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Netherlands supports $13 million water
project
Accra, June 26, Ghanadot/GNA – Improving access to potable
water and sanitation is critical to achieving good health
which would facilitate economic growth and poverty
reduction, Mr. Abukakur Boniface Saddique, Minister of Water
Resources, Works and Housing, said on Thursday.
He said there was therefore the need to accelerate
investment in safe water provision through the
rehabilitation and expansion of water supply systems for
both rural and urban communities.
Mr. Saddique said this at a ceremony to sign a $13 million
grant by the government of the Netherlands to support
Ghana’s Urban Water Project which sought to mobilize
investment to expand distribution networks especially to low
income consumers.
The grant makes the Dutch government a co-financier with
World Bank in the Urban Water Project.
He said the Ministry had over the years been a partner to
the government of Netherlands through the utilization of
ORET funds with a Grant value of 200 million dollars.
He said Weija, Winneba, Sekondi-Takoradi and Cape Coast
water supply systems had been rehabilitated and expanded
under the funding while current interventions were been
sought for Koforidua, Kpong and New Tafo, among other
places.
Ms. Katherine Bain, Country Manager, World Bank, said the
project was expected to provide about 600,000 people with
potable water in urban areas by 2010.
She said findings indicated that it was necessary to invest
over one billion dollars in order to satisfy the water
demand in 81 urban areas by 2025.
“Therefore much more investment is needed from the
government, development partners and private investors.”
Ms. Bain said the project was also supporting studies by the
Public Utilities Regulatory Commission aimed at improving
services in poor communities in the Greater Accra Region.
Mr Lidi Remmelzwaal, Dutch Ambassador, said their
contribution was to help Ghana to achieve the MDGs on access
to water and sanitation.
“On top of the investment support to urban water systems,
various other Dutch organizations provide considerable
knowledge and experience to the water and sanitation sector
in Ghana,” he said.
GNA
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