ROAD MAINTENANCE AND DEVELOPMENT

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The Road Maintenance and Development Project supports the Country Assistance Strategy objective to reduce poverty in rural areas, by improving rural access, and, prompting higher agricultural output, as well as non-farm income, in remote hill areas of the country. The project components will: 1) support policy reform, through the establishment of a Roads Board, the amendment of regulatory frameworks, and the development of a Road Fund; 2) construct dry-weather feeder roads, and, upgrade roads to gravel standard, including resettlement assistance, environmental monitoring, and, technical assistance provision for project design, coordination, and construction supervision. The component will further assist on land acquisition issues; 3) include the rehabilitation of strategic highway, and feeder road network; 4) provide measures for periodic maintenance of strategic roads; 5) strengthen institutional development of, and provide training to, the Department of Roads, and the Ministry of Works and Transport. In addition, consulting will be included for auditing, pre-investment, and socioeconomic studies, and, office modernization, and equipment will be improved, and supplied, respectively; and, 6) include a Project Preparation Facility to support project preparation and implementation.