World Bank lending Morocco $300 mln

A World Bank loan package approved today targets poor rural and urban Moroccan communities for improved services and economic opportunities and promotes the development of smaller enterprises. A $300 million loan, underpinned by a comprehensive program to build local institutional capacity, will support the second phase of Morocco’s National Initiative for Human Development (INDH). A $50 million loan will facilitate access to finance for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). "INDH is the centerpiece of the government’s commitment to address social and economic exclusion in underserved areas," said Inger Andersen, World Bank Vice President for the Middle East and North Africa Region (MENA). "By supporting the second phase of this innovative program we stand proudly with the government in its drive towards greater results," she said. INDH2 finances income-generating activities, improved access to basic services and key infrastructure in the poorest regions of Morocco. Taking lessons from INDH1, launched in 2005, the government nearly doubled the geographic scope and increased the budget from $1.7 billion to $2.1 billion for phase 2. But it also raised the bar delivering tangible benefits. INDH2 is the first World Bank-supported project using the "Program for Results" (PforR), a new lending instrument which disburses funds based on the achievement of agreed and verified results.