Uruguay

The objective of the Road Rehabilitation and Maintenance Program Project for Uruguay is to improve transport efficiency through rehabilitation and maintenance of the... Show More + national road infrastructure and enhanced public sector capacity to plan, regulate and monitor transport and logistics services. The funding level of the Program is not sufficient to improve, in absolute terms, the road network condition on the National Road Network as a whole. In this context, the Program is expected to ensure that the condition of the National Road Network remains a given threshold, as reflected in the key results. Such results are deemed to be the best achievable outcome at network level when compared not only to the past declining trend shown but also to counterfactual situation prevailing in the absence of support to the Program. The Program will be implemented by: (a) the Road Department of the ministry of transport and public works, and (b) the Uruguay Road Corporation. The CVU (Corporacion Vial del Uruguay - Uruguay Road Corporation) is linked to the MTOP (Ministerio de Transporte y Obras Publicas - Ministry of Transport and Public Works) through: (a) a concession agreement, making CVU responsible for managing part of Uruguay's main road network, including highway maintenance, rehabilitation, and, as needed, development; and (b) a technical assistance agreement, through which DNV provides technical and administrative support to CVU. The Program is implemented through contracts to the private sector (road and bridge rehabilitation, performance-based rehabilitation, maintenance or performance-based maintenance) or through routine maintenance works executed by DNV (Direccion Nacional de Vialidad - Road DepartmenT) directly. Usually, except for bridge rehabilitation and reconstruction (design-build contracts), design and supervision functions required by Program-related activities are carried out by DNV staff. Show Less -

The objective of the additional financing Institutions Building Technical Assistance Project for Uruguay is to improve the borrower’s public sector performance by: (i)... Show More + supporting its public sector modernization program in the areas of monitoring and evaluation, performance-based budgeting, e-government, tax administration and statistics; and (ii) strengthening its institutions involved with the design and implementation of public policy reforms in the areas of taxation, promotion of the business environment, and social protection. The additional financing will support an expansion of four of the original seven components of the original project, and the addition of two new components. Project consists of the following components. (1) Improving the borrower's institutional planning, monitoring, and evaluation; (2) Institutional strengthening of Borrower's Social Security Fund (BPS) for the implementation of tax and social protection reforms; (3) Supporting capital markets and corporate transparency reforms; (4) Project coordination and strategy development; (5) Supporting institutional strengthening of Directorate General of Taxation (DGI); and (6) Supporting institutional strengthening of the National Statistics Institute (INE). Show Less -

The development objective of this Second Programmatic Public Sector, Competitiveness, and Social Inclusion Development Policy Loan with Drawdown Option Project for Uruguay... Show More + is strengthen public sector administration; improving competitiveness through measures seeking to facilitate trade; strengthen the business environment and develop financial markets; improving social inclusion through measures seeking to enhance the equity and efficiency of health; and education and social protection services. The development policy loan (DPL) with a deferred drawdown option (DDO) is the second and final of a programmatic series of two loans. The series supports the implementation of economic and social sector reforms in the following areas: (i) strengthening the efficacy of the public sector; (ii) improving competitiveness; and (iii) making further advances on social inclusion, through improvements in efficiency and equity of social sector services delivery. The second DPL plays an important role in continuing and deepening support to existing components of the reform program supported by the first DPL. The move from the DPL envisaged in the Country Partnership Strategy (CPS) to a DPL with a Deferred Drawdown Option (DDO) reflects growing concerns about deteriorating international financial market conditions. Show Less -

The development objective of the Energy Efficiency Project is to increase the demand for and competitive supply of energy efficient goods and services, contributing... Show More + to: a) increased efficiency of energy use; b) reduced reliance of the Uruguayan economy on imported energy and fuels; and c) reduced emission from the energy sector. The purpose of this project restructuring is to: 1) incorporates the Uruguay Guarantee Trust Fund for Energy Efficiency (UFEE) to a national system of guarantees (SiGa); 2) reallocate the grant proceeds; and 3) to convert the technical assistance Sub-loans currently financed under the project into technical assistance sub grants. The restructuring is justified, based on the results the project has achieved to date and on the project's potential to meet its development objectives. Show Less -

The objective of the Transport Infrastructure Maintenance and Rural Access Project for Uruguay is to upgrade the country's transport infrastructure to a condition that... Show More + facilitates the transportation of freight and passengers at a cost-efficient level of service. The reallocation is necessary to: (i) formalize the transfer of road rehabilitation contracts implementation responsibility from the line ministry (Direccion Nacional de Vialidad, DNV) to the National road corporation (Corporacion Vial del Uruguay, CVU); and (ii) adjust the amounts allocated to the various expenditures categories to what was actually achieved on the ground. Show Less -

This development policy loan (DPL) is the first of a new programmatic series of two loans, each one amounting to US$100 million. The series supports the implementation... Show More + of a program of policy reforms in three main areas: public sector management, competitiveness, and social inclusion. It assisted in sustaining economic growth by reducing macroeconomic vulnerability and by contributing to increased Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and trade flows. It also strengthened the country's human development. Uruguay has achieved universal primary education, its social protection programs have enhanced targeting and coverage, and the health system is under reform to achieve universal insurance coverage. Going forward, remaining public policy objectives include: (i) strengthening the efficacy of the public sector; (ii) improving competitiveness; and (ii) promoting social inclusion, through further improvements in efficiency and equity of social sector delivery. These areas of reform are among the key priorities set by the new Government inaugurated on March 1, 2010. The Government has requested this new series of two DPLs for three main reasons: 1) to support and recognize a policy reforms during 2009-2010; 2) to anchor the policy reform agenda set by the newly elected Government through 2011; and 3) to obtain additional financing resources. Show Less -