World Bank to open country office
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December 11 – The first World Bank (WB) representative to Bhutan, Mark F LaPrairie, presented credentials to the minister of foreign affairs, Lyonpo Ugyen Tshering, on December 4, 2009 at the Gyalyong Tshokhang.
The presentation of a letter of credentials was accompanied by zhugdrel and marchang ceremonies.
The World Bank will open a country office in Bhutan early 2010. The office will support implementation of WB-financed activities and development of the next ‘country assistance strategy’ for the period 2011-2014. The international finance corporation (IFC), the private sector wing of the World Bank group, will also establish a country office, headed by David Martz, IFC coordinator for Bhutan. The World Bank and IFC offices will be located at UN House in Thimphu.
Mark LaPrairie first came to Bhutan in 1988 under a Canadian volunteer teacher programme. He taught in primary and junior high schools for three years in Trashigang and Pemagatshel dzongkhags. He returned to Bhutan in 1997 as education officer for the United Nations children’s fund (UNICEF) in Thimphu.
Mark F LaPrairie joined the World Bank as an education specialist in 1999. Prior to his appointment as representative to Bhutan, he served as country operations officer and local representative in Maldives. Mark LaPrairie also serves as task team leader for the education development project, the largest Bank-financed project in Bhutan.
Current financing committed to ongoing activities to support implementation of the tenth five-year plan is USD 73m, with a three-year international development association (IDA) allocation of approximately USD 41m. A similar level of financial support is anticipated during the next three-year IDA round from FY12-14. The Bank is currently exploring the possibility of additional financing to Bhutan following the recent earthquake, which caused an estimated USD 46m in damage.
Bhutan joined the World Bank in 1981. The World Bank’s assistance to Bhutan has supported forestry, education, health, transport, infrastructure, agriculture, macro-economic planning and fiduciary functioning through both financial resources and advisory services.
source: kuensel
