Support for mass transport and education initiatives in Peru

CAF is also supporting the "Reducing the digital gap" project of Señor de Sipán University in Chiclayo with the objective of bringing the rural and marginal communities of Lambayeque into the world of information technology.

Lima (October 26, 2006).- The Andean Development Corporation (CAF) today signed a technical cooperation agreement with Trujillo Provincial Municipality to support its efforts to reorganize public transport in the city. The multilateral financial institution also signed an agreement with Señor de Sipán University in Chiclayo to support the education project Reducing the digital gap in favor of the people of the rural and marginal areas of Chiclayo. The two agreements were signed by CAF president & CEO Enrique García, who is on an official visit to the Peruvian capital.

With the signing of the agreements, CAF reaffirms its commitment to the sustainable and decentralized development of Peru through initiatives to improve the quality of life in the cities of Trujillo and Chiclayo, and their areas of influence. CAF’s efforts respond to its renewed agenda for sustainable development with social inclusion.

The objective of the first agreement is to support the Trujillo Provincial Municipality in developing a proposal for a sustainable public transport system that takes into account the demand from the population, the transport service operators, the road network and its serviceability; and the institutional strengthening of the planning and management body. Trujillo Mayor Martín Sifuentes also signed the agreement .

The CAF president said that this technical cooperation project would provide an integrated diagnosis of the situation and characteristics of public transport management, and the traffic and road infrastructure of urban transport in Trujillo. "Thanks to this effort, we are sure that the Trujillo provincial authorities will very soon develop proposals to reorganize public transport for the benefit of over 800,000 inhabitants," Garcia added.

The technical cooperation funds that CAF is contributing to Señor de Sipán University will be used in the Reducing the digital gap project, which aims to increase knowledge of information technology in specific communities in the rural and marginal areas of the Lambayeque region. This will be done through a series of training activities on development and awareness, which use the opportunities offered by the globalised world. The agreement was also signed by Humberto Acuña, general manager of Señor de Sipán University, and Christof Kuechemann, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) representative in Peru, who acted as Witness of Honor.

During the signing, García emphasized the fundamental support for the Peruvian and Latin American education sector, essential tool for development, integration and social inclusion. "For CAF, supporting specific initiatives to strengthen the education sector, such as the Reducing the digital gap project, is part of our work because it is a commitment to the sustainable development of our peoples, with integration of our cultures and social inclusion," the CAF chief added.