Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Dec. 15
By Demir Azizov- Trend:
The Board of Directors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved allocation of the next tranche in the amount of $150 million to the Uzbek government for the national highway construction, ADB office in Tashkent told Trend Dec.15.
This is the third tranche allocated under the multi-tranche financing program worth $500 million for the construction of national highways approved by the bank in August 2011 as part of the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Program entitled 'Regional Roads Development II'.
The first tranche of $130 million was granted in 2011 for 24 years including a four-year grace period. This was directed for the reconstruction of the A-373 road at the Kamchik pass at a length of 74 kilometers.
The second tranche (December 2012) in the amount of $220 million was granted out of the ordinary resources of the bank for 25 years, including a five-year grace period at a standard preferential bank rate based on LIBOR. The ADB funds were used for the reconstruction of individual sections of the Tashkent-Osh highway (A-373) with a total length of 75 kilometers with the replacement of the two-lane asphalt surface to a four-lane concrete one.
The current loan will be used for the reconstruction of individual section of Guzar-Bukhara-Nukus-Beynau (A-380) road with a total length about 87 kilometers. The government of Uzbekistan will allocate $80 million for the project.
In April 2010, ADB approved the provision to the Uzbek government of a debt package to the sum of $600 million for the construction of the national highway.
ADB funds are being allocated for the reconstruction of individual sections of the Guzar-Bukhara-Nukus-Beynau (A-380) and Tashkent-Andijan (A-373) roads with a total length of 450 kilometers.
Uzbekistan joined the ADB in 1995. During this time, the bank has approved loans for about 40 joint projects in education and health care, modernization of generating the capacity and energy infrastructure, rail and road infrastructure, public utilities, agriculture and financial sector with a total project cost of over $14.5 billion with a share of ADB financing being about $5 billion.