WB names de Tray as RI country director

JAKARTA (JP): The World Bank has appointed Dennis de Tray as country director based in Jakarta as part of its decentralization and management changes in the East Asia and Pacific region.

The World Bank said in a statement last week that the new position was to give Indonesia closer and more immediate access to the decision-making powers.

The statement said Dennis de Tray's appointment was based on his experience in serving clients, pursuing the banking group's development agenda, achieving results on the ground and in teamwork partnerships and managing people and financial resources in Indonesia.

Prior to his current position, Dennis de Tray had been a director and resident staff in Indonesia since July 1994.

Other country directors appointed, according to the bank, include Yukon Huang for China, based in Beijing; Andrew Steer for Vietnam, based in Hanoi; J. Shivakumar for Thailand, based in Bangkok; and Vinay Bhargava for the Philippines, based in Manila.

The World Bank said that as part of its strategic compact and renewal process, the East Asia and Pacific region has completed its first part of decentralization and has become more client- oriented, field-centered and responsive.

With the transfer of decision-making and responsibility to the field and utilizing global knowledge and expertise, the East Asia and Pacific region could grow in effectiveness and improve client and shareholder satisfaction, the bank said.

The World Bank is one of the leading lending agencies to Indonesia. The World Bank's cumulative lending to Indonesia was US$24.7 billion as of June 30 this year.

The World Bank said it was financing 78 projects in Indonesia with 91 percent of them being rated satisfactory.

In 1997/1998 fiscal year, total lending by the World Bank to Indonesia was $914.6 million for 11 projects in urban and rural infrastructure, secondary and higher education, health, fiscal management and small power facilities using renewable energy sources. (aly)