CAF programming mission to define priority aid for Bolivia

A programming mission from the Andean Development Corporation (CAF) will work from September 11 through 13 with the Bolivian government to define priority areas of cooperation and the possibilities of assistance for the emergency plan designed by the administration of President Jorge Quiroga.

The mission will be headed by Enrique García, CAF president, who will be accompanied by Liliana Canale (vice president of country programs), Fidel Jaramillo (vice president of development strategies), Manuel Llosa (director of transport, telecommunications and social infrastructure), Rodrigo Navarro (director of investment and corporate banking) and José Vicente Maldonado (CAF representative in Bolivia).

In its contacts with the Bolivian authorities, the CAF mission will discuss support for the emergency employment plan, and backing for a new financing structure for pension reform. With the capacity to play a catalytic role in attracting external resources for the investment projects included in the Agenda Boliviana, the Corporation is capable of meeting the Bolivian government’s requirements with versatility, appropriate timing and imagination.

The mission will meet on September 11 and 12 with government authorities in the economic and social sectors. A working session will President Quiroga and his economic team is planned for the 13th in the Government Palace. Later the mission will hold a press conference on the results of the talks.

The presence of the CAF programming mission is a response to a request from the Quiroga administration and forms part of the Bolivian government’s contacts with international organizations in search of financial backing for its "12-month Program" which is designed to reactivate the economy and tackle urgent social needs.

The CAF welcomes the Bolivian government’s commitment to preserving economic stability, stimulating economic reactivation and laying the bases for sustainable growth with a high social content for a successful fight against poverty. These aspects form part of the "12-month Program" to which the CAF intends to make a decisive contribution.

The CAF is one of the principal sources of financing for Andean countries and is an unconditional partner in Bolivian development. Earlier this year, the Corporation told the Bolivian authorities it was willing to grant financing of $800 million for the 2001-2002 period: 75% of the amount will go to public and private infrastructure works and the rest to support the financial and productive sectors. At the request of the Bolivian government, the CAF will concentrate its action in four areas: support for the strategy of poverty reduction; reform of the State; strengthening the financial system and the capital market; and competitiveness and sustainable infrastructure for integration.