THE AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK SAYS IT HAS INVESTED IN EXCESS OF ABOUT $12BILLION IN THE COMMON MARKET FOR EASTERN AND SOUTHERN AFRICAN REGION IN SECTORS SUCH AS SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE, AGRICULTURE, EDUCATION, HEALTH AND CAPACITY, OF WHICH THE BULK HAS ESSENTIALLY GONE TO INDIVIDUAL MEMBER COUNTRIES FROM 2000 TO 2009.
SPEAKING TODAY DURING THE SIGNING CEREMONY OF THE $8.6MILLION PROTOCOL GRANT AGREEMENT FOR THE COMESA AIRSPACE INTEGRATION PROJECT IN LUSAKA TODAY ADB COUNTRY DIRECTOR FREDDIE KWESIGA FURTHER DISCLOSED THAT THE BANK IS CARRYING ANOTHER PROJECT WHICH IS IN THE PIPELINE WORTH $1.6BILLION.
MR KWESIGA SAYS THE BANK’S DECISION TO SUPPORT THE AIRSPACE INTEGRATION PROJECT WAS GUIDED BY THE NEED TO ASSIST THE AIR TRANSPORT INDUSTRY COPE WITH THE GROWING VOLUME OF AIR TRAFFIC WORLD WIDE AND IMPROVE AIR TRAFFIC NAVIGATION SAFETY THROUGH ADOPTION OF MODERN TECHNOLOGIES AND ICT DEVELOPMENTS.
HE POINTED OUT THAT THE BANK NOTED THAT THE INTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION ORGANIZATION MANDATED THE PROGRESSIVE REPLACEMENT OF EXISTING GROUND-BASED AIR NAVIGATION AIDS BY A MORE COST-EFFECTIVE SATELLITE-BASED AIR NAVIGATION TECHNOLOGY KNOWN AS COMMUNICATION NAVIGATION SURVEILLANCE AND AIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT.
MR KWESIGA SAYS THE EXPECTED TOTAL COST FOR THE PHASE IS APPROXIMATELY $9.075MILLION WITH THE PROPOSED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE GRANT FROM THE BANK GROUP AMOUNTING TO $8.625 MILLION AND THE GOVERNMENT OF RWANDA HAS ACCEPTED TO HOST THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT UNIT.
AND SPEAKING DURING THE SAME $8.6MILLION PROTOCOL GRANT AGREEMENT FOR COMESA AIRSPACE INTEGRATION PROJECT, COMESA SECRETARY GENERAL SINDISO NGWENYA EXPRESSED HAPPINESS WITH THE BANK’S CONTINUED SUPPORT ADDING THAT CURRENTLY THERE ARE VARIOUS PROJECTS WHICH THE TWO ORGANIZATION HAVE ENGAGED INTO FOR SOME TIME.
MR NGWENYA SAYS THE BANK HAS BEEN SUPPORT VARIOUS COMESA PROJECT NAMELY PUBLIC REFORM PROJECT VALUED AT $2.1MILLION FROM 2002 TO 2006,THE AGRICULTURE MARKETING PROMOTION AND REGIONAL INTEGRATION PROGRAMME VALUED AT $8.6MILLION FROM 2004 TO 2011 AND ENHANCING PROCUREMENT REFORM AND CAPACITY PROGRAMME VALUED AT $8.1MILLION FROM 2006 TO 2011.
THE SECRETARY GENERAL SAYS IN ADDITION THE BANK IS FUNDING VARIOUS REGIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS IN THE TRANSPORT AND ENERGY SECTORS IN EXCESS OF $5BILLION IN THE EASTERN AND SOUTHERN AFRICA REGION.
HE EXPLAINED THAT UNDER THE PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION ARRANGEMENTS A DEDICATED PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION UNIT, THE COMESA COMMUNICATION, NAVIGATION, SURVEILLANCE/AIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT (CNS/ATM) WILL BE SET UP TO PROVIDE DAY TO DAY EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT OF THE PROJECT.
THE AIM OF THE $8.6MILLION PROTOCOL GRANT AGREEMENT FOR THE COMESA AIRSPACE INTEGRATION PROJECT IS TO PROVIDE AN ENABLING LEGAL AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK FOR A UNIFIED UPPER AIRSPACE IN THE COMESA REGION AND PROVIDE ADEQUATE INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR PROVIDING AND REGULATING REGIONAL AIR TRAFFIC SERVICES.
IT WILL ALSO PROVIDE FOR THE CONCLUSION OF THE PUBLIC PROCUREMENT PROJECT ARRANGEMENT TO FINANCE, BUILD AND OPERATE THE REGIONAL COMMUNICATION, NAVIGATION SURVEILLANCE/AIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT INFRASTRUCTURE.
published by augustine m sichula
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