The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report West Africa Regional Communications Infrastructure Project - SOP3 (P155876) West Africa Regional Communications Infrastructure Project - SOP3 (P155876) AFRICA | Western Africa | Digital Development Global Practice | IBRD/IDA | Investment Project Financing | FY 2017 | Seq No: 5 | ARCHIVED on 05-Aug-2019 | ISR37935 | Implementing Agencies: The Republic of Guinea Bissau, Ministry of Transport and Telecommunications Key Dates Key Project Dates Bank Approval Date: 24-Mar-2017 Effectiveness Date: 29-May-2018 Planned Mid Term Review Date: 21-Dec-2019 Actual Mid-Term Review Date: -- Original Closing Date: 31-May-2022 Revised Closing Date: 31-May-2022 pdoTable Project Development Objectives Project Development Objective (from Project Appraisal Document) The Development Objectives of this project are to contribute to increasing the geographical reach of broadband networks, and reducing costs of communication services in the territory of the Recipient, and between the Recipient and ECOWAS countries. Has the Project Development Objective been changed since Board Approval of the Project Objective? No Components Table Name Supporting Connectivity:(Cost $31.59 M) Enabling environment for improved connectivity:(Cost $2.04 M) Implementation support:(Cost $1.36 M) National backbone and Restructuring of GuineTelecom/GuineTel (co-financing) Overall Ratings Name Previous Rating Current Rating Progress towards achievement of PDO Satisfactory Moderately Satisfactory Overall Implementation Progress (IP) Moderately Satisfactory Moderately Satisfactory Overall Risk Rating High High Implementation Status and Key Decisions This is the fifth ISR since the beginning of project implementation. The last supervision mission was conducted on June 2019. significant progress were made since the last mission: First, the project disbursement rate is 82%: ACE invoices number 2 and 3 for a total amount of 23 million USD have been processed through direct payment under credit category 1. This allowed for the full construction of the submarine cable and for conducting the activities required for the construction of the national infrastructure (landing station and Beach Manhole). The construction works for the landing station have been launched in July 2019 and the submarine is expected to be operational in February 2020. 8/5/2019 Page 1 of 6 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report West Africa Regional Communications Infrastructure Project - SOP3 (P155876) Second, the SPV is a public (49%)-private (51%) company that is established (with a minimum capital of 10 million FCFA) and operational, it now substitutes to the MoF in the ACE consortium/CM&A. Following recent attribution of the license to the SCGB, the SCGB is now in the process of increasing the SPV capital to 31,5 million USD and transferring the related additional shares to private operators proportionally to their current participation in the SPV capital. It is to be noted that processing the SPV’s capital increase (and associated transfer of shares) will trigger the private sector payments to the government for a total amount of 16 million USD to be paid over 5 years. The government has now opened the SCGB special account where the proceeds (i.e. 16 million USD to be paid over a 5 years period) of the transfer of government’s shares to the private sector will be deposited. Third, safeguards Plans (RAP and ESIA) for the construction of submarine and terrestrial infrastructure have been finalized and approved by both Government and WB; they are being published. Fourth, the strategic study for the restructuring of the national public incumbent operator Guinetelecom/Guinetel has been successfully delivered. The recommendations of the study are being implemented. It was agreed that the government could use the SCGB special account to contribute to the payment of the incumbent social debt which is considered as a prerequisite for the incumbent successful privatization to which the GoGB committed. Agreements between the incumbent and its staff have been signed so as to terminate staff contract in compensation of a first 30% payment. These agreements have been shared with the WB and are under review; the WB will send a comments/recommendations letter to the government as per the next steps of the process. Fifth, On FM aspect, the external audit report was submitted with delays to WB on July 2019; it is being reviewed. Sixth, the GRM has been designed and is under implementation. Risks Systematic Operations Risk-rating Tool Risk Category Rating at Approval Previous Rating Current Rating Political and Governance High High High Macroeconomic Moderate Moderate Moderate Sector Strategies and Policies High High High Technical Design of Project or Program Substantial Substantial Substantial Institutional Capacity for Implementation and Sustainability High High High Fiduciary Substantial Substantial Substantial Environment and Social Moderate Moderate Moderate Stakeholders Moderate Moderate Moderate Other -- -- -- Overall High High High Results PDO Indicators by Objectives / Outcomes imrpoved quality of service IN00725073 ►Volume of international traffic: international communications (Internet, Telecoms and Data) per person Kbits per second per person (Text, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target 8/5/2019 Page 2 of 6 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report West Africa Regional Communications Infrastructure Project - SOP3 (P155876) Value 3.70 3.70 6.90 12.90 Date 31-Dec-2016 20-Dec-2018 31-Dec-2018 31-May-2022 improved penetration of service IN00725074 ►Access to Internet Services (number of subscribers per 100 people) (Number, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 4.60 16.00 19.60 22.00 Date 31-Dec-2016 20-Dec-2018 31-Dec-2018 31-May-2022 IN00725227 ►Access to Telephone Services (fixed mainlines plus cellular phones per 100 people) (Number, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 72.00 82.00 87.40 82.00 Date 31-Dec-2016 20-Dec-2018 31-Dec-2018 31-May-2022 higher affordability of service IN00725075 ►Average monthly price of international wholesale E1 capacity link from Bissau to Europe (Amount(USD), Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 4,000.00 4,000.00 0.00 169.00 Date 31-Dec-2016 20-Dec-2018 31-Dec-2018 31-May-2022 the information is not available, the team will follow up on this. Comments: increased number of beneficiaries IN00725226 ►Direct project beneficiaries (Number, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 1,296,222.00 1,296,222.00 0.00 1,702,619.00 Date 31-Dec-2016 20-Dec-2018 31-Dec-2018 31-May-2022 the data is not yet available, the team will follow up on this. Comments: IN00725228 Female beneficiaries (Percentage, Custom Supplement) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 51.00 51.00 51.00 51.00 IN00725229 8/5/2019 Page 3 of 6 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report West Africa Regional Communications Infrastructure Project - SOP3 (P155876) ►Grievances registered related to delivery of project benefits that are actually addressed (%) (Percentage, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 0.00 0.00 90.00 Date 31-Dec-2016 20-Dec-2018 31-Dec-2018 31-May-2022 the information is not available, the team will follow up on this. Comments: Overall Comments PDO some data are not yet available due to difficult PIU/ARN/operators coordination and collaboration and low capacity of the ARN. The team will follow up on this. Intermediate Results Indicators by Components Supporting Connectivity IN00725230 ►Retail Price of Internet Services (per Mbit/s per Month, in US$) (Amount(USD), Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 736.00 736.00 61.00 206.00 Date 31-Dec-2016 20-Dec-2018 31-Dec-2018 31-May-2022 IN00725232 ►number of operators and ISPs buying capacity from the infrastructure deployed (Number, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 0.00 0.00 3.00 Date 31-Dec-2016 20-Dec-2018 31-Dec-2018 31-May-2022 infrastructure is not yet built. Comments: IN00725233 ►Number of cross border interconnection built (Number, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 0.00 0.00 2.00 Date 31-Dec-2016 20-Dec-2018 31-Dec-2018 31-May-2022 infrastructure is not yet built. Comments: Enabling environment for improved connectivity IN00725231 8/5/2019 Page 4 of 6 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report West Africa Regional Communications Infrastructure Project - SOP3 (P155876) ►Impact on Telecom sector of World Bank Technical Assistance (composite score: 1- low impact to 5-high impact) (Number, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 0.00 0.00 3.00 Date 31-Dec-2016 20-Dec-2018 31-Dec-2018 31-May-2022 the information is not available, the team will follow up on this. Comments: Overall Comments IR some data are not yet available due to difficult coordination between PIU, ARN and operators. The team will follow up on this. Data on Financial Performance Disbursements (by loan) Project Loan/Credit/TF Status Currency Original Revised Cancelled Disbursed Undisbursed % Disbursed P155876 IDA-59970 Effective USD 35.00 35.00 0.00 29.70 6.51 82% Key Dates (by loan) Project Loan/Credit/TF Status Approval Date Signing Date Effectiveness Date Orig. Closing Date Rev. Closing Date P155876 IDA-59970 Effective 24-Mar-2017 23-May-2017 29-May-2018 31-May-2022 31-May-2022 Cumulative Disbursements 8/5/2019 Page 5 of 6 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report West Africa Regional Communications Infrastructure Project - SOP3 (P155876) Restructuring History There has been no restructuring to date. Related Project(s) There are no related projects. 8/5/2019 Page 6 of 6