Description

The objective of the Second Additional Financing of the High Priority Roads Reopening and Maintenance Project for Congo, Democratic Republic of is to re-establish lasting road access between provincial capitals, districts and territories in the Project implementation area in a way that is sustainable for the natural environment. The Department for International Development (DFID), which co-financed the initial project, agreed to partly fund AF1 (TF 99492). On April 2, 2015, the DRC Government requested a second additional financing (AF2) to: (i) support the reopening and maintenance of three additional sections of high-priority existing roads (about 483 km); (ii) cover the financing gap due to the withdrawal of DFID funding from project financing in 2014, and foreign exchange rate losses due to the fluctuations in the SDR/US$ rate, which have reduced the amount of funding available; and (iii) cover a cost overrun on some of the road works planned under the initial project, which could not be previously funded. The cost overrun can be directly attributable to the lack of reliable data on road reopening costs when the initial project was being prepared. This led to the postponing of two road sections. Works on Kalemie-Kambu (140 km) are now ongoing, and works on Dulia-Bondo (130 km) would be financed under AF2. Under AF1, the contract for the re-opening of the Akula-Gemena-Libenge-Zongo (Central African border) road was terminated for lack of progress in October 2015. The balances of works are under negotiation for a direct contracting after Banks approval, and provision for the likely cost increase is needed to complete the construction of that road under AF2.