as well as the holding of successful presidential and parliamentary elections in May of the same year. The Government is continuing its consolidation of peace, and according to the Interim Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper, released by Government and endorsed by the donors in July 2001, the Government's priorities have shifted from the emergency phase into the rehabilitation and reconstruction phase, with transition into the development phase. On the basis of these recent positive developments in the country, and at Government's request, the Bank fielded a mission to Sierra Leone in December 2002, to revise and update the study's Terms of Reference. Under the approved grant the required studies will cover roads that form part of the Government's 2003 to 2007 National Transport Strategy and Investment Plan, which is an integral part of the national short and medium-term plan to offer Sierra Leone a secured, comfortable and rapid transportation link between Freetown and Lungi in the Northern Province on the one hand and between Freetown and the Southern and Eastern Provinces through an integrated roads network system. These infrastructural developments are also in line with the African Development Bank Group Vision Policies on Poverty Reduction for the country and form part of the Regional Integration Strategy and the Bank's Assistance Program as approved under the Country Strategy Paper prepared for Sierra Leone covering the period 2002 to 2004. The studies would also further the Bank's support for the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) Transport Program. The Terms of Reference finalised by the Bank are intended to enable the Sierra Leone Roads Authority (SLRA) to engage a suitable firm to provide consultancy services for the said studies. To this end, announcements for the submission of interest to provide the required consultancy services will be advertised internationally by the African Development Bank while the Sierra Leone Roads Authority (SLRA) will simultaneously make its announcement locally commencing from 30 September 2003. Donor Co-ordination in support of the transport sector remains very much a part of Government's policy in actualising the provision of good and paved roads throughout the country. A primary donor in the transport sector has been the World Bank. Within the Transport Sector Policy and with World Bank assistance, the role of the Ministry of Transport and Communications being overall planning and co-ordination of transport policies and programmes was strengthened by the setting up of a co-ordination and Monitoring Unit (CMU) in the ministry. With peace now achieved and successful elections held, the investment programme is beginning to attract funding from donor agencies. Currently the active donors in the road sub-sector include the European Union (EU), World Bank, Kuwait Fund, BADEA, DFID, GTZ and the UN. There is a need to improve the co-ordination among donors participating in the sector as well as coordination between the donor community and Government. The African Development Bank will continue to liaise with other donors that are active in the sector through, among others, participating in annual donors meeting for the Transport sector. In line with the Country Strategy Paper for Sierra Leone which encourages co-financing arrangements, a Donors' round table conference will be organised to solicit funding for implementation of the projects resulting from the studies. SECTOR OBJECTIVES The overall sector goal is to contribute to the development of the transport sector in support of the national economic and social development objectives of the country by increasing access of rural farming population and urban poor to market centres and social and economic services. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDIES The objectives are:
The feasibility
study and preliminary engineering designs shall determine the technical
feasibility, economic viability and carry out the Environmental and
Social Impact Assessments of a minimum of two infrastructure options: The feasibility study shall also determine the technical feasibility, economic viability and carry out the Environmental and Social Impact Assessments of a Port Loko to Lungi Road (about 61 Kilometres) linking to the Freetown-Conakry Trans-West African Coastal Highway. Studies relating to the Bandajuma to Mano River Bridge shall determine the technical feasibility, and carry out the Environmental and Social Impact Assessments on the Bandajuma to Mano River Bridge Section (about 136 Kilometres) of the Freetown-Monrovia Trans-West African Coastal Highway. SOURCES OF FINANCING: The African Development Fund and the Government of Sierra Leone will jointly finance the studies at a total cost of 1, 336, 000 Unit of Account, amounting to approximately $1, 830, 774. The ADF grant contribution will be UA1, 256 million or 94% of the total cost. That amount represents 100% of the study cost in foreign exchange and 86.4% of the local cost. The participation of the Sierra Leone Government will be UA0.080 million, equivalent to $109, 627, or Le263, 104, 800 and represents 6% of the total study cost. The government 's contribution will finance part of the local component of co-ordination and administration costs of the study as well as part of the seminar and round table conference. EXECUTION
OF PROJECT The studies
will use a participatory approach involving all stakeholders during
implementation. To ensure effective consultations with all stakeholders,
the consultant shall organise two workshops. The first workshop, which
is aimed at briefing stakeholders on the objectives of the studies,
the possible outcome and its implication on the population of the
studies areas, shall include all donors operating within the country,
representatives of farmers, women, professional associations, opinion
leaders, local and central government officials. The second stage of preparing detailed engineering Design would start by March 2005 and a Final Report of the detailed design submitted by August, 2005. A Donors'
round table conference will be held by October 2005 to seek commitment
for the funding of the projects emanating from the studies. -END OF STATEMENT- |
