Mali - Decentralization and Regional Economic Development Support Project (PADDER)

The Decentralization and Regional Economic Development Support Project (PADDER) addresses the need for improving the economic performance of regions through improved programming of public expenditures and strengthened decentralized organs responsible for them. The reforms introduced into national public finances in recent years (PDI, PARAD, PAGAMGFP) were not adequately supported at the regional level, particularly in the decentralized CT-Rs, by control instruments and resources. The implementation of the decentralization process which effectively started in 1997, prioritized the operationalization of local governments. The persisting regional dimension of poverty brought out the need felt both by the Government and its technical and financial partners including the Bank, for the intensification of the decentralization process with a special focus on regional economic development. The financing of the Decentralization and Regional Economic Development Support Project (PADDER) will contribute to improving interventions in Mali relating to poverty reduction, particularly the mitigation of the regional dimension of poverty. The project consists of the following three components, namely: I) Strengthening of the institutional, organizational and local governance framework pertaining to economic decentralization, II) Support to the regional economic development process and III) Project management.