Mozambique - Montepuez-Lichinga Road Project

The Montepuez-Lichinga Road Project which shall be co-financed jointly with JBIC and on parallel basis with financing from SIDA is consistent with the Mozambican government’s poverty reduction action plan and the Bank’s country assistance strategy of intervening in the infrastructure sector. The project will be instrumental to the development of Pemba port in the transport chain particularly for coastal shipping with the development of the hinterland. It will contribute to PARPA II objective of poverty reduction not only through increased income of the rural population but also by providing improved access by teachers, health workers and an enabling environment for improved social infrastructure such as schools and health facilities by the GOM. The construction of the road will give rise to other social benefits, which will have significant impact on poverty reduction in the project area. It will stimulate production through reduction of cost of inputs and increase farm gate prices of outputs that can now reach urban centers. The project comprises civil works for: (i) the upgrading of Montepuez-Ruaca (135 km) and Marrupa-Ruaca (68 km) road sections from gravel to bitumen surfaced standard as Lot A and Lot B respectively; (ii) the rehabilitation of the Litunde-Lichinga road (66 km) as 19 Part I of Lot C; (iii) the construction of seven bridges between Marrupa and Litunde as Part II of Lot C; (iv) consulting services for design review, pre-contract services and supervision of the civil works; (v) road safety; (vi) project audit services and (vii) payment of compensation and resettlement.