South Sudan: World Bank commits US$75 million for basic services
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By Ngor Arol Garang
July 13, 2011 (JUBA)-The World Bank (WB) office in South Sudan has
announced it is committing $US75 million to support government and
citizens of the new nation in the provision of basic services.
JPEG - 31 kb
Ian Bannon, World Bank Acting Director for Sudan, 11 July 2011, Juba,
South Sudan (ST)
Addressing a press conference at the bank’s premises in Juba on
Monday, Ian Bannon, acting country head for Sudan, said WB encourages
the government of the new nation to adopt participatory policy and
give more attention to agriculture and private sector. He said he does
not expect the education system in South Sudan to be like that of
Demark but that of South Africa and other developing countries is
attainable in the coming years.
"This is a wonderful, historic moment for the people of south, and the
world bank pledges to be a strong partner as we help to transform a
day of independence into decade of development", said WB president,
Robert B. Zoelick at the independence day celebrations on 9 July.
South Sudan has suffered from decades of civil war, and has some of
the lowest human development indicators in the world. Over half of the
population lives below poverty line. The 2009 national household
survey indicated that 38% of the population walks more than 30 minutes
one way to collect drinking water. 50% use wood or grass as the
primary source of lighting. 96% use firewood or charcoal as their
primary fuel for cooking. 15% of households own a phone, this
increases to 59% in urban areas compared to 8% in rural areas.
"Taking into account the urgent needs confronting the new country, the
World Bank is proud to be one of the institutional partners that have
sought to provide early assistance through a $75 million transition
trust fund to help provide health care, infrastructure, and employment
to the people of south Sudan. The decision to provide early support to
the republic of south Sudan is consistent with the World Bank’s
determination to be more nimble and responsive in order to take
advantage of every window of opportunity that opens in the fragile and
conflict affected situations such as south Sudan," said Obiageli
Ezekwesilli, WB vice president for Africa.
The bank official said speedy attention to the most urgent needs was
one of the main recommendations of the World Bank’s 2011 development
report on conflict, security and development. While attaining
nationhood changes south Sudan’s political framework and governance
arrangements, south Sudanese still face enormous development
challenges particularly those of inclusion.
"The bank’s priority remains helping South Sudan to provide
comprehensive and inclusive development for its people. Ensuring
inclusive governance, providing jobs and livelihood for its people and
building well enough institutions that can provide basic services,
these are the building blocks of a new nation that the government must
strive to towards," said Ezekwesilli.
The statement explains that the South Sudan transitional trust fund
will be used to rapidly increase the coverage of child immunisation,
provision of vitamin A, de-worming, and selected services for rural
mothers and children. It will also increase rural livelihoods
opportunities and improve rural access by supporting a project to
provide feeder roads in areas with high agricultural potential.
In addition the trust fund will help create jobs through grants to 200
entrepreneurs, increasing outreach to women entrepreneurs, and
building up a micro-finance client base of 30,000 individuals.
The WB and International Monetary Fund have been subject to criticism
because it relinquishes economic autonomy from the state borrowing
money. Their loan is subject to the “Washington Consensus” -
conditionalities of trade liberalisation and so on. They also focus
upon empowerment of the private sector, in some cases to the detriment
of the public sector. There policies are often seen as developed
world-centric.
As the global financial crisis continues with riots in Greece and
plummeting Italian government bonds, it is not a good time to be in
debt. However, South Sudan needs a cash injection to bring its
infrastructure up to speed and for it to fulfil its economic
potential.
(ST)
Listen to Bannon’s speech here
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