The World Bank reported on the progress of a loan for improvements to Bolivia‘s National Airport and the San Buenaventura-Ixiamas road transit.
First and foremost, the World Bank approved a $109.5 million International Development Association (IDA) credit in fiscal 2011, which became effective in fiscal 2012, for Bolivia’s National Road and Airport Infrastructure Project.
While the project has been extended three times, the latest extension was approved in October 2018, with a new closing date of August 7, 2022, and the current amount of credit granted for the project is $91.7 million.
What is its objective? To improve the year-round transit capacity of the San Buenaventura-Ixiamas, and the safety, security and operational reliability of the Rurrenabaque Airport.
The project has three components: improvement of the San Buenaventura-Ixiamas national highway, improvement of the Rurrenabaque airport, and institutional strengthening of the Bolivian Highway Administration (ABC), the airport authority, the Airports and Auxiliary Services for Air Navigation Administration (AASANA), and other relevant entities.
The second component has been executed by the airport agency, AASANA, which was responsible for most of Bolivia’s airports.
World Bank
The scope of the component is the improvement and modernization of a small regional airport in Rurrenabaque, with the construction of a terminal building, control tower, technical building, access road, taxiway and apron.
All civil works and supervision began in May 2018.
According to AASANA, the physical progress of the works contract stood at 85 percent as of October 2021, and the contract completion date is scheduled for January 20, 2022.
In 2019, the Government of Bolivia (GoB) requested a reallocation of funds between project components. Specifically, the funds shifted from the first to the second component. This reallocation aimed to finance several additional works. First, it covered civil works not initially planned, such as paved fire truck access and secure airport perimeter fencing. It also included the construction of the apron, taxiway, and drainage system. Furthermore, the funds were used for essential equipment. This included safety, meteorological, medical, and security systems to ensure modern and efficient airport operations. Lastly, support for the Project Implementation Unit (PIU) within AASANA was also financed.
The amendment to the financing agreement was approved in December 2019.
On December 1, 2021, the GoB dissolved AASANA. A new agency, Navegación Aérea y Aeropuertos Bolivianos (NAABOL), replaced it. NAABOL assumed all administrative responsibilities. These included contracts, licenses, agreements, credits, and other tasks previously managed by AASANA.
Overall, the first phase of the project was completed, and the World Bank team participated in the inauguration on March 21. The second phase should resume shortly, once the restructuring is completed.