The Federative Republic of Brazil has received a loan in various currencies from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) toward the cost of the Secondary School Improvement and Expansion Program (PROMED), for which the Ministry of Education (MEC) is the designated executive agency.

Part of the loan proceeds is intended to be applied to eligible payments for the PROMED, object of the consortia No. 189/2000/PROMED, undertaken on 2 March 2000, and No. 028/2001/PROMED, undertaken on 23 July 2001, by the MEC and the Secretariat of Education of the State of Bahia (SEC).

The SEC now invites interested parties from the IDB=s eligible countries to submit bids for the procurement of the information technology equipment for an integrated video conference system.

The bidding documents may be consulted at the Secretaria da Educação do Estado da Bahia (SEC), at the address below, or be purchased upon payment of a R$ 50 non-refundable fee into the account No. 16353-8, agency No. 3567 of Banco BRADESCO (237).

The envelopes with the documentation and bids must be submitted by 1000 hours on 17 December 2001 at the Lecture Hall of the SEC (same address).

Secretaria da Educação do Estado da Bahia (SEC)

Av. Luiz Viana Filho No 550, Ala B.

Centro Administrativo da Bahia, 31 Andar, Sala 323.

Salvador, BA, Brazil.

Tel: (55-71) 370-1269. Fax: (55-71) 370-1112