“San Juan made important achievements in the last few years. It grew at an average of 11% annually since 2003 and has increased its exports five-fold, mainly wine and olive oil. Through this new project, the World Bank accompanies its efforts to transform economic achievements into social ones, mainly in health and education,” said Pamela Cox, World Bank Vice-president for Latin America and the Caribbean.

The senior official visited San Juan last year to get direct contact with the reality of the province.

”The World Bank's support represents a key endorsement to the accelerated growth the economy is undergoing in the province, as well as to the efforts and seriousness with which San Juan province has managed its public accounts. In 2009, a year marked by the global economic crisis, the fiscal balance is still positive” said José Luis Gioja, Governor of the Province of San Juan.

The project supports improvements to the quality and efficiency of health services through the implementation of the provincial Health Ministry's health strategy, and emphasizes two hospitals: Rawson and Marcial Quiroga. It is therefore expected to generate social and economic benefits and improve services for all its citizens, including those with limited resources and those dependent on the public health system.

In the educational sector, the project will support improvements in the quality and efficiency of service provision in education in the first two years of schooling, through two specific programs: Todos Pueden Aprender (Everyone Can Learn) and Programa de Día Completo (All-Day Program). These programs are expected to help improve results during the last years of primary school and in secondary school, strengthening the human capital foundation of San Juan's society and economy. The intention is to guarantee equal opportunity in education, particularly for vulnerable students.

The San Juan Social Inclusion and Development Project foresees three main activities:

(i) Reducing maternal and infant mortality rates, particularly in sectors with limited access to public health services.

(ii) Improving the equity, quality and efficiency of educational services, especially during the first years of schooling.

(iii) Strengthening public sector management through institutional capacity building in key ministries.

San Juan province has 696,000 inhabitants, most of whom live in the capital city and surrounding areas. Located at the foot of the Andes, the province has an arid climate and covers a territory of approximately 90,000 km2 (34,750 mi2), with mountains accounting for some 80% of this. After the 2002 crisis, the province managed to significantly reduce poverty and unemployment.

The San Juan Social Inclusion and Development Project will be financed with a fixed spread, $50 million dollars loan that has a 30-year maturity period and a 5-year grace period.