Panel Issues Notice of Non-Registration of Request for Inspection of Egypt Program-for-Results

The Inspection Panel on February 14, 2019, issued a Notice of Non-Registration of a Request for inspection of the Upper Egypt Local Development Program-for-Results following commitments to address the issue raised in the complaint.
 
The Program Development Objective is to improve the business environment for private-sector development and to strengthen local government capacity for quality infrastructure and service delivery in select governorates in Upper Egypt. On January 8, 2019, the Panel received a Request for Inspection from a  member of the affected community who was authorized to represent 16 other residents of the Gerga district in the Sohag governorate of Egypt. They claimed a subproject of the program was expected to cover 200 meters of a canal passing through their community but that 90 meters remained uncovered – creating environmental, health and safety impacts. They asked that the entire 200 meters of canal be covered to prevent negative impacts on the community.
 
The Panel met with Bank management on February 6, 2019, to discuss the concerns raised in the Request, and was provided with a document from the Government of Egypt committing to cover the remaining 90 meters of canal as originally foreseen in the design. Bank management noted that the work is expected to be completed within five months and informed the Panel it would supervise the implementation of these commitments. On February 13, 2019, Bank management sent the Panel a memorandum setting forth these commitments.
 
The complainants informed the Panel both of their satisfaction with the response to the issues raised in the Request, and of their decision not to continue with the Panel process for the time being.
 
Based on these developments, the Panel decided not to register the Request but noted that the Requesters retain their right to submit a new Request should the canal not be fully covered as planned. More