Over the past two decades, the EnergySector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP) has financedseveral projects to assist Bolivia in the development of itsenergy sector, including the Bolivia Country Program FirstPhase, which contributed to the design of a national energyplan, the definition of policies and actions applicable torural energy and energy efficiency, and a significantstructural reform of the energy sector, and also supportedthe preparation of the Bolivia National Biomass Program(NBP) aimed at enhancing the efficient use of biomass as anenergy source, while improving the quality of life of therural population -- in consistence with the objectives ofthe World Bank Country Assistance Strategy (CAS) in Boliviaregarding accelerated growth and development of privatesector activities. An agreement subscribed in November 1997between the Government of the Netherlands and the World Bankassigned the execution of NBP to ESMAP, with the ViceMinistry of Energy and Hydrocarbons (VMEH) as itscounterpart in Bolivia.