CPP asks government to terminate Aqua Vitens contract

Accra, April 22, GNA - The Convention People's Party (CPP) on Tuesday called on the government to terminate with immediate effect its contract with Aqua Vitens Rand Limited (AVRL) and hand it over to Ghanaians for a more efficient supply of water.

The party accused the Ghanaian incorporated Dutch and South African joint venture company of inefficiency, and argued that Ghanaian water experts could perform better than the AVRL experts if they were given the same remuneration package.

At a press conference in Accra, Mr Serchen Komba, CPP Spokesperson for National Infrastructure and Energy, observed that the Management Contract was not designed to expand the systems to meet the urban population growth rate and bring management efficiency.

The CPP observed that the signing of the five-year contract in 2006 was against public outcry and the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) said Ghanaians did not have the requisite managerial skills to manage the contract.

The Ghana Water Company, according to the CPP, handed over a total of 2,887 personnel as seconded staff comprising 685 senior staff and 2,202 junior staff to AVRL.

It also handed over 83 productive water systems with total water production capacity of 166 million gallons a day to AVRL. The CPP reiterated its confidence in the use of local expertise in the management of water supply and urged the NPP to invite the CPP "to give her the needed expertise".

Mr Komba said the CPP's philosophy was based on placing Ghanaians at the centre of development and saw potable water supply as one of the fundamental needs of the country. He entreated Ghanaians to give their vote to the CPP in the 2008 general elections for the Party to implement its alternative water supply mechanism.

Mr Komba said the CPP would maintain the Rural/Small Towns Water Sector and the Urban Water Supply with some innovations. The Party said it would establish very strong water technical staff at the District Assembly level, which would be capable of designing small town water supply pipe systems. "Though there is currently a District Water and Sanitation Team (DWST), its capacity is not up to what the CPP wants and current private sector-led implementation is expensive and time consuming," Mr Komba said.

On funding, the CPP promised to set up Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Fund to finance investment on rural water supply. "It is estimated that if the fund can generate US$40 million annually, 600,000 rural people will be covered annually (Also)...Since urban water supply and sewerage is business in itself apart from serving as social needs, debt financing is a viable alternative. Government will use sovereign guarantee to acquire loans for rapid water supply and sewerage infrastructural expansion," he said.