African leaders launch regional infrastructure projects app

ADDIS ABABA, May 26 (Xinhua) -- Senegalese President Macky Sall and African Union (AU) Commission chair Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma have launched a web-based portal on regional infrastructure projects.

The app, called VPiC (Virtual PIDA Information Center), will allow easy access to up-to-date information on the implementation status of the 51 PIDA (Program of Infrastructure Development in Africa) projects, and users to the site will be able to search for projects by name, country or regional economic community, according to a statement released Sunday.

The idea was initiated at a breakfast meeting of the New Partnership for Africa Development Agency convened in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on the sidelines of the AU's Golden Jubilee celebrations Saturday.

Sall stressed the importance of VPiC as a critical tool to gather and provide information for all stakeholders, from policy makers to investors.

The statement said PIDA regional projects would be implemented between 2020 and 2040. The intention was to encourage regional integration and interconnection, which would facilitate improved trading and, in turn, lead to greater socio-economic development.

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