WASHINGTON, June 13, 2016—The World Bank's Board of Executive Directors today approved a $100 million IDA* credit to help the Government of Burkina Faso improve its road network and develop urban infrastructure.
This financing will support the Transport and Urban Infrastructure Development Project [Projet de transport et de développement des infrastructures urbaines PTDIU], which aims to improve mobility and access to infrastructure in targeted rural and urban areas and, in the event of a crisis or emergency, provide an immediate and effective response. The project will complement Government’s efforts to finance infrastructure and help reduce the infrastructure gap in the targeted regional capitals. Furthermore, it will contribute to improving connectivity between production and consumption zones and lay the foundation for a better link between the rural areas and urban centers.
"This project will invest in the infrastructure required to support economic growth and facilitate the transport of agricultural products from low-income production zones to consumption zones, and it will create jobs in the country," explained Cheick F. Kanté, World Bank Country Manager for Burkina Faso.
The interurban infrastructure component of the project will help improve connectivity between the Bagré growth pole production zone and the rest of the country as well as connectivity with neighboring countries, particularly Ghana and Togo. Investments will be focused on the Centre-Sud region of the country and relate to road paving and internet access in the urban centers located along these roads.
Another component will address the financing of physical investments in the five targeted regional capitals (Manga, Tenkodogo, Ouahigouya, Koudougou, and Dédougou) and improve access to different types of urban infrastructure. These cities were chosen based on their proximity to a number of national roads and the poverty level in the relevant regions.
The third component will target activities that will help improve the operational capacity of ministries and municipalities involved in project implementation and support the continuation of reforms aimed at improving performance in the sectors covered by the project.
The last component covers the mechanism for an immediate and effective response to disasters and crises that may occur during project implementation.
According to Aguiratou Savadogo-Tinto, World Bank Project Task Team Leader, "the PTDIU will contribute significantly to making a number of regions accessible and gives a major boost to efforts to reduce the shortage of infrastructure in the targeted regional capitals. Moreover, it will help strengthen the capacities of all thirteen regional capitals in the areas of urban management and urban planning."
This multisectoral project will be coordinated by the Permanent Secretariat of the Transport Sector in Burkina Faso, and technical implementation will be overseen by the beneficiary sectoral ministries.
