Immediate recovery project

invasion. The Ministry of Planning and Economic Policy (MIPPE) will coordinate implementation of the project, which has a planned life of 150 days. There will be three components: housing assistance, works projects, and aid to public agencies. The project will assist families whose homes were destroyed or damaged in Chorrillo during the attack on the Panamanian Defense Force headquarters by providing grants to help families buy or rent new units or pay for apartment repairs, and by funding local PVO efforts to assist families unable to address their own housing needs (e.g., the elderly). It is estimated that 2,500 families or individuals will receive an average of $6,000 to meet their housing needs. A total of $3.5 million from Project 525- HG-012 will help fund this component. To help reactivate Panama"s economy and provide work for its unemployed and underemployed (estimated at 20% of the total workforce), the second component will fund works projects aimed at the repair, maintenance, rehabilitation, or construction of economic infrastructure. The component will initially focus on Panama City and Colon and the populated areas between these cities, and later expand outside this area. This component will include about 137 public works activities, 3 reforestation projects, 1,355 classroom renovations, and 60 small community development projects. At least 1,814 people will be employed under the component. Thirdly, the project will assist in the rehabilitation and restructuring of public sector agencies. TA will be available to all government agencies on a demand basis and commodities such as equipment, spare parts, and materials will be provided as needed. Agencies to receive commodities include the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Public Works, the Electricity Company, the Garbage Collection Company, and the Water Company. (A fourth component noted in the Project Paper -- the provision of emergency loans to help small businesses replace equipment and inventories stolen or damaged in the looting which occurred after the U.S. invasion -- was subsequently made a separate project [5250301]). Amendment of 6/90 increases funding to $30 million, extends the PACD through 3/91, and adds a component to provide food and shelter to some 3,000 displaced persons at the Albrook camp. (PD-ABB-654)