The Embassy of Afghanistan Signs Grant
Agreements with the World Bank
Embassy of Afghanistan
06/16/2005
Washington, D.C. – Said Tayeb Jawad, Ambassador of Afghanistan
to the United States, signed two major grant agreements totaling
US$85 million with the International Development Association
(IDA) at World Bank today, June 16, 2005. The funded projects
aim at strengthening the higher education system and developing
transportation infrastructure in Afghanistan. Ambassador Jawad
welcomed the IDA grants and appreciated the overall efforts
of the World Bank in helping rebuild Afghanistan through major
reconstruction and development projects. He noted: “These
significant grants will help address Afghanistan’s critical
need for quality higher education to enhance our limited human
capital, while facilitating movement of people, trade, and investment
which would be impossible without a functional network of roads.”
Ms. Mariam Sherman, the World Bank Deputy Country Director for
Afghanistan, signed the agreements with Ambassador Jawad. The
World Bank has so far provided US$856 million in reconstruction
aid to Afghanistan of which US$516 million is in grant assistance.
The level of continued rebuilding assistance to Afghanistan
signifies the confidence of the international community in the
Afghan government and Afghanistan’s future as a democratic,
peaceful and prosperous country.
The IDA grants are funding the following two projects:
The Emergency Transport Rehabilitation Project:
Supported by a US$45 million IDA grant, the project aims to
support road rehabilitation in northeast of Afghanistan connecting
Kunduz-Taloqan-Kishem. The project’s main development
objective is to facilitate Afghanistan’s economic and
social recovery through improved physical access to goods, markets,
and administrative and social services. The project encompasses
the following main activities: (1) removing key transport bottlenecks
that seriously hamper economic recovery; (2) building capacity
in management, implementation, and maintenance of transport
services and works through the provisions of equipment and technical
assistance related to planning, maintenance and supervision
of works; and (3) assisting in the establishment of an institutional
and policy framework for the sector for sustainable service
delivery.
Strengthening Higher Education Program: Supported
by a US$40 million IDA grant, the development objective of the
Program is to progressively restore basic operational performance
at a group of core universities in Afghanistan. This will provide
an institutional base for an agenda focusing on tertiary education
development, capacity building and reform. The Program is envisaged
to be the first phase in a longer-term strategy for higher education
development in Afghanistan. Moreover, it aims to act as a catalyst
in attracting various resources to Afghan tertiary education
with a long-term development framework.
Contact:
M. Ashraf Haidari
(202) 483-6410, (Ex-811)
Haidari@embassyofafghanistan.org
# # #
