[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 244 (Wednesday, December 21, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Page 78130]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-27678]



[[Page 78130]]

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MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION

[MCC FR 22-18]


Notice of Entering Into a Compact With the Government of Benin

AGENCY: Millennium Challenge Corporation.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the provisions of the Millennium Challenge 
Act of 2003, as amended, the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) is 
publishing a summary of the Millennium Challenge Compact (Compact) 
between the United States of America, acting through MCC, and the 
Government of Benin. Representatives of MCC and the Government of Benin 
executed the Compact on December 14, 2022. The complete text of the 
Compact has been posted at: https://assets.mcc.gov/content/uploads/benin-concurrent-compact.pdf.

(Authority: 22 U.S.C. 7709 (b)(3))

    Dated: December 15, 2022.
Thomas G. Hohenthaner,
Acting VP/General Counsel and Corporate Secretary.

Summary of Benin Concurrent Compact

Overview of MCC Benin Compact

    MCC's five-year, $202,000,000 concurrent Compact with the Republic 
of Benin (Government) aims to further regional economic integration, 
increased regional trade, or cross-border collaboration with Niger. The 
Compact intends to reduce poverty through economic growth by addressing 
important market and institutional constraints along the transport 
corridor that connects Cotonou, Benin and Niamey, Niger (Corridor), 
enabling these countries to gain access to larger markets, attract 
increased private sector investment, and strengthen both intra-regional 
and global trade ties. The Compact will address these constraints 
through two projects that seek to achieve this goal by reducing 
transportation costs along the Corridor. The Government also will 
contribute approximately $15,150,000 to support the Compact program.

Project Summaries

    The Compact is comprised of two projects:
    1. Corridor Infrastructure Project: The objective of the Corridor 
Infrastructure Project is to reduce transportation costs along the 
Corridor with transportation costs including vehicle operating costs, 
time-related costs, and injuries and deaths. The Project includes two 
activities:
     Road Rehabilitation Activity: This activity aims to 
rehabilitate and upgrade approximately 83 km of road between the cities 
of Bohicon and Dassa with the potential to add complementary traffic 
mitigation components.
     Road Maintenance Activity: This activity aims to support 
the newly established Soci[eacute]t[eacute] des Infrastructures 
Routi[egrave]res et de l'Am[eacute]nagement du Territoire to implement 
the annual road maintenance program developed by the Ministry of 
Infrastructure and Transport's Direction G[eacute]n[eacute]rale des 
Infrastructures de Transport.
    2. Efficient Corridor Operations Project: The objective of the 
Efficient Corridor Operations Project is to reduce transportation costs 
along the Corridor including vehicle operating costs, time-related 
costs, injuries and deaths as well as costs related to unreliable 
processes and market inefficiencies. The Project includes two 
activities:
     Freight Sector Operations Improvement Activity: This 
activity aims to promote meaningful reforms intended to impact and 
improve the efficiency of truck freight sector operations by addressing 
axle load management, regulatory review and capacity building, freight 
vehicle regulation, and the organization and establishment of a 
corridor authority.
     Customs Border Operations Improvement Activity: This 
activity aims to support improvements to the Beninese custom border 
operations at the Malanville-Gaya crossing between Benin and Niger in 
order to improve the fluidity of corridor operations.

Benin Compact Budget

    The table below presents the Compact budget and sets forth both the 
MCC funding allocation by Compact components and the Government's 
expected $15,150,000 contribution toward the objectives of the Compact.

                       Benin Compact Total Budget
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                      Component                           MCC funding
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1. Corridor Infrastructure Project...................       $143,313,000
    1.1 Road Rehabilitation Activity.................        139,113,000
    1.2 Road Maintenance Activity....................          4,200,000
2. Efficient Corridor Operations Project.............         26,000,000
    2.1 Freight Sector Operations Improvement                 20,555,000
     Activity........................................
    2.2 Customs Border Operations Improvement                  5,445,000
     Activity........................................
3. Monitoring and Evaluation.........................          1,500,000
4. Program Management and Administration.............         31,187,000
                                                      ------------------
    Total MCC Funding................................        202,000,000
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Total compact funding                                             Amount
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total MCC Funding....................................        202,000,000
Government of Benin Contribution.....................         15,150,000
                                                      ------------------
    Total Compact....................................        217,150,000
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[FR Doc. 2022-27678 Filed 12-20-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9211-03-P