By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The African Development Bank Group will help the Union of Comoros Government to diversify its economy with a $20.4-million road network rehabilitation project grant approved by the Board of Directors on Monday, January 23, 2017.
The project will be implemented in four years to 2020 in the islands of Grande Comore and Anjouan, which account for 94% of the country’s total population of almost 756,000 inhabitants.
The project will focus on improving the quality of key roads infrastructure on the National Road-2 and Road-23 to boost trade and spur economic growth. The road network rehabilitation will improve traffic flow and the movement of people as well as access to basic services and the living conditions of the population.
Economic activities in the Comoros are focused mainly in the agricultural and tertiary sectors. However, the poor quality of infrastructure, especially road infrastructure and related services has been identified as is one of the major constraints to economic diversification in the country.
According to the Bank, improvement and extension of the national road networks would help to develop the tourism and fisheries sectors which have been identified as potential growth poles for the national economy.
The project comprises rehabilitation of a 47-kilometre stretch; protection against sea erosion; support measures for women’s empowerment and institutional capacity building using procurement and institutional reform specialists.
It is in line with the Comoros’ development strategies, policies and plans, especially the national transport strategy for 2030 as well as the Bank’s Country Strategy Paper (CSP) 2016-2020.
The project will be funded with the African Development Fund (ADF) and European Union grants over four years at a total cost of $36.5 million.
