World Bank helps government with roads and land for the Poor
David Mueller, Lutheran World Federation Country Director, left, and World Bank Country Director Ian Porter sign a grant agreement.
On June 13, 2008 the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF), and the World Bank signed two projects – Road Asset Management (RAMP) and Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development (LASED) – with US$41.5 million in credit and grants, aimed at helping the government fight poverty by improving access to roads, as well as enabling poor, landless people to access land.
At the same time, the Japan Social Development Fund (JSDF) is providing US$2.4 million to three NGOs: Wathnakpheap, Lutheran World Federation, and Habitat for Humanity International- Cambodia, to support local communities and the Government in implementing social land concessions.
“On behalf of the Royal Government of Cambodia and the Cambodian people, I would like to thank the World Bank and development partners for making resources available to support Cambodia. We recognize our responsibility to utilize these credits and grant in an efficient, accountable and transparent manner and to ensure that the benefits will flow to the people of Cambodia,” said Senior Minister Keat Chhon, Minister of Economy and Finance. “I also would like to reaffirm our strong commitment and willingness to implement the Declaration on Harmonization and Alignment to improve the development coordination and partnerships and to assume the leadership of the development priorities and to move away from donor-led development towards development led by Cambodia and its people.”
Ian Porter, World Bank Country Director said: “Our Country Assistance Strategy (CAS) places a lot of emphasis
on the World Bank supporting the development of infrastructure and sustainable natural resource management to benefit rural communities. Under RAMP, the Bank is well positioned to continue its support together with other development partners for a more comprehensive approach to road asset management capacity, with a strong focus on ensuring adequate maintenance of road infrastructure.
Under LASED project, the World Bank will also be working with the Government and other partners to ensure local communities — particularly poor, landless and land-poor people — benefit from improved land management, including land access and tenure security. World Bank support for the LASED project will be complemented by grant funding from the Japan Social Development Fund, which will support civil society participation and broader citizen engagement and transparency in the social land concession program.”
Under the Road Asset Management Project (RAMP), the World Bank will provide $30 million financial and technical support to help the government perform periodic maintenance on selected sections of the country’s road network, as well as establish related systems. Studies have shown that road access helps reduce poverty as it allows poor people easier access to markets. An improved road system also enables the government to bring social services to remote, rural areas.
This five-year project also receives financial support from the Asian Development Bank, and the Australian Agency for International Development. The Royal Government of Cambodia also contributed toward the project cost, which stands at $56.1 million.
Mr. Pheng Sovicheano, RAMP project Director of Ministry of Public Work and Transport (MPWT) said: “The Ministry appreciates the support of the World Bank for RAMP. Through this project, the Ministry will have ability to routinely and periodically maintain approximately of 900 km of national and provincial road network. It also establishes road Maintenance Management System, builds capacity of MPWT on management of private sector participating in road maintenance, sets up long term effective planning, budgeting and monitoring tools for road asset, and provides broader road safety public awareness programs.”
“MPWT recognizes the importance of sound analytical frameworks in maximizing the potential returns on its maintenance investments,” said project leader Ms. Maria Margarita Nunez, a senior highway engineer for the World Bank. “This project will help to cultivate a maintenance culture in the road sector.”
LASED will receive a total of $11.5 million in funding from the World Bank which complements technical cooperation support from the Government of Germany. LASED will support development and implementation of the Royal Government of Cambodia’s social land concession program, through which local communities identify appropriate state land, and select poor, landless families to receive land and livelihoods assistance within their own communities. The project is intended to support improved management of state lands and better land access and tenure security for the poor.
The five-year project will be implemented by the local communities with support from the Royal Government’s land and decentralization support agencies which will also assist with the allocation of state land for social land concessions. Complementary grant funding from the Japan Social Development Fund will support civil society participation and broader citizen engagement and transparency in the social land concession program.
H.E. Sar Kheng, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior said: “The Royal Government of Cambodia very much welcomes and appreciates the support of the World Bank for rural development and poverty reduction efforts through land allocation for social and economic development to the poor and the landless families as well as supporting the Government’s Strategic Framework for Decentralization and Deconcentration Reforms by improving
capacity of commune council members and local communities to deliver results on the ground.”
H.E. Senior Minister Im Chhun Lim, Minister of Land Management Urban Planning and Construction said: “The LASED project is the part of country-wide Social Land Concession Program implemented by the Royal Government of Cambodia. This five-year project will be implemented in Kratie, Kompong Cham and Kompong Thom province. Social land concession is the part of The Interim Paper on the Strategy Framework of Land Policy of the Royal Government of Cambodia, which consist of three pillars – Land Administration, Land Management and Land Distribution. This project aims to distribute state private land to poor, landless and land-poor families who need it for residential and family agricultural purpose. Together with necessary rural development support to recipients, it will help to improve their livelihood which is the part of poverty reduction policy of the Royal Government of Cambodia through the Land Sector.”
Mr. Norio Maruyama, Charge d’Affaires ad interim at the Embassy of Japan said: “The Japan Social Development Fund (JSDF) projects aim to support capacity building for Social Land Concessions (SLCs) as well as to implement the legal framework on SLCs as pilot cases in target provinces. I very much appreciate the fact that the World Bank will take the lead in carrying out the projects, in collaboration with three experienced NGOs, in order to provide land and livelihood support.”
(Source: The World Bank’s newsletter: volume 6, number 6-7, June-July 2008)