INTEGRATED SAFEGUARDS DATA SHEET CONCEPT STAGE Report No.: ISDSC658 Public Disclosure Copy Date ISDS Prepared/Updated: 08-Mar-2012 I. BASIC INFORMATION A. Basic Project Data Country: Africa Project ID: P130184 Project Name: WARCIP APL 1C - Benin (P130184) Task Team Leader: Boutheina Guermazi Estimated Appraisal Date: 29-May-2012 Estimated Board Date: 12-Jul-2012 Managing Unit: TWICT Lending Instrument: Adaptable Program Loan Sector: Telecommunications (50%), General information and communications sector (50%) Theme: Regional integration (40%), Regulation and competition policy (20%), Infrastructure services for private sector development (40%) Financing (In USD Million) Financing Source Amount BORROWER/RECIPIENT 0.00 International Development Association (IDA) 35.00 Total 35.00 Environmental Category: B - Partial Assessment Is this a Repeater project? No B. Project Objectives The program development objective for WARCIP 1-C is to contribute to increasing the geographical reach of broadband networks and reducing costs of communications services in Benin. C. Project Description Public Disclosure Copy Component 1- Supporting Connectivity: The connectivity component will focus on supporting Benin to have access to Africa Coast to Europe (ACE) submarine cable. Benin has a submarine landing station already – SAT-3 – but pricing and capacity limitations mean that the country needs a second, higher capacity international link, to improve reliability and to service anticipated increased demand from the growing number of operators in the recently liberalized market. The project will finance the cost of ACE membership fee while the Government creates a PPP framework to own and manage the landing station. The government would initially pre-finance the infrastructure and the private operators would pay the government back based on a payment schedule to be agreed. Component 2 - Creating an enabling environment for connectivity: This component will focus on (i) the transaction design and operating model for ownership and management of connectivity infrastructure using PPP frameworks, (ii) related open access principles to create an enabling environment for improved connectivity and (iii) strengthening of policymaking and regulatory functions in Benin (i) Transactional design: The focus will be on designing a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to own and operate the submarine cable landing station (and access to cable capacity), discussion of transfer of CMA signatory rights and obligation from Benin Telecom to the new SPV and support related to develop all legal and contractual instruments for the SPV. Under this activity, support will be provided to facilitate negotiations with operators in landlocked countries and development of IRU agreements or any other legal documents to secure access to capacity by neighboring countries. (i) Addressing policy, market and regulatory bottlenecks to maximize the benefits of the proposed connectivity agenda. Specifically this activity will provide support to the regulatory authority to develop regulatory instruments for open access including support for licensing the new SPV, wholesale regime for capacity and other instruments related to capacity pricing to ensure open and non discriminatory access to ACE capacity. The project will also provide technical and regulatory support to ensure redundancy between ACE and SAT-3. The project will also provide support to the Government to reposition Benin Telecom in the market. (ii) Institutional strengthening: Institutional strengthening support will be offered to (i) Benin Telecom SA as the company is going through initial restructuring process to convert to a carrier carrier, (ii) Regulatory Authority to strengthen its capacity in regulating the sector, (iii) Ministry to support policy making function and (iv) initial support to the SPV in the first formative months. D. Project location and salient physical characteristics relevant to the safeguard analysis (if known) Cotonou, Benin E. Borrowers Institutional Capacity for Safeguard Policies Benin Environmental Protection Agency has ample knowledge of Bank safeguards policies and has worked with many Bank projects in this regards. The institutional responsibilities for preparing the various safeguards instruments would lie with the Ministry of communications and Information Technologies, implementing agency for the project with support from the Project Implementation Unit (PIU) currently implementing e- Benin Project. Earlier ICT project implemented by the PIU was a category C project. Capacity of client to implement a category B project is limited, but will be reinforced by the recruitment of an environmental and social consultant. The PIU has already attended a training on safeguards Public Disclosure Copy organized by Bank on January 2012, additional support will be provided during project preparation and implementation. F. Environmental and Social Safeguards Specialists on the Team Harvey D. Van Veldhuizen (OPCQC) Abdoul-Wahab Seyni (AFTCS) Rita Dambita (TWICT) Africa Eshogba Olojoba (AFTEN) II. SAFEGUARD POLICIES THAT MIGHT APPLY Safeguard Policies Triggered? Explanation (Optional) Environmental Assessment OP/BP 4.01 Yes Civil works associated with laying down the underground cables is likely to be site-specific, small scale and easily remediable. Since the landing site is already known, An Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) will be prepared, reviewed, approved and disclosed in-country and at the Infoshop prior to appraisal. Natural Habitats OP/BP 4.04 TBD Forests OP/BP 4.36 No Pest Management OP 4.09 No Physical Cultural Resources OP/BP 4.11 No Indigenous Peoples OP/BP 4.10 No Involuntary Resettlement OP/BP 4.12 Yes Potential civil works could lead to land take, restriction of access to assets or sources of livelihood. With knowledge of the landing site, Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) or an Abbreviated Resettlement Action Plan (ARAP) where the PAPs are less than two hundred will be prepared in response to the OP 4.12 Public Disclosure Copy which has been triggered. The RAP/ARAP will be prepared, reviewed, approved and disclosed in-country and at the Infoshop prior to appraisal. Safety of Dams OP/BP 4.37 No Projects on International Waterways OP/BP No 7.50 Projects in Disputed Areas OP/BP 7.60 No III. SAFEGUARD PREPARATION PLAN A. Tentative target date for preparing the PAD Stage ISDS: 30-Apr-2012 B. Time frame for launching and completing the safeguard-related studies that may be needed. The specific studies and their timing1 should be specified in the PAD-stage ISDS: Studies already launched. Expect first draft by March 15, 2012 IV. APPROVALS Task Team Leader: Name: Boutheina Guermazi Approved By: Regional Safeguards Coordinator: Name: Alexandra C. Bezeredi (RSA) Date: 12-Mar-2012 Sector Manager: Name: Randeep Sudan (SM) Date: 12-Mar-2012 1 Reminder: The Bank's Disclosure Policy requires that safeguard-related documents be disclosed before appraisal (i) at the InfoShop and (ii) in country, at publicly accessible locations and in a form and language that are accessible to potentially affected persons.