Niger First Laying the Foundation for Inclusive Development Policy Financing

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This document proposes a programmatic series of two development policy financing (DPF) operations to support government’s reforms to reduce gender gaps and expand access to electricity and potable water in rural areas. This is the first operation of the programmatic series in a single-tranche disbursement that combines an International Development Association (IDA) Grant of SDR 126.9 million (US dollar 175.0 million equivalent) on standard IDA Grant terms, an IDA Credit of Euro 156.9 million (US dollar 175.0 million equivalent) on standard IDA regular credit terms with maturity of 38 years including a grace period of six years. The operation is structured around three pillars. The first pillar aims to reduce gender gaps. It aims to reduce child marriage trends, improve access of married adolescent girls to health services and improve educational attainment of adolescent girls. Measures include (i) mobilizing communities, through the Child Protection Committees, to promote efforts to prevent child marriage; (ii) empowering married adolescent girls to access health services on their own; and (iii) amending framework and practices that prevents married or adolescent girls from returning to school. The second pillar aims to expand access to electricity and potable water. It does so by (i) strengthening the legal and regulatory frameworks for rural electrification and for the private sector to participate in mini grid electricity supply; and (ii) strengthening the financial situation of the water sector and improving the regulatory framework of the sector to allow for greater investment in water supply. The third pillar aims to improve debt transparency and debt management. Measures include: (i) centralizing all public debt management in a single managing authority to mitigate risks that may stem from overlapping of responsibilities and roles, and lack of coherent information flows; and (ii) including in debt reporting PPPs and SOE’s debt, and publishing SOEs’ financial statements.