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INTEGRATED SAFEGUARDS DATA SHEET 
CONCEPT STAGE 
Report No.:  AC2814 
 
Date ISDS Prepared/Updated: 03/08/2007 
 
I.  BASIC INFORMATION 
 
A.  Basic Project Data 
 
Country: Panama 
Project ID: P105526 
Project Name: Public Policy Reform Tecnnical Assistance Additional Financing Loan 
Task Team Leader: Josef S. Trommer 
Estimated Appraisal Date: March 21, 2007 
Estimated Board Date: April 24, 2007 
Managing Unit: LCSPS 
Lending Instrument: Technical Assistance 
Loan 
Sector: Central government administration (100%) 
Theme: Trade facilitation and market access (P);Regulation and competition policy 
(P);Poverty strategy, analysis and monitoring (P);Public expenditure, financial 
management and procurement (P);Other economic management (P) 
IBRD Amount (US$m.): 
5.00 
IDA Amount (US$m.): 
0.00 
GEF Amount (US$m.): 
0.00 
PCF Amount (US$m.): 
0.00 
Other financing amounts by source:  
 Borrower 
0.00
0.00 
B.  Project Objectives [from section 2 of PCN] 
Consistent with the original project (Loan 4635-PA), the development objectives remain 
unchanged: consolidate and deepen the reforms needed to accelerate growth and reduce poverty 
in Panama.  In particular, the additional financing will enable the provision of technical 
assistance to: (i) expand the Government?s capacity to monitor economic data and improve 
macroeconomic policy formulation and implementation and improving the investment climate 
through legal reform; (ii) institutionalize the relevance, efficiency, and targeting of social 
programs by continuing to improve the quality of poverty data; and (iii) scale-up the impact of 
reforms affecting efficiency and transparency in public management.   
 
C.  Project Description [from section 3 of PCN] 
The Additional Financing Loan would comprise four of the five existing components identified 
under the ongoing Public Policy Reform Technical Assistance Project, these include: (i) 
contributing to fiscal sustainability and public sector efficiency by expanding the Government?s 
capacity to monitor economic data and improve macroeconomic policy formulation and 
implementation and improving the investment climate through legal reform; (ii) improving social 
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spending and reducing poverty by institutionalizing the relevance, efficiency, and targeting of 
social programs by continuing to improve the quality of poverty data; (iii) strengthening the 
public procurement system by scaling-up the impact of reforms affecting efficiency and 
transparency in public management; and (iv) project management.  
 
At the request of the Government the current project administration arrangements will be 
reassessed with a view to providing more autonomy and accountability to the CGR and DGCP 
(with whom we have longstanding relation through the ongoing Public Policy Reform Technical 
Assistance Project) under the additional financing loan.  We believe that such arrangement 
would improve the efficiency of project implementation and provide capacity-building benefits 
to these institutions.   
 
D.  Project location (if known) 
Ministry of Economy and Finance  
 
Via Espana y Calle 52 Este  
 
Edificio Ogawa, Piso 4  
 
Apartado 0816-02886  
 
Panama, Republica de Panama   
 
E.  Borrower’s Institutional Capacity for Safeguard Policies [from PCN] 
The activities proposed under the additional financing loan are neither expected to change the 
environmental categorization of the project nor trigger any new safeguard policies.   
 
F.  Environmental and Social Safeguards Specialists 
 
II.  SAFEGUARD POLICIES THAT MIGHT APPLY 
Safeguard Policies Triggered
 
Yes No TBD 
Environmental Assessment (OP/BP 4.01) 
 X  
Natural Habitats (OP/BP 4.04) 
 X  
Forests (OP/BP 4.36) 
 X  
Pest Management (OP 4.09) 
 X  
Physical Cultural Resources (OP/BP 4.11) 
 X  
Indigenous Peoples (OP/BP 4.10) 
 X  
Involuntary Resettlement (OP/BP 4.12) 
 X  
Safety of Dams (OP/BP 4.37) 
 X  
Projects on International Waterways (OP/BP
 
7.50) 
 X  
Projects in Disputed Areas (OP/BP 7.60) 
 X  
Environmental Category:
 
C
-
Not Required 
 
III.  SAFEGUARD PREPARATION PLAN 
 
A.  Target date for the Quality Enhancement Review (QER), at which time the PAD-stage ISDS 
would be prepared:  N/A 
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B.  For simple projects that will not require a QER, the target date for preparing the PAD-stage 
ISDS:  03/21/2007 
 
C.  Time frame for launching and completing the safeguard-related studies that may be needed.  
The specific studies and their timing
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should be specified in the PAD-stage ISDS. 
The activities proposed under the additional financing loan are neither expected to change the 
environmental categorization of the project nor trigger any new safeguard policies.   
 
IV.  APPROVALS 
 
Signed and submitted by: 
 
Task Team Leader: 
Mr Josef S. Trommer 
03/08/2007 
Approved by: 
 
Regional Safeguards Coordinator: 
Mr Reidar Kvam 
 
Comments:   
Sector Manager: 
Mr Mauricio Carrizosa 
 
Comments:  Acting Sector Manager 
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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.
 
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