Infrastructure Development

Background | Composition | Objective | Status | Way forward | Contact

Background

In the agenda of the NEPAD the infrastructure sector future high due to its contribution to regional integration - the basis of the implementation of the NEPAD- and in the trade development as well as in facilitating the participation of the continent in globalization. Trade is an engine of economic development and trade depends on reliable, efficient, safe and affordable infrastructure system.

Vision of the NEPAD Infrastructure Programme

• Develop infrastructure that is reliable, safe, efficient, affordable and has the capacity to:

  (i) facilitate the efficient exploitation of the vast, dormant and under utilized economic potential and natural resources of the continent;
  (ii) facilitate the growth of process and manufacturing industries;
  (iii) facilitate competitiveness of trade and access to global markets as well as development of new markets for which Africa has a niche;
  (iv) facilitate development and growth of trade in services including tourism;
  (v) facilitate movement of goods and services in all areas;
  (vi) facilitate efficient delivery of education, health and other welfare services; etc.

Objectives of the Infrastructure framework of the NEPAD

• Improve access and enhance regional cooperation and trade through expanded cross- border development infrastructure;

• Increase financial investments in infrastructure by lowering risks facing private investors, especially in the area of policy and regulatory frameworks;

• Build adequate knowledge and skills in technology and engineering

Key planned actions in the NEPAD framework to be implemented with the assistance of sector – specialized agencies:

• Assistance to put in place policy and legislative frameworks to encourage competition and to introduce new regulatory frameworks as well as to build capacity for regulators, so as to promote policy and regulatory harmonization in order to facilitate cross – border interaction and market enlargement;

• Initiate the development of training institutions and networks that can develop and produce highly skilled technicians and engineers in all infrastructure sectors;

• Promote community and user involvement in infrastructure construction, maintenance and management, especially in poor urban and rural areas, in collaboration with governance initiatives of the NEPAD

• Mobilize sustainable financing, especially through multilateral processes, institutions and donor governments, with a view to securing grant and concessional finance to mitigate medium – term risks;

• Promote PPPs

Goal of NEPAD Infrastructure Programme related to transport

- Reduce delays in cross – border movement of people, goods and services;
- Reduce waiting time in ports;
- Promote economic activity at cross – border trade through improved land transport linkages;
- Increase air passenger and freight linkages across Africa’s sub regions.

UN transport sub cluster team

Composition

The followings are the participating and potential partners involved in the transport sector and committed to assist to achieve the objectives of the NEPAD: World Bank, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), International Maritime Organization (IMO), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), African Development Bank (ADB), Sub Saharan African Transport Policy (SSATP), United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), World Meteorology Organization (WMO), UN Habitat, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and NEPAD secretariat. The cluster inter act with bilateral partners involved in financing transport programme in Africa.

Objective of the sub cluster

Assist member States to achieve the objectives set for the transport sub sector through collaborative efforts and joint activities.

© Programme of actions adopted by the sub cluster

During the first meetings the sub cluster has identified the areas that could form the basis of joint activities such as:

(i) Policy development and implementation. This is in response to the first action indicated in the NEPAD framework in view of encouraging competition and to o introducing new regulatory frameworks and building capacity of regulators, so as to promote policy and regulatory harmonization in order to facilitate cross – border interaction and market enlargement. This is being done through Sub Saharan Africa Transport Policy programme (SSATP). A joint programme of UNECA, World Bank with the participation of more than 10 donors’ countries. The information on SSATP could be obtained on the web site www……..The activities developed are related to the development of transport corridor as well as facilitation. In addition to the SSATP, the UNECA, the Office of the High Representative for Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (OHRLLS), UNCTAD, UNDP, World Bank, etc are working to develop transit transport for landlocked countries. In this regard, a plan of action adopted by the African experts has been developed in May 2003. The report could be obtained on the ECA web site under TRID. Various reports prepared by UNECA and partners on the transit transport and corridor development are also available on the same site. (http:// www.worldbank.org/afr/ssatp/)

(ii) Yamoussoukro Decision related to air transport market access liberalization in Africa with the view to increase air passengers and freight linkages across Africa’s sub regions. Air transport market access liberalization was seen as a main impediment to the expansion air transport network and services. The assistance to full implementation of the Yamoussoukro Decision was selected by the sub cluster as one of the priority actions.

(iii) Facilitation measures. The way forward as the successor arrangement of the United Nations Transport and Communication Decade for Africa served as a basis of cooperation programme for all partners. The document is available on ECA, RCID web site. Implementation of the suggested activities will reduce delay in the corridors and the ports.


Status of implementation of the programme

Policy issues

The SSATP long Term Action Plan has been adopted by countries involved in the programme. The document could be obtained in the SSATP web site indicated above. After its adoption the donors’ communities have financed the 2004 work programme for an amount of US$ 4, 6 millions. The programme is under implementation and has been owned by member States as well as RECs. The elements for the 2005 work programme will considered in September/October 2004 during the annual general Assembly meeting of the programme that will be convened by SSATP and ECA and hosted by the Government of Ethiopia.

Air Transport

The World Bank supports the air transport liberalization programme in West and Central Africa through capacity building programme. In that regards, a grant of around US$ 800, 000 has been provided to establish air transport liberalization secretariats at ECOWAS and CEMAC. Assistance for establishing COSCAP in order to improve safety and security is under consideration. Various studies have been carried out in that regard.

Implementation studies of the Decision in ECOWAS and CEMAC sub regions have been conducted and will be considered during the Ministerial meeting schedule to take place in Gabon before end November 2004.

European Union supports also the liberalization programme through UEMOA activities. The work programme of UEMOA on air transport liberalization is available in the UEMOA website.

SADC, COMESA and EAC programmes on liberalization have also received support from donors and member States.

Projects on the upper space control centres have been identified and included in the STAP of infrastructure.

Taking into account that the Yamoussoukro Decision is one of the best example of regional commitment the Monitoring Body of the Decision will coordinate with the team of the APRM with a view to include the related issues in the APRM process.

A web site related to the Yamoussoukro Decision has been established in TRID.

Facilitation:

The Almaty plan of Action and the African Action plan of landlocked developing and transit countries are the basis for the joint action of all partners. All the RECs have their implementation status of the transit corridors that are being implemented in collaboration with partners. In October 2003, as indicated above, US$ 4.6 million was mobilized to fund SSATP activities, out of which US$895,000 has been distributed to RECs. In all the RECs for which funds have been allocated, transit transport facilitation accounts for a substantial part of the planned activities. Examples of transit transport facilitation activities promoted by SSATP include: establishing observatories of abnormal practices along transit corridors such as the Northern Corridor, Dar es Salaam-Lusaka Corridor, Douala-Ndjamena-Bangui corridor, Lagos-Abidjan Corridor, etc; Port Security audits in Mombassa and Dar es Salaam; port facilitation in Douala; road safety along the Dar es Salaam-Lusaka corridor; legislation review for selected Corridors; axle load control implementation in the North-South Corridor (Zambia-DRC-Durban passing through Beit Bridge); harmonization of transit transport documents (CEMAC, ECOWAS, COMESA, UEMOA); and capacity building for transport planning specialists in ECCAS and CEMAC. As part of its activities to facilitate transit transport in Africa, the ECA in collaboration with the RECs has organized, from 27 to 29 October 2003, an Ah-hoc expert group meeting on multimodal transport development in Africa. The objective of the meeting was to assist African countries in improving the quality and reducing the costs associated with international transport.

Way forward

The ADB has established the infrastructure technical assistance Funds that will be used in speeding up project planning, preparation and implementation. Therefore NEPAD will play a facilitating role to ensure that the funding agencies are kept informed and sensitized on the priorities projects.

One of the NEPAD add value to the transport programme is to ensure under good governance that member States will fulfill their commitment towards: full implementation of policy framework adopted at regional and sub regional levels; establishing conducive environment for the participation of the private sector; mobilizing internal resources; removing non physical barriers for the movement of goods and people; etc.

Taking into account the above the sub cluster will have to approach the policy decision makers with appropriate solutions of problems identified for the full implementation of policy frameworks that need political decisions as well as with specific actions for the implementation of projects and programme.

The sub cluster will work within the framework of the SSATP to reduce transportation cost and contribute to the reduction of poverty. The air transport liberalization together with the improvement of the safety and security will be among the first priorities of the sub cluster. In this regard, new programme will be developed and sensitization activities of partners will be undertaken. A ministerial meeting with the participation of the private sector and development partners could be organized early next year and frequent contacts with the NEPAD secretariat and ADB will be developed to move the implementation of the programme.

Contact

Ms.Marie Terese Guiebo
Transport & Communications
Trade and Regional Integration Division (TRID)
United Nations Economic Commission for Africa
P.O. Box 3001
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Tel.: 251-1-445352
Email: mguiebo@uneca.org

Mr. Hachim Koumaré, Officer-in-Charge
Subregional Development Centre – Central Africa
P.O. Box 14935
Yaounde, Cameroon
Tel.: 237-23-14-61
Fax: 237-23-31-85
Telex: 8441 KN
Email: srdc@camnet.cm, casrdc@un.cm