Supporting Poland Through the Crisis and Beyond – A New World Bank Country Partnership Strategy for Poland, 2009-2013
New strategy reflects growing strength of Polish economy and provides funding flexibility
Contacts:
In Warsaw: Anna Kowalczyk, (+48) 605 282-998
In Washington: Michael Jones, (202) 473- 2588
WARSAW, June 30, 2009 — The World Bank’s Board endorsed a new Country Partnership Strategy (CPS) for Poland today, which will guide the Bank’s assistance to the country from 2009-2013.
Over the coming years, Bank lending to the country could reach approximately US$4.5 billion for projects that build on Poland’s relatively strong macroeconomic fundamentals and encourage reforms that will improve the quality of public finances and support a private-sector led recovery from the global financial crisis.
The new strategy emphasizes flexibility in how the Bank supports Poland, and will gradually move the country from borrowing toward a fee-based model, where analytic and advisory services are provided for a fee instead of through lending.
The new strategy will support Poland on a range of issues including health, education, social protection, transport, and ways to improve the business environment. It will also help to support public sector reform and global public goods like climate change, while focusing on key areas where it can add value relative to other international institutions, notably the EU. In addition to working with the central government, the Bank would like to support the reform efforts of regional and local governments.
“The World Bank can play an important role in supporting Poland through these challenging times, both through lending and policy advice, and will continue to be useful for some time beyond the crisis,” said Thomas Laursen, World Bank Country Manager for Poland and the Baltic Countries. “We think that as the crisis subsides and conditions in the international financial markets become more normal, we will gradually phase-out lending and increasingly rely on fee-based services.”
The Bank is currently active in Poland, supporting road maintenance and rehabilitation, flood protection, rural development, and energy efficiency, in addition to ongoing Policy-Based Lending and new projects under preparation. Meanwhile, strategic studies are being prepared in a number of areas, including climate change, Public Expenditure Reviews for both the central government and selected sub-national governments, and transport policy. In addition, the fee-for-service business is being started with a couple of projects including both central and sub-national governments.
“To be working with a country like Poland is also extremely useful for the Bank because it keeps our knowledge updated and sharp, and we can apply the lessons from Poland to other countries, both in the region and beyond,” added Laursen.
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For more information about the Country Partnership Strategy for Poland, please visit: www.worldbank.org/poland
For more information about the World Bank Group, please visit www.worldbank.org
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