Argentina

The development objective of the Additional financing for the Buenos Aires Infrastructure Sustainable Investment Development Project (Adaptable Program Loan - APL) is... Show More + to enhance the provision of water and sewerage services for the benefit of low-income people, in particular for those people living in highly vulnerable areas; to improve high priority road segments of the borrower's road network; to mitigate urban flooding; and to support the reactivation of the borrower's economy and strengthen its regional competitiveness. The additional financing in the amount of US$50 million, approved by the Board on July 27, 2010, aims at filling the financing gap in the parent project caused by unforeseen cost increases and scaling up the parent project to include additional works. Because of reasons outside of the borrower's control, the additional financing loan only became effective on February 17, 2012, 18 months after its approval by the Bank's Board. Thanks to the Borrower's proactive engagement, the additional financing loan has disbursed US$15.07 million (30%) in just one year since effectiveness. The project implementation progress and the performance of the implementing agency have been rated satisfactory in the parent project for several years (and continue to be satisfactory currently), the project is not under suspension of disbursements, and the project has no outstanding audit reports or audit reports not satisfactory to the Bank. Show Less -

The overall purpose of the Second Adaptable Program Loan (APL) for National Highway Asset Management Project for Argentina is to further develop and implement an efficient... Show More + road network management strategy, bringing about the necessary resources to preserve the national road network in the long term. The reallocation is necessary because some bidding processes (purchase of VC and Weigh-in-Motion WIM equipment) could not take place because of current conditions and restrictions in the country regarding imported equipment. All funds allocated to goods are therefore reallocated towards the Performance-based Rehabilitation and Maintenance Contracts (CREMA) component under category 1 (b). Another reallocation is the one related to consultants' services. At project design it was envisaged to hire consultants to design bridges, but during project implementation it was decided that studies will be carried out in-house. Proceeds were also reallocated towards category 1(b). Finally, the pilot corridor for road safety was delayed (mainly because of delays in reaching the final design), it will be bid with local funds. Proceeds were reallocated towards category 1(b). As a result, the allocation to CREMAs (category 1 (b)) increased from US$251.25 to US$281.5 million (12 percent increase). Show Less -

The development objective of the Rural Education Improvement (PROMER) Project is to support national Government policy to: (i) improve the coverage, efficiency, and... Show More + quality of the Argentine education system; and (ii) to improve the governance of the Argentine education system through strengthening of the normative, planning, information, monitoring, and evaluation capacity at the national and provincial levels. The reallocation is necessary to finance: i) increased unit costs in infrastructure activities; ii) unanticipated consultant services related to the production of pedagogical materials; and iii) increased operating costs linked to the teacher training program (now reaching 8,000 teachers in 20 provinces), and the financial transfers to schools (‘Planes de Mejora’) implemented in 2,033 schools. This reallocation is based on final estimates for expenditures for the project. Show Less -

The objective of the Prevention and Management of Influenza Type Illness and Strengthening of Argentina's Epidemiological System Project is to strengthen the capacity... Show More + of the Borrower's epidemiological health surveillance system to: a) prevent, monitor and evaluate influenza activity, and b) control epidemic waves of A/H1N1 influenza. The project was restructured to: process a partial cancelation of US$88 million of the loan amount; and reallocate loan proceeds. A second restructuring was approved on March 9, 2012 to: 1) extend the project's closing date by 12 months from March 31, 2012, to March 31, 2013, 2) adjust the project indicators in table one of the emergency project paper, and 3) reallocate loan proceeds. The extension will allow the project to achieve the targets of the two remaining Project Intermediate Outcome Indicators (PDIs): number of situation analysis rooms certified, and number of situation rooms that achieve a highly satisfactory level of accreditation at the end of the project (above 80 percent). Show Less -

The objective of the Third National Communication (TNC) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Project is to strengthen the information base and... Show More + institutional capacity of the key members of the Steering Committee, in order to integrate climate change priorities into the Recipient's development strategies and relevant sector program by providing financial and technical support to prepare the TNC. The closing date of the project will be extended from May 31, 2013 until November 13, 2014. The extension is necessary given that the project design requires a sequencing between different studies (i.e., results of a study will be needed in order to prepare a policy recommendation. Show Less -

The development objective of the Additional financing for the Buenos Aires Infrastructure Sustainable Investment Development Project (Adaptable Program Loan - APL) is... Show More + to enhance the provision of water and sewerage services for the benefit of low-income people, in particular for those people living in highly vulnerable areas; to improve high priority road segments of the borrower's road network; to mitigate urban flooding; and to support the reactivation of the borrower's economy and strengthen its regional competitiveness. The changes are necessary because of considerable increases in construction costs in Argentina, which are affecting the availability of funds to finance the works initially foreseen in the program (both APLs), thus justifying the present restructuring. The changes described in this Project Paper will only affect the additional financing and include the: 1) revising the scope of the civil work components to reflect construction cost increases; 2) reallocating project costs among components accordingly; 3) adjusting the target values of project indicators to account for the revised project scope; and 4) changing the loan financing percentage. This restructuring does not imply any changes to the project development objective or implementation arrangements. Show Less -

The development objective of the Second Phase of the Adaptable Program Loan (APL2) for the Buenos Aires Infrastructure Sustainable Investment Development Project for... Show More + Argentina is to improve the social and environmental welfare of approximately five million people living in the borrower's territory through the improved provision of transport, water supply and sanitation, and drainage services. The restructuring, jointly with the restructuring in parallel for the APL one (and Additional Financing), will update the program funding structure and its activities to the current context, thus providing the grounds for an adequate and timely program implementation, aiming at full achievement of the project development objectives of both APLs (first and second). The changes described in this project paper includes: 1) reducing the scope of the civil work components to reflect cost increases; 2) revising the target values of project indicators to account for the revised project scope; and 3) reallocating project costs among components and loan proceeds among categories accordingly. Show Less -

The development objective of the Basic Protection Project for Argentina is to increase the effectiveness of Argentina's income transfer programs for the unemployed and... Show More + families with children and to create the preconditions for expansion of the safety net. The closing date requires a 15-months extension, from June 30, 2013 to September 30, 2014. The extension is necessary to complete a study on rural workers and families and their access to social protection programs, currently underway under component three, and to allow to fully spending the total loan amount. This is the second extension of the loan, but does not entail an extension of the project closing date, which will continue to be September 30, 2014. Show Less -

The development objective of the Second Institutional Strengthening of the National Social Security Administration Technical Assistance Loan Project is to enhance service-delivery... Show More + by National Social Security Administration (ANSES) by improving its efficiency, effectiveness, transparency and accountability through institutional reengineering, fraud and error detection, change management and greater internal and external oversight, as well as institutional strengthening of the social security secretariat. Progress towards achievement of PDOs is satisfactory. The project has already achieved two (PDO) (out of four) and the other two PDOs will be achieved by the closing date. Intermediate indicators are being achieved as planned. Adjustments are being made at the request of the Ministry of Finance to formalize the actual use of the funds in support of the achievement of the PDOs. As a result of the new responsibilities assumed by ANSES in 2008, and conforming to ANSES strategic plan 2009-2011, there was a need to allocate more funds to the implementation includes support to new activities (social security observatory; e-learning platform; transparency of procurement processes; good practices for technological management) which resulted in more Bank funds allocated to consulting services. Bank funding for goods, training and non-consultant services has been reduced with no impact in the planned activities, thanks to the savings generated in the procurement of goods and that ANSES was able to provide funding for some non consulting services and training. Show Less -

The objective of the Second Provincial Agricultural Development Project for Argentina is to increase the productivity and sales volume of small and medium-size producers.... Show More + The project restructuring is for triggering the following two safeguards policies, Safety of Dams (OP/BP 4.37) and Natural Habitats (OP/BP 4.04), in order to reflect the adoption of appropriate mechanisms to manage and reduce any potential adverse environmental and social impacts related to dam safety and natural habitat issues that could arise from subproject financing during implementation. The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) Loan in the amount of US$300 million was approved by the Board on August 25th, 2008, and became effective on May 11th, 2009. The current closing date of the project is March 31, 2015. This first restructuring is in response to the review of specific sub-project cases submitted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fiserhies (MAGyP) for financing under the project, which require compliance with the safeguard policies. Show Less -