56 -- INFRASTRUCTURE FOR INCOMES

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission to Nepal plans to extend its Indefinite Quantity Contract (IQC) with The Louis Berger Group, Inc. for an additional nine months, covering the period from June 15, 2006, to March 14, 2007. This extension supports the Infrastructure for Income program, which aims to increase rural incomes by creating employment through small-scale infrastructure initiatives such as green roads, mule trails, fish ponds, and drinking water projects. The program focuses on using labor-intensive, low-technology methods to provide jobs primarily for poor and conflict-affected Nepalese populations who have limited alternative sources of income. During this nine-month period, the program anticipates the issuance of 11 new work orders with a combined estimated value of $1 million. These activities are expected to generate approximately $560,000 in wages, directly benefiting rural communities embroiled in conflict by helping improve their livelihoods and promote economic stability. The contract operates under NAICS code 237310, with USAID’s Kathmandu office as the organizational hub, and key points of contact being acquisition and contracts specialists who oversee contract execution and coordination.