WB appoints Steer to replace Baird

WB appoints Steer to replace Baird

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The World Bank, one of Indonesia's main creditors, has
appointed Andrew Steer as the new country director for the
country. He will succeed Mark Baird, who has held the position
since 1999.

A statement made available to The Jakarta Post said that the
appointment of Steer, who was the bank's country director for
Vietnam since 1997, would become effective on Sept. 16.

Baird confirmed the appointment and said he was delighted to
have Steer as his replacement.

"Steer is one of the bank's best country directors, and has a
great knowledge about Indonesia since he was once a country
economist here in the 1980s," he told the Post on Tuesday.

The World Bank has been an important multilateral lender for
Indonesia, with its primary agenda being mostly on governance
reform and poverty reduction, aside from providing financial
assistance.

Most of the World Bank's financial assistance, which has
averaged some US$310 million per annum for the past three years,
has been used to finance social services and basic infrastructure
for the poor.

The World Bank is also a member of the Consultative Group on
Indonesia (CGI) along with the country's other major creditors,
which comprises 21 countries and 11 multinational lenders such as
the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

In fact, the bank and the government of Indonesia will
organize and host the CGI's next meeting, which is scheduled for
Oct. 28 and Oct. 29 in Yogyakarta, the first to be held outside
the capital.

When asked about the CGI loans pledged for the country for
next year, Baird said that the discussion was still under way and
that the final figure should be available at the meeting.

"But looking at the numbers of the requirements from the state
budget (2003), I think the (loan pledge) amount will be less than
this year's," he said, adding that the budget estimate was CGI
would have to provide something between $2 billion and $2.5
billion.

CGI pledged financial support last year to the country with a
total of $3.14 billion in loans and $568 million in grants and
technical aid to mostly help cover the state budget deficit.

Of the total, $1.3 billion was tied to progress on policy
performance, concerning poverty reduction and good governance.