Mali : Transport Support to Sustainable Economic Growth
This Economic and Sector Work (ESW) is consistent with the objectives laid out for the transport sector in the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP), and the Country Assistance Strategy (CAS), with its two primary objectives focused on strengthening existing reforms, and, helping define a forthcoming reform program. The proposed transport sector strategy relies on three pillars to: 1) promote sustainable development of transport infrastructure, ensuring adequate allocation of financial, and human resources to infrastructure maintenance; 2) increase transport sector efficiency, through sound market, and fiscal policies that support the rapid modernization of Mali's transport companies; and, 3) support cross sectoral initiatives, primarily in the areas of economic competitiveness, road safety, rural poverty alleviation, and in addition, to support HIV/AIDS prevention, and health services accessibility. Since transport costs represent a significant share of the imported costs of intermediary goods used in building up Mali's export capacity, their reduction should have a positive impact on Mali's economic competitiveness. Accordingly, the already completed privatization of the railway, the current attempt at privatizing the airport system, as well as the proposed measures to increase the productivity of Mali's truck transport, should all support economic competitiveness. The Government however, should foresee that adequate regulatory oversight is in place, to ensure that these productivity gains are passed on to transport customers. Regarding road safety in Mali, it is not only a financial dimension, but also a health dimension, since it tends to challenge an already stretched health service. This would entail training law enforcement agents, towards creating a nationwide road accident database. It is stressed that the development of a rural road maintenance, and construction strategy by no later than the end of 2004, be conducted, with part of this strategy's investment priorities defined, based on poverty reduction criteria, such as increased accessibility to health care, linkage to local markets, and other potential accessible services. The report emphasizes it is now an established fact, that transport activities are an important vector to HIV/AIDS dissemination, where activities within the transport sector, designed to educate transport operators about the disease, and its mode of transmission would, contribute to the overall fight against the spread of the epidemic.
Summary: | This Economic and Sector Work (ESW) is
consistent with the objectives laid out for the transport
sector in the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP), and
the Country Assistance Strategy (CAS), with its two primary
objectives focused on strengthening existing reforms, and,
helping define a forthcoming reform program. The proposed
transport sector strategy relies on three pillars to: 1)
promote sustainable development of transport infrastructure,
ensuring adequate allocation of financial, and human
resources to infrastructure maintenance; 2) increase
transport sector efficiency, through sound market, and
fiscal policies that support the rapid modernization of
Mali's transport companies; and, 3) support cross
sectoral initiatives, primarily in the areas of economic
competitiveness, road safety, rural poverty alleviation, and
in addition, to support HIV/AIDS prevention, and health
services accessibility. Since transport costs represent a
significant share of the imported costs of intermediary
goods used in building up Mali's export capacity, their
reduction should have a positive impact on Mali's
economic competitiveness. Accordingly, the already completed
privatization of the railway, the current attempt at
privatizing the airport system, as well as the proposed
measures to increase the productivity of Mali's truck
transport, should all support economic competitiveness. The
Government however, should foresee that adequate regulatory
oversight is in place, to ensure that these productivity
gains are passed on to transport customers. Regarding road
safety in Mali, it is not only a financial dimension, but
also a health dimension, since it tends to challenge an
already stretched health service. This would entail training
law enforcement agents, towards creating a nationwide road
accident database. It is stressed that the development of a
rural road maintenance, and construction strategy by no
later than the end of 2004, be conducted, with part of this
strategy's investment priorities defined, based on
poverty reduction criteria, such as increased accessibility
to health care, linkage to local markets, and other
potential accessible services. The report emphasizes it is
now an established fact, that transport activities are an
important vector to HIV/AIDS dissemination, where activities
within the transport sector, designed to educate transport
operators about the disease, and its mode of transmission
would, contribute to the overall fight against the spread of
the epidemic. |
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