South Asia World Bank
South Asia World Bank



World Bank Support to Strengthen Public Administration and Financial Management in Sri Lanka (Jul 22)
  NEWS RELEASE  News Release No. SARContacts:
In Colombo
Chulie De Silva
  cdesilva@worldbank.org
  (94-11) 5561-323
In Washington
Erik Nora (202) 458-4735
enora@worldbank.org   World Bank Support to Strengthen Public Administration and Financial Management in Sri Lanka Colombo, July 21, 2008─The Government of Sri Lanka and the World Bank signed a loan agreement of  US$22.6 million today for the Public Sector Capacity Building Project   aimed at enhancing the effectiveness, efficiency and productivity of the Department of Census and Statistics and the Auditor General’s Department. Sri Lanka’s sound economic growth led by the private sector critically depends on the efficiency and productivity of the public sector.  The Government has taken several measures to strengthen the public sector capacity and efficiency in recent years in the fields of tax administration, trade and investment, legal, and banking. Initial steps to improve such core functions as statistical capacity and audit functio...


Food Crisis Bangladesh’s Most Urgent Challenge: World Bank Vice President (Jul 21)
Dhaka, July 20, 2008 — Isabel Guerrero today concluded a two-day visit to Bangladesh, her first visit to the country as World Bank Vice President for South Asia, a position she commenced on July 2, 2008. During her visit, Guerrero met with Chief Adviser Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed and Finance Advisor Dr. A. B. Mirza M. Azizul Islam to discuss the Bank’s program here and how it can help the country address the shocks of rising commodity prices, particularly oil, food, and fertilizer. “The rise in food prices, and particularly rice, has really hit poor people in Bangladesh,” Guerrero said. “I am heartened by the Government’s efforts to help the farmers achieve a bumper boro rice harvest and to protect the poor from food price inflation, and we remain deeply committed to helping them overcome this urgent challenge.” Given the declining availability of land for agricultural uses, she also emphasized the critical need for increasing agricultural productivity in the medium-term in order to enhan...


Sri Lanka: World Bank Supports Road Improvements (Jul 17)
Contacts:In Colombo:Chulie De Silva cdesilva@worldbank.org (94-11) 5561-323In Washington:Erik Nora(202) 458-4735enora@worldbank.org WASHINGTON, July 17, 2008 ─ The World Bank today approved a US$98 million IDA credit in additional finance to support the Government of Sri Lanka’s efforts to improve its national highways, designed to lower transportation costs and travel times. The additional financing to the Road Sector Assistance Project, an IDA credit of US$100 million approved by the Bank in December 2005, will continue to support rehabilitation of national roads.The additional finance will be mostly used to cover cost-overruns mainly due to the unprecedented oil price increase in the world market that has led to the escalation of prices in oil-based materials. National roads carry over 70 percent of the traffic in the country and are vital for the movement of people and goods. However, uncontrolled roadside development, years of neglect and poor road maintenance, have resulted in...


Sri Lanka- Road Sector Assistance Project [Additional Financing] (Jul 17)
WASHINGTON, July 17, 2008- The following project was approved today by the World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors:   IDA Credit: US$55 million TERMS: Maturity= 20 years; Grace= 10 years Project Description: This project supports the government of Sri Lanka’s efforts to lower transportation costs through sustainable delivery of an efficient national road system that serves the needs of road users and the Sri Lankan public at large. The additional finance will be mostly used to cover cost-overruns mainly due to the unprecedented oil price increase in the world market that has led to the escalation of prices in oil-based materials.   Media Contact Erik Nora  at(202)458-4735    enora@worldbank.org  


Preparation of resettlement action plan for displacement of squatter communities of the four drainage channels (Jul 17)
The objective of the Dhaka Water Supply and Sanitation Project for Bangladesh is to improve water supply, sewerage disposal, and sanitation and storm water drainage facilities in Dhaka and Chittagong. Some of the negative impacts and their mitigation measures are: 1) before taking possession of acquired lands and structures and before start of civil works construction, project affected peoples (PAPS) will be paid compensation and other assistance in full. Where PAPS are entitled to relocation, the relocation site will be fully developed before the PAPS are displaced. Dhaka Water Supply and Sanitation Authority (DWASA) will ensure that the standard of living of all affected persons is restored to the level enjoyed before the commencement of the project, and, if possible, improved; 2) in case direct purchase by DWASA is not possible (or permitted), all acquisition of land will be under Land Acquisition Act 1982, and following the provisions of this policy framework which provides comp...


Resettlement policy framework (Jul 17)
The objective of the Dhaka Water Supply and Sanitation Project for Bangladesh is to improve water supply, sewerage disposal, and sanitation and storm water drainage facilities in Dhaka and Chittagong. Some of the negative impacts and their mitigation measures are: 1) before taking possession of acquired lands and structures and before start of civil works construction, project affected peoples (PAPS) will be paid compensation and other assistance in full. Where PAPS are entitled to relocation, the relocation site will be fully developed before the PAPS are displaced. Dhaka Water Supply and Sanitation Authority (DWASA) will ensure that the standard of living of all affected persons is restored to the level enjoyed before the commencement of the project, and, if possible, improved; 2) in case direct purchase by DWASA is not possible (or permitted), all acquisition of land will be under Land Acquisition Act 1982, and following the provisions of this policy framework which provides comp...


Bangladesh - Clean Air and Sustainable Environment (CASE) Project (Jul 16)



Bangladesh has one of the highest Trade Barriers (Jul 14)