OREANDA-NEWS. December 14, 2009. The SFDI reports that interested persons must submit their bids with 2% banking guarantee till 4 pm Baku time on 11 January 2010 at the address: 57, Tbilisi Avenue, Baku. The tender procedure will be held at 4 pn on the same address.

For more info call: 431-87-03, факс: 431-82-11. office@sfdi.net; Contact person: Sabir Ahmadov (purchase manager).

On 12 March 2008, the WB Board of Directors approved a USD 15 million credit to Azerbaijan to improve living conditions, enhance economic opportunities and increase prospects for social integration for those displaced by the conflict with Armenia halted in 1994.

The additional financing to the Internally Displaced Persons’ (IDPs) Economic Development Support Project will support the scaling up of the micro-project component of the ongoing IDPs Economic Development Support Project to meet the needs of an additional 150,000 people living in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) communities across Azerbaijan. The Additional Financing will also cover the operational cost of the Social Fund for the Development of Internally Displaced Persons (SFDI), the implementing agency of the Project.

With total budget of the new project in US20.5 million the Fund will finance USD 15 million on the conditions of the International Development Association (for 35 years with 10-year grace period). 50% of the project budget will be directed for health sector, 25% for water supply and sewage system, 25% for transport services.

The additional financing is the WB’s response to the Azerbaijani government’s interest to build on positive results gained during implementation of the ongoing IDPs EDC Project.

Approved in 2005, the ongoing IDPs EDC Project had components including micro-projects, micro-credits, and implementation support. Thus far, the micro-project component has financed more than 150 small-scale projects, including repairing, rehabilitating or building basic infrastructure such as water supply networks, power supply, access roads, and drainage systems, as well as social infrastructure such as schools and community centers.

By the end of December 2007, a total of 125 micro-projects had been completed or were under implementation, while another 38 micro-projects were at various stages of preparation, tendering and contract negotiations.  Total commitments for these operations totaled approximately 100 percent of the USD 10.5 million originally allocated.