Implementation Completion Report - Haiti Seventh Transport Project (Credit 1756-HA)
Summary — This report assesses the implementation and completion of Haiti's Seventh Transport Project, funded by World Bank Credit 1756-HA. The project aimed to improve roads, bridges, and coastal shipping, and strengthen sector institutions. While some road infrastructure was improved, the project faced challenges due to political instability, lack of coordination, and insufficient maintenance, resulting in an overall unsatisfactory outcome.
Key Findings
- The project's economic results were inferior to those estimated in the Staff Appraisal Report.
- Lack of maintenance after construction made benefits from road and bridge components not sustainable.
- The country's ungovernability and civil disturbances hampered implementation.
- The project provided managerial capacity and execution base for labor-intensive works.
- Bank performance is unsatisfactory in project identification, preparation and appraisals.
Full Description
The Implementation Completion Report (ICR) for the Seventh Transport Project in Haiti (Credit 1756-HA) evaluates the project's effectiveness in improving the country's transport infrastructure. Approved in 1987, the project aimed to enhance roads and bridges, improve coastal shipping operations, and strengthen sector institutions. Key components included road rehabilitation, bridge construction, maritime service improvements, and port studies. The project faced significant challenges, including political unrest, economic instability, and a trade embargo, which led to delays and incomplete implementation of certain components, particularly in the maritime sector. While some physical targets in the road sub-sector were achieved, institutional strengthening efforts were largely unsuccessful. The report concludes that the project's overall outcome was unsatisfactory due to a combination of internal and external factors that hindered its progress and sustainability.