Implementation Status & Results Africa Central African Backbone - APL4 - Gabon (P122776)

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1 Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Implementation Status & Results Africa Central African Backbone - APL4 - Gabon (P122776) Operation Name: Central African Backbone - APL4 - Gabon (P122776) Project Stage: Implementation Seq.No: 6 Status: ARCHIVED Archive Date: 17-Jun-2014 Country: Africa Approval FY: 2012 Product Line: IBRD/IDA Region: AFRICA Lending Instrument: Adaptable Program Loan Implementing Agency(ies): Key Dates Board Approval Date 28-Mar-2012 Original Closing Date Planned Mid Term Review Date 31-Oct-2014 Last Archived ISR Date 05-Apr-2014 Effectiveness Date 06-Mar-2013 Revised Closing Date Actual Mid Term Review Date Project Development Objectives Project Development Objective (from Project Appraisal Document) The development objective of the project is consistent with the PDO for the CAB Program: To contribute to increasegeographical reach and usage of regional broadband network services and reduce their prices in the territory of the Republic ofgabon. Has the Project Development Objective been changed since Board Approval of the Project? Yes No Component(s) losure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Component Name Component Cost Component 1 - Enabling environment 6.07 Component 2 - Connectivity Component 3 - Project Management 2.93 Overall Ratings Previous Rating Current Rating Progress towards achievement of PDO Moderately Satisfactory Moderately Satisfactory Overall Implementation Progress (IP) Moderately Unsatisfactory Moderately Satisfactory Overall Risk Rating Substantial Substantial Implementation Status Overview This ISR is based on the conclusions of a Bank supervision mission May 12-20, 2014, to follow up on the action plan discussed and agreed with the Gabonese counterparts during the March, June and October 2013 as well as February 2014 supervision missions. Significant progress was made on (i) the bidding process for the National Backbone works - passive infrastructure (two bids received May 16, 2014) ; (ii) the bidding process for the selection of the private wholesale operator (bids due July 4, 2014) ; (iii) the completion of the Resettlement Plan for the ACE component and the recruitment of the consultant to Page 1 of 6

2 conduct the Resettlement Plan for the National Backbone and to conduct the Indigenous People Plan (expected start in June 2014) ; and (iii) the recruitment of the consultant that will assist the Gabonese authorities in control and monitoring of the National Backbone works (contract expected to be signed by June 2014). Pursuant to the Memorandum of Understanding on the CAB4(Gabon)-CAB3(Congo) cross border fiber interconnection signed on February 6, 2014 in Brazzaville, bidding documents for the backbone works under CAB4 and under CAB3 have been made consistent with each other to ensure that the fibers to be built in Gabon and in Congo will effectively connect in Lekoko (border Gabon- Congo) and the teams in Gabon and Congo are progressing with the bidding process at comparable pace. Activities pertaining to the set up of the Special Purpose Vehicle Company (Société de Patrimoine des Infrastructures Numériques - SPIN) have also progressed significantly with (i) the submission of the legal opinion on the set up of the SPIN (disbursement condition) ; (ii) the planned approval in Council of Minister of the decree transferring the assets from the Government of Gabon to the SPIN in June 2014, the subsequent signature of the proposed backbone agreement to be signed between the Government of Gabon and the SPIN being expected by June 30, 2014 (disbursement condition). Activities pertaining to the set up of the ACE subsidiary will be completed once the bidding process for the selection of the private wholesale operator are completed Mid September, 2014). The Bank has revised with Gabonese counterparts the action plan towards completion of the disbursement conditions for the connectivity component (International connectivity ACE, National Backbone). There has been progress also on the payment of the counterpart funds. The remainder of the counterpart funding 2013 (XAF 37,392,773 still missing out of the XAF 302,392,773) has been paid entirely by the Government of Gabon. However the entirety of counterpart funding for 2012 (XAF ) remains to be made available and the Government of Gabon has been reminded to do so prior to the mid-term review of the project scheduled in October The Government of Gabon has confirmed that the full amount of counterpart funding for 2014 (XAF ) as well as the provisions for safeguards implementation (XAF ) will be included in the revised Finance Law 2014 (expected mid June 2014). The Government of Gabon has been reminded that (i) the Resettlement Plan financed by the provisions for safeguards implementation must be completed before the start of National Backbone works and (ii) timely availability of the counterpart funding is required for the Project Implementation Unit to carry out its responsibilities under the Project. Locations Country First Administrative Division Location Planned Actual Gabon Province du Moyen-Ogooue Ndjole Gabon Province de l' Estuaire Libreville Gabon Province du Haut-Ogooue Lekoni Gabon Province de l' Ogooue-Lolo Koulamoutou Gabon Province du Haut-Ogooue Province du Haut-Ogooue Gabon Province du Haut-Ogooue Franceville Gabon Province de l' Ogooue-Ivindo Booue Results Project Development Objective Indicators Page 2 of 6

3 Indicator Name Core Unit of Measure Baseline Current End Target International Internet Bandwidth (Bits per Number Value second per person) Previous value should have been: 4538 New international capacity on ACE is not commercialized because the private wholesale operator is not yet selected. This impacts negatively the quality of service (less international bandwidth per person) Access to Internet Services (number of Number Value subscribers per 100 people) Strong appetite from Gabonese customers for Internet Services is confirmed ahead of launch 3G services (licenses awarded so far to Airtel and Gabon Telecom). Access to Telephone Services (fixed mainlines Number Value plus cellular phones per 100 people) Assuming total population of Gabonese operators have not This End Target value is approx. 1,545,255 and an annual growth rate of 2% (source: CIA World Factbook). The percentage of multiple SIM holders is at least 25% (estimate 2008, with 3 operators in the market) and is probably closer to 35% in 2010, which corresponds to a real penetration of 109%: the market for telephone services in Gabon is reaching saturation. yet started to "clean up" their database to exclude non active customers. consistent with a value of 120 forecasted in the PAD as of 31-Dec This 120 value was based on the expectation that Gabonese operators would have done the clean up their database to exclude non active customers and that all SIM card owners will have to be registered. Both operations are associated with a sharp decrease in the number of mobile subscriptions. The clean up has not yet taken place. Page 3 of 6

4 Average monthly price of wholesale Number Value international E1 capacity link from capital city to Europe (US$/ month/2mbps) Based only on SAT3 as ACE not yet commercialized. Direct project beneficiaries Number Value Female beneficiaries Percentage Sub Type Supplemental Value Intermediate Results Indicators Indicator Name Core Unit of Measure Baseline Current End Target Impact on Telecom sector of World Bank Number Value Technical Assistance (composite score: 1- low impact to 5-high impact) Average cost of mobile call (three minutes, Number Value local, peak) (US$/3 min) Retail Price of Internet Services (per Mbit/s per Amount(USD) Value Month, in US$) Previous value is for 12/31/2012 Number of operators and ISPs buying capacity Number Value from the regional infrastructure deployed Commercialization on the ACE connectivity not yet started. Technical experimentations have started to enable operators and ISPs in Gabon to test the technical chain ahead of the selection of the wholesale operator. International Communications (Internet, Number Value Telecoms and Data) bandwidth (Gbit/s) Date 31-Dec-2010 SAT3 has been upgraded to 2.5 Gbit/s Page 4 of 6

5 Length of Fiber Optic Network Built (km) Kilometers Value Increased access to ICT services: Number of localities with broadband Internet access (256Kbps) The infrastructure does not yet exist. Number Value ADSL in Libreville, Port- Gentil, Gamba, Lambaréné, Mouila, Tchibanga, Makokou, Franceville, Moanda, Oyem, Bitam. 3G services not yet launched Data on Financial Performance (as of 01-Apr-2014) Financial Agreement(s) Key Dates Project Ln/Cr/Tf Status Approval Date Signing Date Effectiveness Date Original Closing Date Revised Closing Date P IBRD Effective 28-Mar May Mar-2013 Disbursements (in Millions) Project Ln/Cr/Tf Status Currency Original Revised Cancelled Disbursed Undisbursed % Disbursed P IBRD Effective USD Disbursement Graph Page 5 of 6

6 Key Decisions Regarding Implementation The Bank and the Government of Gabon have agreed on the need (i) to sign the agreement between the Republic of Gabon and the SPIN as set forth in the Loan Agreement before June 30, 2014 and submit to the Bank the corresponding legal opinion (disbursement condition) ; (ii) to complete the Resettlement Plan for the National Backbone by August 2014 and (iii) to make available the counterpart funding due for 2014 by May 31, 2014 as well as the counterpart funding due for 2012 before the mid-term review scheduled in October Restructuring History There has been no restructuring to date. Related Projects There are no related projects. Page 6 of 6