Department of Economic and Social Affairs 
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In Buenos Aires, Argentina, CITAF conducted an inter-American seminar on formulating, evaluating and managing investment projects. Fourteen of the 38 participants were OAS fellowship recipients. CITAF also conducted a regional seminar on contingent evaluation for public investment projects and the IV Inter-American course on Formulating, evaluating and managing investment projects, attended by 18 participants, 13 of whom had OAS fellowships. Two national courses were given on project formulation and evaluation.
In Guatemala the second round of training for public sector technicians in formulating and evaluating projects was completed. A total of 9 courses were given, attended by 221 participants. A new group of 8 courses was also developed and launched, involving training at the sectoral and municipal level. This new round of courses will be supported by the OAS/Mexican horizontal cooperation system through the Nacional Financiera (NAFIN).
NAFIN of Mexico was also instrumental in the delivery of two inter-American courses on the life cycle of investment projects. In addition to other Mexican students, there were 10 OAS/Mexican Government fellows participating.
The computer program for operating the trade and investment promotion data system was completed and delivered to the Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO). JAMPRO will use the program to provide services to Jamaica's public and private sectors and to investors and businesses engaged in international trade.
In Belize, the Department cooperated to strengthen the operating capability of the Public Sector Investment Program Unit of the Ministry of Economic Development. The project was instrumental in supplying computer equipment, advisory services for designing and implementing a data system on public investment projects and training in how to evaluate projects.
In Costa Rica, a seminar was held on financing infrastructure projects in the Central American and Caribbean countries that are signatories of the San José Agreements. The event was attended by high-ranking officials from the electric-power, telecommunications and port sectors of the signatory countries of those agreements and from Mexico and Venezuela, as well as representatives of private banking and international financial agencies. In Colombia, technical cooperation continued to be provided to the National Planning Department in how to operate and expand the National Investment Projects Bank (BPIN).
In Ecuador, with the cooperation of the Government of Italy, two projects were developed in the telecommunications area: "Technical and Economic Studies for the Establishment of Teleports" and "Technical and Economic Studies for Introducing a Digital Fibre-optic Transmission System" for the State Telecommunications Company (EMETEL).
In Honduras, technical assistance is being provided to the Advisory Committee on Privatization to devise a privatization and/or private investment program, with the support of the Secretariat for Planning, Coordination and Budget (SECPLAN).
In Mexico, in cooperation with the Secretariat of Transportation and Communications and as part of the National Technical Cooperation Program, two projects were developed (each in three stages): a) "Cost Efficient Rates for Rural Telephone Service and Guideline Rates for Satellite Communications Services" and b) "Model Regulations for Public Radio Communications". In November, a project was launched on "Technical Design and Plan for Financing and Putting into Operation Integrated Rural Communications Centers in the State of Chiapas".
In Panama, technical assistance is being provided to the Ministry of Planning and Economic Policy to strengthen the privatization process. Horizontal cooperation was used to conduct a technical assistance mission to: identify a privatization program for the 1995-1997 biennium; determine and estimate the financing resources needed to conduct the consulting studies necessary to execute the privatization program; and ascertain what the needs of the corresponding regulatory codes and agencies will be.
In Peru, the project to provide advisory services to the Ministry of Transportation, Communications, Housing and Construction on telecommunications regulation was completed. Local and international experts in the technical-legal field participated through a seminar in which the technical, legal and economic implications of the liberalization of private investment were discussed.