Newton Sibanda
June 19, 2012
The Germany government will provide Zambia’s Eastern Province with K106.5 billion under the Urban Water Supply and Sanitation programme.
The three-phase project will utilize K46.5 billion towards the improvement of the water infrastructure in the towns through the Eastern Water and Sewerage Company (EWSC).
Germany ambassador Frank Meyke disclosed the development during the handover of the EWSC water treatment plant in Petauke that his government would provide the funding in three phases to the programme being implemented by the provincial water utility.
Mr Meyke said the K46.5 billion will be made in the first phase towards the water infrastructure in the towns of Petauke, Lundazi, Mambwe and Chama respectively.
The works will include the drilling of boreholes, installation of pumps, construction of storage reservoirs, laying of pipes, and construction of water kiosks. They will also include rehabilitation of sanitation facilities in schools and hospitals as well as maintenance works on Lundazi Dam.
Mr Meyke notes that the project would benefit 100,000 people many of whom would enjoy such services for the first time.
“In Eastern Province, a total of K106.5 billion will be made available in three phases to the Urban Water Supply and Sanitation. At the end of the first phase, K46.5 billion will be disbursed to improve water infrastructure in the towns of Petauke, Lundazi, Chama and Mambwe,” he said.
The project would soon go into the second phase in the towns of Chadiza, Nyimba, Katete and Chipata.
Mr Meyke said besides the Urban Water Supply and Sanitation programme in Eastern Province, German also supported the rural sector where close to 2000 water points were constructed, reaching approximately 600,000 rural people and that the value of the projects in the province amounted to a total sum of K177 billion.
He said at the recent Government negotiations on development cooperation between the two governments in November last year, a total of K215 billion was committed for future support to the Zambian water and sanitation sector.
Mr Meyke also said 880 million Euros had been provided under the German-Zambia Development Cooperation for over 40 years, saying the bulk of this had been allocated to the water and sanitation sector.
He said German would continue supporting Zambia in increasing access to safe drinking water and to improved sanitation facilities.
He said through the improvement of water and sanitation, Zambia would be assisted to achieve some of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015.
Eastern Province Minister Charles Banda commended Germany for the support being rendered to Zambia.
Mr Banda said he was happy that the cooperation between the two countries in the water sector dated back to the 1990s when the Government of Zambia commenced the water sector reform programme.
“The Germany Government has been key to the success of the water sector through the support it has given to Southern and North-Western Water and Sewerage Companies, the National Water Supply and Sanitation Council (NWASCO) and to the Ministry of Local Government and Housing,” he said.
Mr Banda said the Zambian Government was committed to continuing the steadfast water sector reforms of 1994 and implementation of the concept of commercialization.
He however said the Government was aware that EWSC was owed K3.5 billion in outstanding water bills by various departments and directed all Government departments with outstanding water bills to liquidate them or face disconnection by the water supply company.
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