Section 2: Driving Progress
MCC Partner Countries That Completed Compacts in FY2021
Since its founding, MCC and its partner countries have completed 29 compacts, totaling more than $9 billion in total expenditures (Table 1). Two countries completed MCC compacts in FY2021.
El Salvador
MCC and El Salvador signed its second compact in September 2014 (following on from its 2006 compact) to provide up to $277 million in assistance for regulatory reforms, education, and logistical infrastructure, with the goal of promoting economic growth and private investment in the country through three projects. The first project sought to relieve transportation bottlenecks that led to high conveyance and logistics costs for regional trade, namely congestion at the most heavily trafficked segment of El Salvador’s key coastal corridor and long wait times at a major border crossing with Honduras. The second project aimed to help Salvadorans better meet the demands of a global economy by improving the quality of education and reforming technical and vocational training to match the supply of skills to labor market demands. The third project focused on developing an investment climate to catalyze more profitable business operations for firms in sectors related to international trade and increased partnerships with the private sector to provide key public services. El Salvador committed to contribute up to $88.2 million in addition to MCC’s funding, for a combined total budget of $365.2 million. The compact closed in September 2020 and MCC wound down operations by June 2021. While implementation and closeout were heavily impacted by COVID-19, the Government of El Salvador committed to continuing to implement incomplete projects after closure. The compact’s achievements included the launch of the country’s first two public-private partnerships, the expansion of approximately 27 kilometers of the Coastal Highway, the construction or upgrading of 46 education centers nationwide, and the training of over 4,500 schoolteachers and administrators, among others.
Liberia
On January 20, 2021, MCC successfully closed its $257 million compact with Liberia. The compact funded the rehabilitation of Liberia’s largest source of electric power, the Mount Coffee Hydropower Plant, which now provides more stable power to the country. The compact also enabled connection of more than 50,000 new households to the electricity grid. In addition, the rehabilitation of a water pipeline funded by the compact will reduce costs and improve the quality of water supplied to Monrovia. The creation of an independent energy-sector regulator and a reduction in the electricity tariff are expanding income-generating activities and are expected to open energy markets to the private sector. Training programs for staff and technicians at the Liberia Electricity Corporation improved customer service and the delivery of electricity services. The road project facilitated the adoption and training on data-driven road maintenance tools for planning in the roads sector. On April 29, 2021, President George Weah and U.S. Ambassador Michael McCarthy celebrated the successful closure of the Liberia Compact at an event held at the Mount Coffee Hydropower Plant.
| Partner Country | Date Compact Signed | Compact Obligations as of September 30, 2021 (in millions of dollars) |
|---|---|---|
| Madagascar | April 18, 2005 | $85.6 |
| Honduras | June 14, 2005 | $204.0 |
| Cabo Verde | July 5, 2005 | $108.5 |
| Nicaragua | July 15, 2005 | $112.7 |
| Georgia | September 12, 2005 | $387.2 |
| Benin | February 22, 2006 | $301.8 |
| Vanuatu | March 2, 2006 | $65.4 |
| Armenia | March 27, 2006 | $176.6 |
| Ghana | August 1, 2006 | $536.3 |
| Mali | November 13, 2006 | $434.3 |
| El Salvador | November 29, 2006 | $449.6 |
| Mozambique | July 13, 2007 | $447.9 |
| Lesotho | July 23, 2007 | $358.0 |
| Morocco | August 31, 2007 | $650.0 |
| Mongolia | October 22, 2007 | $269.0 |
| Tanzania | February 17, 2008 | $694.5 |
| Burkina Faso | July 14, 2008 | $474.7 |
| Namibia | July 28, 2008 | $295.7 |
| Senegal | September 16, 2009 | $433.3 |
| Moldova | January 22, 2010 | $259.4 |
| Philippines | September 23, 2010 | $385.1 |
| Jordan | October 25, 2010 | $272.9 |
| Malawi | April 7, 2011 | $344.8 |
| Indonesia | November 19, 2011 | $474.0 |
| Cabo Verde II | February 10, 2012 | $65.6 |
| Zambia | May 10, 2012 | $332.1 |
| Georgia II | July 26, 2013 | $138.6 |
| El Salvador II | September 30, 2014 | $270.7 |
| Liberia | October 2, 2015 | $237.8 |
| Total | $9,266.5 |
MCC Partner Countries in Compact Implementation
Seven countries in MCC’s portfolio were in compact implementation as of September 30, 2021. Compact implementation begins upon entry into force, marking the start of the five-year timeline. Under new authority granted by the U.S. Congress, five compacts (detailed below) that had entered into force at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic have been extended beyond their original five-year timeline to mitigate implementation delays caused by the pandemic. Each compact is managed and implemented by an accountable entity, generally known as the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA), established by the partner country government. Key implementation milestones from FY2021 are described below.
Benin
In Benin, where only a third of the population has access to electricity, MCC and the Government of Benin are implementing a compact to fund countrywide projects in electricity distribution infrastructure, attract private sector investment in solar power generation, strengthen the country’s national utility through a management services contract, and expand access to electricity in rural areas. In early 2021, Benin’s national electricity distribution utility publicly announced a tariff increase averaging 15 percent in support of the most difficult reform pursued by the compact. Over the next 20 years, MCC expects more than 11 million Beninese to benefit from compact investments. MCC and the government amended the compact to extend the compact end date from June 2022 until June 2023 to mitigate implementation delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Côte d’Ivoire
The compact aims to support the country’s drive to diversify its economy through projects in skills development and transportation. The Abidjan Transport Project aims to reduce transport costs and travel times along targeted road segments in and around the port of Abidjan, while improving overall pedestrian and vehicle mobility and safety. The Skills for Employability and Productivity Project intends to increase access to, and quality of, secondary education and the governance of the sector. Through a new public-private partnership model for technical vocational education and training centers, MCC plans to assist the Government of Côte d’Ivoire in developing the skills needed by the private sector. Due to implementation delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the term of this compact was extended from its original end date of August 2024 to August 2025.
Ghana
MCC’s compact with Ghana aims to improve the quality and reliability of electricity for Ghana’s businesses and households, increase access to electricity, and improve energy efficiency. The compact’s primary activities focus on strengthening the infrastructure and management of Ghana’s southern distribution network, largely in and around the capital city of Accra, to reduce power outages and technical losses of electricity. In FY2021, MCC and its Ghanaian partners completed the Pokuase bulk supply point substation and interconnecting circuits, low-voltage line bifurcation in three districts in Accra, a project to replace and retrofit appliances found in government institutions, and a meter management system. In addition, the team completed the construction of an air conditioning test facility and started installing equipment, and continued work on the Kasoa bulk supply point substation, two primary substations, one low-voltage bifurcation district, the electrification of markets and economic enclaves, energy efficient street lighting, and the installation of a geographic information system for the electricity utility. Due to implementation delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the term of this compact was extended from its original end date of September 2021 to June 2022.
Morocco
MCC’s compact with Morocco addresses binding constraints to economic growth around two Moroccan government priorities: employability and land productivity. The Education and Training for Employability Project is designed to improve the quality and relevance of secondary education and technical and vocational training. The compact is also assisting in modernizing the labor market observatory, reforming and modernizing the vocational training sector, upgrading student evaluation systems, and testing a results-based financing model for job insertion for marginalized youth and women. The Land Productivity Project aims to increase land productivity in Morocco by enabling land markets to better respond to investor demand and by strengthening the enabling environment for investment. In FY2021, MCA-Morocco signed a partnership agreement with a consortium led by Mohammed VI Polytechnic University along with several local partners to stand up a big data/artificial intelligence platform that will aggregate and analyze labor market data with the aim of improving the transparency and utilization of labor market statistics. Under the Rural Land Activity, MCA-Morocco and the Moroccan National Office of Agriculture Council launched a grants process to support women and youth entrepreneurship in the agricultural sector. Rehabilitation of secondary schools in the Fez-Meknes and Marrakech-Safi regions began, with MCA-Morocco set to hold sustainability workshops with the Ministry of Education to discuss scale-up of the MCC-funded Secondary Education Activity post-compact. Due to implementation delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the term of this compact was extended from its original end date of May 2022 to March 2023.
Niger
The compact aims to increase rural incomes by addressing access to water for productive uses as well as physical and regulatory barriers to markets and trade. The Irrigation and Market Access Project and the Climate-Resilient Communities Project are modernizing irrigation systems to improve agricultural productivity, with a focus on diversifying production and increasing yields; upgrading road networks to facilitate market access, sales, and profits of agricultural products; and reforming policies to enable expansion of private sector services and assistance in the agricultural sector to sustain precious ground water resources. In FY2021, MCA-Niger contractors finalized their report quantifying for the first time the presence of underground water reserves with newly mapped target areas for developing significant areas of sustainable groundwater-fed irrigated agriculture. MCA-Niger launched a national public relations campaign encouraging pastoralists to have their livestock vaccinated. Construction on the Konni irrigated perimeter continued, and a literacy program supporting farmers on the Konni irrigated perimeter held a graduation ceremony in June. Road construction made significant progress. Due to implementation delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the term of this compact was extended from its original end date of January 2023 to January 2024.
Mongolia
MCC’s compact with Mongolia is designed to provide a sustainable supply of water in Ulaanbaatar and to support the country’s economic growth. MCC’s investment is expected to provide an 80 percent increase in the long-term supply of water to the capital city by adding new groundwater wells and constructing a state-of-the-art water purification plant. Additionally, the compact program will introduce new technologies for recycling and reuse of wastewater. To support these two major program components, the compact also will fund critical legal, regulatory and institutional reforms to enhance the sector’s sustainability. The government agreed to provide up to $111.8 million of additional funding to support the compact—among the largest contributions by a partner country. On March 31, 2021, the compact entered into force, starting the five-year implementation timeline. MCA-Mongolia, the entity managing day-to-day implementation of the compact, signed a critical-path contract for the construction of the advanced water purification plant (AWPP) in early August, which allowed construction to begin in late summer. A groundbreaking ceremony for the AWPP took place in late August, with participation by key ministers, stakeholders and the president of Mongolia. Work is also progressing on other procurements and the Sustainability Activity, including compact-supported updates to the government’s cost-recovery plan to enhance the sustainability of the water sector in Ulaanbaatar. The compact end date is March 2026.
Senegal
MCC’s compact with Senegal is designed to strengthen the power sector by increasing reliability and access to electricity and helping the Government of Senegal establish a modern and efficient foundation upon which the nation’s power system can grow. The investments will focus on energy sector policy, institutional and regulatory reform, upgrading the high-voltage transmission network in and around Dakar, and expanding rural electricity access through distribution network upgrades and enhancements to consumer-side elements. Ensuring consistent and affordable access to energy in Senegal will allow businesses to grow, catalyze private sector investment, increase productivity and employment, and ultimately support diversification and growth of Senegal’s economy. In FY2021, the Government passed a new electricity code and law on the regulator and adopted a new electricity tariff plan. These actions are expected to improve the overall governance and financial viability of the power sector and create a sustainable environment to meet the growing demands of businesses and consumers and promote private sector investment. The compact entered into force in September 2021. The compact’s end date is September 2026.
| Activity in Fiscal Year 2021 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Section 609(g) Compact Facilitation Fundingh | Section 605 Assistance | ||||
| Partner Country | Total Compact Amount at Signing | Obligations | Expenditures | Obligations | Expenditures |
| Benin II | $375.0 | 16 | 106.6 | ||
| Burkina Faso II | $450.0 | 0 | 0.6 | ||
| Côte d’Ivoire | $524.7 | (12.6) | 4.3 | 12.6 | 18.2 |
| El Salvador II | $277.0 | (6.3) | 29.3 | ||
| Ghana II | $498.2 | 7.7 | 107.3 | ||
| Liberia | $256.7 | (18.9) | 23.4 | ||
| Mongolia II | $350.0 | 9 | 321.9 | 18.7 | |
| Morocco II | $450.0 | 113.5 | |||
| Nepal | $500.0 | 4.8 | |||
| Niger | $437.0 | 73.7 | |||
| Senegal II | $550.0 | 7.4 | 512.2 | ||
| Partner Country | Obligations (in millions of dollars) |
Expenditures (in millions of dollars) |
|---|---|---|
| Nepal In September 2017, MCC signed a $500 million compact with the Government of Nepal—the agency’s first investment in South Asia. The compact aims to increase the availability of electricity, improve road quality and facilitate power trade between Nepal and India. The $389.2 million Electricity Transmission Project aims to increase domestic electricity consumption by improving the availability and reliability of electricity in Nepal through the construction of 300 kilometers of high-voltage electric transmission lines—equivalent to one-third of Nepal’s transmission network—and three substations, which will increase power for further distribution to customers or to serve as pooling hubs for generators. The Electricity Transmission Project also includes a cross-border transmission line to facilitate the growth of power exchange between Nepal and India to meet the domestic demand in the short term and allow electricity exports in the long term. The $52.3 million Roads Maintenance Project would fund maintenance of up to 305 kilometers of roads, leading to a reduction in transport costs due to decreased vehicle operating costs and reduced travel time. The compact remains in the preparatory phase while the government works to meet key conditions before entry into force, including parliamentary ratification of the compact. Following the FY21 reporting period, on February 27, 2022, the Federal Parliament of Nepal ratified the compact between MCC and the Government of Nepal. |
$40.5 | $14.3 |
| Burkina Faso MCC’s compact with Burkina Faso is focused on modernizing the power sector by addressing the high cost, poor quality and lack of access to electricity. The Government of Burkina Faso ratified the compact in December 2020 and established MCA-Burkina Faso II in February 2021 to lead the implementation of the compact. The projects are designed to collectively improve the financial viability of the power sector through reform and capacity building; supply and battery storage; and transmission, distribution, dispatching and productive uses of electricity—while also enabling good governance and greater accountability among sector actors. Following the FY21 reporting period, on January 23, 2022, Burkina Faso experienced a coup d’état, which contradicts MCC’s commitment to democratic governance and upholding the rule of law—principles that underpin the agency’s rigorous criteria for selection. |
$33.4 | $0.6 |
Note: For MCC’s financial reporting, disbursements are expenditures. Compact funds are fully obligated, and the five-year compact term starts when the compact enters into force.
Compacts in Development as of September 30, 2021
During fiscal year 2021, MCC continued to work with eight countries to develop potential compacts and continued developing potential concurrent compacts with several partner countries in West Africa.
Indonesia
In December 2018, MCC’s Board selected Indonesia as eligible to develop a subsequent compact. The selection reflected the strong partnership that MCC and Indonesia built during the prior compact, Indonesia’s commitment to ensuring the sustainability of the investments made in that compact, and the progress the country has made on its policy performance. In early July 2021, the government submitted two project proposals to improve access to finance for infrastructure and for micro, small and medium enterprises, particularly those that are women-owned. In late September, MCC approved further due diligence and project development for those proposals, with a target of late 2022 for finalizing project designs and compact signing. In parallel, MCC is exploring opportunities to advance Indonesia’s climate goals through the proposed compact, in line with MCC’s climate strategy.
Kosovo
In September 2017, MCC and the Government of Kosovo signed a $49 million threshold program that addresses the country’s unreliable supply of electricity and real and perceived weakness in rule of law, government accountability and transparency. In December 2018, MCC’s Board selected Kosovo as eligible to develop a compact program parallel to the ongoing threshold program. MCC and the government updated the constraints analysis initially conducted during the development of the country’s threshold program and identified two additional binding constraints to Kosovo’s economic growth: unpredictable energy supply deficits due to the country’s old, unreliable generation infrastructure and excess demand for electricity, reflecting insufficient investment in energy efficiency. Following high-level engagements between MCC and the government in May 2021, MCC held a series of conversations and workshops with government officials, donors and other stakeholders in June and July on how the proposed compact program would help Kosovo accelerate its transition toward a more sustainable, reliable and affordable energy future. MCC and the government subsequently agreed to develop a program that will focus on energy network stability, energy storage and gender-sensitive workforce development. The government and MCC have targeted a compact finalization and signing date for mid-2022.
Lesotho
MCC is developing a compact with the Government of Lesotho that includes three projects aimed at addressing the constraint to growth of ineffective government policy planning, coordination and execution. The Health Project aims to strengthen the delivery of primary health care services, improve efficiency of government expenditures, and address the unique needs of gender-based violence treatment and referral services. The Market Driven Irrigated Horticulture Project aims to catalyze private sector investment in horticulture through investments in irrigation infrastructure and regulatory reform, while creating transparent and sustainable access to land and water. The Business Environment and Technical Assistance Project aims to develop a sustainable and inclusive business ecosystem and pipeline that includes creating a participatory decision-making process for the provision of critical services by the government to the private sector. The projects include women- and youth-empowerment strategies to ensure inclusive growth. MCC aims to submit the compact to MCC’s Board for consideration in early 2022.
Malawi
MCC is working with its Malawian counterparts to develop a compact that will increase land efficiency as a critical production input for economic growth in Malawi and increase competitiveness in the agriculture and transport sectors. The compact is being designed to integrate climate resiliency in its investments by supporting sustainability in the agriculture and transport sectors and considering climate in geographic selection of interventions. MCC is additionally exploring the use of various blended finance tools to catalyze private investment and de-risk inclusive agribusinesses. Compact investments will foster inclusivity by incorporating women and smallholders into reforms and potential financing. MCC plans to submit the compact to MCC’s Board for consideration in 2022.
Sierra Leone
In December 2020, MCC’s Board selected Sierra Leone as eligible to develop a compact. MCC has partnered with the Government of Sierra Leone to conduct a constraints-to-growth analysis. Among other constraints, the analysis found that power and food security were strongly binding on economic growth in Sierra Leone. The MCC country team initiated root cause analysis on these constraints and began to develop concepts for potential compact investments to address these challenges. MCC plans to submit the compact to MCC’s Board for consideration in 2023 or 2024.
Timor-Leste
In 2013, MCC completed a $10 million threshold program that strengthened anti-corruption institutions and improved access to immunizations by building a more effective community health system. Timor-Leste was initially selected by the MCC Board to develop a second threshold program in December 2016. Recognizing the government’s continued commitment to good governance, investment in its people and economic freedom, and its steady performance on the MCC scorecard, in December 2017, MCC’s Board decided to move Timor-Leste into the compact program. MCC is currently working with the government to develop a compact that includes two potential projects: a water, sanitation, and drainage infrastructure project to reduce the disease burden brought on by contaminated water in the capital city of Dili and two municipalities, and an education project to train secondary school teachers and school leaders to better equip students with the skills needed to succeed in the job market. MCC and the government continued to make progress on compact development throughout FY2021 despite the pandemic, following MCC’s successful resumption of missions to Timor-Leste beginning in July 2021. MCC plans to submit the compact to MCC’s Board for consideration in 2022.
Tunisia
The compact features two projects focused on addressing Tunisia’s constraints to growth. The Transport and Trade Project aims to reduce the time and cost for businesses to engage in trade in Tunisia and includes investments to improve management and expand infrastructure at the strategic Port of Rades. It also supports the reduction, simplification and digitalization of trade procedures and regulations in the transport sector. The Water Project aims to achieve efficient and sustainable use of scarce groundwater resources while increasing the incomes of its users to move the country toward improved water sustainability in the face of climate change. The compact also features new partnerships with the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) to catalyze and enable greater private sector investment as well as with the Small Business Administration to introduce new water-efficient technologies to farmers in Tunisia. The compact program integrates gender and social inclusion by, for example, improving market access for women-owned enterprises. MCC’s Board unanimously approved the Tunisia Compact in June 2021. MCC delayed signing the compact after the president of Tunisia suspended parliament and dismissed the prime minister on July 25. Compact signing is on hold until Tunisia is back on a democratic path.
Mozambique
MCC, together with its Mozambique counterparts, have identified rural transport, commercial agriculture, climate management and coastal development as potential areas for compact investment, with a likely geographic focus in the province of Zambezia. These projects aim to address Mozambique’s binding constraints to growth in the agriculture and transport sectors. In addition, MCC is exploring an integrated climate project that could include initiatives such as community-led mangrove and seagrass restoration and blue carbon credits. MCC aims to submit the compact to MCC’s Board for consideration in 2023.
Concurrent Compact: Benin–Niger
This regional program will rehabilitate portions of the existing transport corridor between Cotonou in Benin and Niamey in Niger, while addressing some of the institutional and market constraints that raise the financial and time costs of transporting goods along this road. This corridor is considered one of the most heavily traveled north–south corridors in West Africa, and improving it has the potential to provide economic benefits to both countries. In particular, the Benin–Niger border crossing is one of the busiest crossings between any coastal and landlocked country in the region, with an average of approximately 1,000 vehicles per day. This investment would have a clear link to the MCC investment at the Port of Cotonou in Benin’s first compact and to the current MCC compact program in Niger focused on agriculture and roads. MCC aims to submit the compact to MCC’s Board for consideration in 2022.
Concurrent Compact: Burkina Faso–Côte d’Ivoire
Throughout 2021, MCC worked to make possible a feasibility study for a potential new high-voltage transmission line from Ferkessedougou in Côte d’Ivoire to Bobo-Dioulasso and continuing to Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso. This line was identified as a plausible regional investment because it would potentially allow more power trade between Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire and greater control and stability of the interconnected network. MCC has been engaging the West African Power Pool to manage the procurement and performance of the study.
Note: Following the FY21 reporting period, on January 23, 2022, Burkina Faso experienced a coup d’état, which contradicts MCC’s commitment to democratic governance and upholding the rule of law—principles that underpin the agency’s rigorous criteria for selection.
MCC Threshold Programs: Results Through Reforms
MCC’s threshold program is aimed at assisting promising candidate countries to become eligible for a compact by offering them the opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to democratic governance, economic freedom and investments in their people. By advancing policy reforms and strengthening institutions to address the most binding constraints to economic growth, threshold programs complement the “MCC Effect” and allow the agency to assess the opportunity for an impactful and cost-effective partnership before committing to a larger compact. MCC uses the same rigorous, evidence-based approach in threshold programs as it does in compacts, leading to high-quality programs that maximize potential systemic impact and lay the foundation for a higher level of assistance.
In FY2021, MCC partnered to develop or implement threshold programs with The Gambia, Guatemala, Kenya, Kiribati, Kosovo, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands and Togo. Program development with Ethiopia was discontinued due to ongoing armed conflict in the country and ensuing human rights and humanitarian concerns.
The Gambia
MCC’s Board selected The Gambia as eligible to develop a threshold program in December 2017. Following a pause in FY2020 due to trafficking in persons, MCC and The Gambia completed development of a $25 million program focused on energy sector reform in September 2021. The grant agreement was signed in November 2021.
Guatemala
As of September 30, 2021, MCC and the Government of Guatemala were preparing for the closure of the threshold program. (Note: the program was successfully completed on October 31, 2021.) MCC’s investment led to improvements in the quality of secondary education by training over 2,000 secondary teachers and supporting the Ministry of Education to enact and prepare for the implementation of a decree to reform hiring practices, ensuring that teachers have basic competencies in the subjects they will teach. The program also supported the Guatemalan tax authority to install a competent internal affairs group to deter corruption, improve use of data analytics to detect tax evasion, and strengthen customs risk management—resulting in fewer inspections while still identifying customs tax evasion.
Kenya
MCC’s Board selected Kenya to develop a threshold program in December 2019. MCC and the Government of Kenya completed the constraints analysis in October 2020 and identified the lack of connectivity in urban areas as a binding constraint to economic growth. The government worked with MCC to analyze the root causes of the urban connectivity constraint and develop project concepts, which it formally submitted in August 2021. MCC expects to complete due diligence and design for three projects related to urban transportation and land use planning, allowing MCC to present the proposed program to the Board for consideration in the spring. Subject to Board approval, a threshold grant agreement could be signed in FY2022.
Kiribati
Kiribati was selected to develop a threshold program in December 2020. MCC and the Government of Kiribati are conducting consultations and analyses on the root causes of constraints to growth related to coastal capital, public financial management and international labor migration. MCC intends to complete development and bring the program to the Board for consideration in late 2022.
Kosovo
MCC and the Government of Kosovo continue to implement a $49 million threshold program that entered into force in 2017. The program aims to foster a market-driven approach to lowering energy costs for households and businesses, encouraging energy efficiency and developing new sources of electricity generation. The program also supports the government’s efforts to improve decision-making and accountability by increasing the accessibility and use of judicial, environmental and labor force data.
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands was selected to develop a threshold program in December 2018. Despite travel limitations associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, MCC was able to successfully complete program development. In December 2020, the MCC Board approved a threshold program that would facilitate private investment for increased tourism and generate more reliable and sustainable benefits from the country’s forest resources. Pending the signing of a threshold program grant agreement, MCC expects implementation to begin in FY2022.
Sierra Leone
In March 2021, MCC and the Government of Sierra Leone completed a $44.4 million threshold program to improve access to clean water and reliable electricity. The program improved access to safe water in Freetown by investing in water management and installing new pipes and water kiosks. The newly constructed water kiosks are providing safe, accessible and sustainable water to 15,000 residents, while also significantly reducing the time spent by community members on water collection. In the electricity sector, the program improved how the sector utilities operate and plan for future needs. By increasing national capacity through improvements to transparency measures and encouraging accountability, a foundation has been laid to sustain the investment. A newly developed sector roadmap will help guide further development and encourage private investment.
Togo
The $35 million MCC threshold program with Togo, which entered into force in November 2020, is focused on addressing critical constraints in the country’s information and communications technology and land sectors. The program will support the Government of Togo in improving citizens’ access to high-quality and affordable information and communications technology services by encouraging private sector investments, supporting the implementation of a universal service fund, and strengthening an independent regulatory body. In the land sector, the program will expand access to formalized land titles through the recognition and protection of legitimate land rights, to accelerate agricultural productivity.
For More
- Visit www.mcc.gov for the latest progress on each MCC partner country, including financial data, results, and donor coordination efforts.
- Review MCC’s Fiscal Year 2020 Agency Financial Report for financial statements and the independent auditor’s report.