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Panel Registers Request for Inspection of Brazil Municipal Governance and Quality of Life Project

The Inspection Panel on September 19, 2019, issued a Notice of Registration for a Request for Inspection of the Teresina Enhancing Municipal Governance and Quality of Life Project and its Additional Financing in Brazil.
 
The development objectives of the project are to “(i) modernize and improve the management capacity of Teresina Municipal Government in the financial, urban, environmental, service-delivery and economic development fields, and (ii) improve the quality of life of the low-income population of the Lagoas do Norte region of the city.” The Panel received the Request for Inspection on August 23, 2019, from 202 families who live in the Afonso Mafrense and São Joaquim neighborhoods of Teresina.
 
While the Requesters are supportive of the project, they oppose their resettlement and claim there are other possible project designs that would enable them to stay in their current location. They contend that community members have been living in this location for several decades and the project will cause cultural, social and economic harm. They also raise concerns about lack of consultation with affected communities and disclosure of information.
 
The Panel’s registration implies no judgment concerning the merits of a Request for Inspection. Bank management must provide the Panel with a response to issues raised in the Requests by October 21, 2019. After receiving the response, the Panel will make a recommendation to the Board of Executive Directors as to whether the matter should be investigated.