Advance Action on Procurement, Recruitment of Consultants and Retroactive Financing

Country/Borrower: People's Republic of China

Title of Proposed Project: Xinjiang Regional Road Improvement Project

Name and Address of Executing Agency:

Xinjiang Communications Department
Mr. Wang Zhenhong
1006 Yanan Road
Urumqi, PRC 830049
Telephone No. +86 991 5283 065
Fax No. + 86 921 5283 405
wwzzhh7408071103@sina.com
Brief Description of the Project:

The Project is designed to contribute economic development and regional cooperation by upgrading the Korla-Kuqa highway, a key trunk highway in the northwest. The Project will improve the east-west road transport corridor, as well as the local road network and road connection to neighboring countries in the west. The Project will:
  1. upgrade the 296.5 km Korla-Kuqa section of the existing national highway (G314) to expressway;
  2. rehabilitate the 193 km priority local roads in Kuqa and Qiemo counties;
  3. rehabilitate the 110 km existing border road from Wuqia County (near Kashgar) to the Torugurt border of Kyrgyz Republic and easing the movement of vehicles crossing the border through improved cross-border procedures;
  4. improve the operational efficiency of the existing transport terminals in Xinjiang through introducing information and communication technology;
  5. implement a pilot activity to improve public transport services in the selected city;
  6. lessen traffic accident through provision of modern traffic safety devices, undertaking road safety audit, and improving public awareness and training of drivers;
  7. continue XCD capacity building efforts through provision of modern equipment, information technology and training; and explore the possibility of community involvement in maintenance of remotely located roads.

Brief Description of Works, Goods and Consultant Services to be Procured:

Advance action and retroactive financing have been approved for the procurement of civil works and recruitment of consulting services for the Project. All procurement to be financed under ADB loan will be carried out in accordance with ADB's Guidelines for Procurement. Eleven civil works contracts for the expressway will be awarded on the basis of international competitive bidding (ICB) procedure. Seven civil works packages for the traffic engineering, building, and landscaping of the expressway including five civil works packages for local and border roads will be procured through national competitive bidding (NCB). ADB-financed equipment will be procured under ICB or NCB.

A total of 52 person-months of international consultants will be required for consulting services. International consultants will be financed under the loan, and recruited in accordance with ADB's Guidelines on the Use of Consultants. In addition, the Project will require 5,510 person-months of domestic consultants. Domestic consultants will be financed by the Xinjiang Communications Department and will be recruited in accordance with government procedures.

Date of Advance Action Approval: 6 June 2007

Date of Retroactive Financing Approval: 2 July 2007