Public Disclosure Authorized

•World Bank
1818 H Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20433, U.S.A.• Telephone: {202) 477-1234

SUMMARY NEWS RELEASE June 18, 1981

WORLD BANK AND IDA LEND $308.5 MILLION IN LOANS TO TEN COUNTRIES
Public Disclosure Authorized

The World Bank and its affiliate for concessionary lending, the International
Development Association (IDA), have approved loans totaling $308.S million to ten
countries--Brazil, Burundi, Egypt, Jamaica, Madagascar, Malaysia, Pakistan, Paraguay,
Sri Lanka, and Upper Volta.

Brazil will receive $89 million in loans from the World Bank: $29 million for
a rural development project to be carried out in Piaui, one of Brazil's least developed
states and $60 million for a second agricultural development project.

The Piaui project is designed to expand farm and fishery production and increase
incomes and create jobs for about 11,300 poor families in the rural and coastal areas
of the northeastern state.
Public Disclosure Authorized

The agricultural research project will increase th·e capacity of Brazil's national

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agricultural research agency EMBRAPA to expand several of the research programs being
carried out under an earlier project as well as support several major new programs.

In Burundi, an IDA credit of SOR 16.2 million ($19.3 million) will be used to
carry out a rural development project in the Kirimiro region of central Burundi. Some
28,000 farm families are expected to receive assistance for coffee and foodcrop develop-
ment under the project.

Egypt~ will use an IDA credit of SDR 5.7 million ($6.9 million) to provide tech-
nical assistance to the Ministries of Irrigation and Land Reclamation for identifying
and coordinating a pipeline of agricultural projects for suitabl~ external financing.

Jamaica will receive a $7.5 million World Bank loan to help finance petroleum
Public Disclosure Authorized

exploration of the offshore Pedro Bank by the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica.

In Madagascar, an IDA credit of SDR 16.3 million ($20 million) will help finance
the government's efforts to develop a silvo-industrial complex in the Mangoro Valley.
Some 18,000 hectares of pine and 500 hectares of eucalyptus plantations will be
established and about 70,000 hectares of existing plantations will be maintained and
protected.

Malaysia will receive a World Bank loan of $37 million to help carry out a program
of the Federal Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority for development and
rehabilitation of land development schemes. Some 12,000 low-income rural families will
benefit from the project •

• NOTE: IDA credits are denominated in SDRs (Special Drawing Rights), which are valued
on the basis of a 11 basket" of currencies. The U.S. dollar equivalent of the
SDR amount of the IDA credit reflects the-exchange rates existing at the time
of negotiation of the credit.

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• In Pakistan, an IDA credit of SDR 33.4 mi 11 ion ($41 mi 11 ion) wi 11 go to a

project for increasing agricultural production by increasing the availability and
efficient use of irrigation water at the farm level through improved water manage-
ment practices.

In Paraguay,·a World Bank 1oan of $11.8 million will go to a second rural water
supply and sanitation project to be carried out in the southeastern part of the
country.

Sri Lanka will use an IDA credit of SDR 24.S million ($30 million) to help
finance a village irrigation rehabilitation project which would substantially increase
food production, mainly rice. Some 25,000 farm families will benefit from the project.

Upper Volta will receive an IDA credit of SDR 37.7 million ($46 million) for
carrying out a fourth highway project to further improve the maintenance operations
of the Ministry of Public Works.

The IDA credits will be committed when funds are available.

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