Program Data Sheet
517-007
USAID MISSION: Dominican Republic
PROGRAM TITLE: Economic Growth (Pillar: Economic Growth, Agriculture, and Trade)
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE AND NUMBER: Policies Adopted that Promote Good Governance and Sustained Economic Growth; 517-007
STATUS: Continuing
PLANNED FY 2002 OBLIGATION AND FUNDING SOURCE: $175,000 (DA)
PRIOR YEAR UNOBLIGATED AND FUNDING SOURCE: $0
PROPOSED FY 2003 OBLIGATION AND FUNDING SOURCE: $0
INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY 2000 ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: FY 2003
Summary: USAID program to increase economic growth includes four components:
- a more competitive Dominican economy;
- rural electrification and energy service management through public-private partnerships;
- policies in place for environmental protection and risk management; and
- improved basic education through community and private sector participation.
Inputs, Outputs and Activities: FY 2002 Program: FY 2002 is the final year of obligations for this Strategic Objective. Program activities will provide a segue to the new economic growth strategic objective that commences this fiscal year. In order to bring economic opportunities to rural Dominicans that lack electricity service, USAID will utilize DA funds to access the Development Credit Authority (DCA) facility. USAID will provide technical assistance through U.S. and local NGOs to help form DCA-funded partnerships to begin to implement the National Rural Electrification Plan developed with USAID assistance. The Plan builds on previous USAID assistance that helped privatize power generation and distribution systems, established U.S.-Dominican energy regulatory partnerships, and developed viable alternative renewable energy sources.
Planned FY 2003 Program: This Strategic Objective will end on September 30, 2002.
Performance and Results: Program results include seven key economic policy reforms that are leading to sustainable economic growth; eight partnerships established for competitiveness initiatives, rural electrification and educational improvement; and increased civil society and community participation in competitiveness, trade, environment and education reform activities. USAID believes that the benefits of growth in the Dominican Republic's economy are transferred to all Dominicans through improved economic and social policies, and greater participation in the policy dialogue, formulation and implementation processes. These processes have yielded important results in the economic, education, environment and energy sectors.
| USAID-supported civil society efforts led to the approval of seven major economic policy reforms in 2001. |
As a result of USAID activities and assistance that supported public-private sector partnerships developing and advocating for policy reforms, Dominican lives have tangibly improved. For example, the workforce will, for the first time, have a universal system of health and pension coverage under the recently approved Social Security Law. With USAID assistance, management of internal Dominican debt improved by investigating expropriation claims and proposing a transparent procedure to resolve the claims and fix the quantity of debt. The regulations for the Capital Markets Law, under final review, will provide new sources of investment capital through securities markets that will help spur economic growth. A new Competitiveness Strategy Center was established which will continue to assist in establishing public-private partnerships that increase Dominican competitiveness in a global market. New environmental norms and standards, developed with USAID technical assistance, will give Dominicans greater protection from noise, solid waste, air and water pollution. USAID assistance increased environmental NGO participation and improved their effectiveness as advocates. As a result of USAID assistance, the country has a new mandate for improving basic education quality through a monitoring and evaluation system. Finally, the recently approved General Electricity law allowed USAID to focus its resources on rural electrification. This assistance is enabling the Dominican government to develop a national rural electrification plan, with implementation to begin through the above-mentioned DCA-funded partnerships. USAID anticipates that other donors, as well as the Dominican private financial sector, will apply and replicate this financial model that will help bring electricity to much of the remaining population that does not have electricity service.
Principal Contractors, Grantees, or Agencies: USAID anticipates the continued involvement of key partners in economic growth activities including Chemonics International (prime for competitiveness/trade activities), the Boston Institute for Developing Economies (prime for economic policy reform), International Resources Group (prime for environment), National Rural Electrification Cooperative Association International, Creative Associates (prime for education) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. USAID will select new implementing partners for education-related activities involving public-private partnerships to improve educational quality.
US Financing in Thousands of Dollars
|
517-007 Policies Adopted that Promote Good Governance and Sustained Economic Growth | CSD | DA |
|---|
|
Through September 30, 2000 |
| Obligations | 310 | 2,315 |
| Expenditures | 214 | 1,153 |
| Unliquidated | 96 | 1,162 |
|
Fiscal Year 2001
|
| Obligations | 500 | 1,600 |
| Expenditures | 137 | 1,444 |
|
Through September 30, 2001 |
| Obligations | 810 | 3,915 |
| Expenditures | 351 | 2,597 |
| Unliquidated | 459 | 1,318 |
|
Prior Year Unobligated Funds
|
| Obligations | 0 | 0 |
|
Planned Fiscal Year 2002 NOA |
| Obligations | 0 | 175 |
|
Total Planned Fiscal Year 2002 |
| Obligations | 0 | 175 |
|
Proposed Fiscal Year 2003 NOA |
| Obligations | 0 | 0 |
| Future Obligations | 0 | 0 |
| Est. Total Cost | 810 | 4,090 |
|
