Around 1.5 Million Argentines to Benefit from CAF-funded Social Projects

CAF—development bank of Latin America—reaffirms thus its commitment to the well-being of Argentines and the creation of better opportunities to boost its long-term development, and in particular by supporting initiatives in strategic sectors such as education, housing, water, transport and energy.

The President of Argentina, Alberto Fernández, and CAF executive president Luis Carranza, held a ceremony where they signed the loan agreements for the Federal Regional Infrastructure Program (PFIR) for USD 300 million; the Socio-Urban Integration Program: Villa 20, Villa Rodrigo Bueno and Villa Fraga of the City of Buenos Aires, for USD 100 million; a USD 100 million Access and Educational Quality Improvement Program in the Jujuy Province; a USD 130 million Water Resource Supply and Quality Improvement Project for the town of Bahía Blanca; and the Line M Renovation Project in the Tapiales–Marinos del Crucero General Belgrano–Belgrano Sur section for USD 75 million.

“We consider CAF as a strategic partner for the development of the region and Argentina. We wish to highlight CAF’s fundamental significance for Latin American integration. The projects we are approving today, in addition to adding fresh funds for the nation, will also impact the lives of millions of Argentines and will help reduce inequality. We underscore the importance of multilateral financial institutions that help countries address the inequalities of our peoples. Because we strive to achieve more socially just societies,” said the President of Argentina Alberto Fernández.

In addition, CAF executive president Luis Carranza noted: “We are an ally when it comes to Argentina’s sustainable development, and CAF offers through these funds not only a financial contribution, but also knowledge and experience in housing and urban development, education, water and sanitation infrastructure, transport and electrical transmission, in order to boost productivity and improve the well-being of the population, based on a global and long-term vision.”

Projects funded for a total of USD 705 million are in addition to other initiatives to be completed over the next four years, and are now in process of approval or implementation, and amount to USD 4 billion through programs, projects and technical cooperation.

The features of these agreements include:

• Nearly 50,000 people from Villa 20, Villa Rodrigo Bueno and Villa Fraga will receive new homes; basic infrastructure for urban services such as drinking water, sewerage, electricity; and the construction of streets and alleys, among others. This initiative will build some 1,700 new houses and improve around 1,500 existing homes, will channel and treat wastewater of more than 9,000 people who today pour their household effluents directly or indirectly into Rio de La Plata, will install water and sewerage networks, set up street lighting and gas networks, and will build streets and sidewalks, squares and spaces for leisure and recreation.

• The Program for Improving Access and Educational Quality (Promace) in the Province of Jujuy includes the construction and furnishing of school supplies and technological equipment of 103 new educational facilities (preschool, primary, secondary and rural secondary education) in the four provincial regions (the Andes, the Altiplano, Rivers and Valleys), as well as strategies for educational quality and relevance. The initiative will also include implementation of new curricular designs, training teachers and principals, and specific educational equipment by level and modality in order to update basic skills and competencies necessary to meet the demands of current lifestyles and the labor market. This will benefit more than 260,000 children and teenagers; 31,680 teachers and principals from 1,268 institutions.

• The Federal Regional Infrastructure Program (PFIR) provides for multi-sectoral interventions in different provinces, benefitting nearly 800,000 people. The initiative comprises four lines of action: The first, transport, is aimed at improving traffic conditions through road works for overhauling 130 kilometers of provincial roads. The second axis includes works in the energy sector, aimed at boosting power generation and transmission capacity. The third axis focuses on the water sector and is aimed at improving management of water resources through water treatment, sanitation works and interventions in flood defense systems, as well as the construction of several aqueducts. Lastly, the project calls for key infrastructure works to boost internal tourism.

• The Belgrano Sur Railway Project - Phase II calls for the comprehensive revamping of Line M, between the Tapiales and Marinos del Crucero General Belgrano stations, focusing on tasks such as refurbishing of rails (47 km); duplication of railway tracks (25 km); complete signaling of the section; renovation or revamping of 25 level crossings; remodeling of the Marinos del Crucero General Belgrano station; and the improvement of the urban facilities around Aldo Bonzi station (18,000 m2 of areas including sidewalks, streets and green areas), among others. More than 3.5 million people are expected to benefit from this project every year.

• The Project to improve the water supply in Bahía Blanca, Stage II, includes works to improve existing infrastructure in order to: serve these nine towns, increase storage capacity of water suitable for distribution and consumption by the population and industries, drastically reducing system losses. In addition to infrastructure works, the funds will finance technical studies and overall program management.