Hasan Tuluy to meet Evo Morales in Bolivia

Ahead of his first visit to Bolivia and meeting with President Evo Morales, the World Bank vice-president for the region, Hasan Tuluy, commended the Bolivian government on its strategy to include more citizens, especially those of indigenous descent, in the benefits of the nation’s economic growth.

Tuluy’s three-day visit to Bolivia will begin on August 12. He will meet with President Evo Morales in Tiwanaku, La Paz on the final day of his trip.

Tuluy stressed that social inclusion and equal opportunities are crucial for Bolivia’s development.

“Bolivia has implemented a prudent economic policy that has resulted in stable growth and manageable inflation rates,” he said.

He added that for 2012, Bolivia’s economy is expected to grow 4%, a rate surpassing that of the region's economic powerhouses.

However, the goal is to focus this successful growth on fighting poverty.

 “Although poverty has declined in recent years, nearly 60% of the population continues to be poor while 30% lives in extreme poverty,” he said.

Before the meeting with the Bolivian president, Tuluy will meet with several other government officials, including Bolivian Vice-President Álvaro García Linera, Development Minister Luis Arce and Finance Minister Viviana Caro. These meetings will provide the opportunity to exchange ideas regarding the implementation of the World Bank’s new Partnership Strategy (2012-2015) with the country.

Tuluy will also meet with private sector representatives and donors to share the World Bank vision on opportunities and challenges facing Latin America in general and in particular, Bolivia.

Hasan Tuluy stressed that this trip will help consolidate cooperation efforts between the World Bank and Bolivia.

“The Bank is a reliable partner for the Plurinational State of Bolivia in its development and poverty-eradication efforts. In my meetings with President Morales and the ministers of Finance and Planning, among others, my goal is to further strengthen our cooperation efforts,” he said

Finally, the World Bank vice-president will visit projects such as Genuine Neighborhood and the Youth Art and Outdoor Gallery to directly observe the work being implemented in Bolivia. He will also hear from beneficiaries and participants in rural areas since “that’s the best way to take stock” of World Bank efforts.

Key statistics on the World Bank’s work in Bolivia and Latin-America:

• The World Bank currently has a portfolio of 13 investment projects totaling some US$ 450 million in Bolivia.
• During the 2012 Summit of the Americas, the World Bank, the IDB and the CAF agreed to make US$35 billion available annually to the country to support economic growth with social inclusion.
• The World Bank has tripled its loans to Latin America, from a total of US$15 billion in 2009 and US$14 billion in 2012. Total support of the World Bank Group reached nearly US$18 billion and US$17 billion in those years, respectively.