Sanitation, water sector to get $2bn Chinese loan

Government of Ghana through the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources (MoSWR) is saddling up to receive a whopping $2 Billion loan from China to address certain challenges in the sector.

Taking his turn at the Meet the Press Series held in Accra, last Friday, the outgoing Minister of Sanitation, Mr. Kofi Adda said the Loan would be used to undertake seeming important sanitation and water projects in various parts of the country.

The yet-to-be received fund according to the minister, would only be of benefit to Ghana if the country had a specific road map that would guide their actions.

“We therefore set to developing this strategic road map that would span the short, medium and long-term periods, including quick impact measures in the immediate,” he said.

Mr. Adah added that the set plans have successfully been drawn to support the ministry’s work.

These plans include the drilling and mechanisation of 5,000 and 3,000 boreholes in two different instances and the estimated costs for these proposals stand at about $1.5 million.

Plans are also far advanced to procure 2,000 solar pumps from an Indian manufacturer through the Indian Eximbank, the minister disclosed.

A proposal to improve the quality of water through a filtration system to be financed by the United Kingdom Export Agency has also been channelled to Cabinet for approval.

To ensure that the country meets the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6—which anchors on clean water and sanitation, the government of Ghana has completed the drilling of 1,000 boreholes which was undertaken in 2017.

Broken Boreholes

Mr. Adah further disclosed that though the country is doing all it can to achieve its target of “Water for All” set by government, 30% of already drilled boreholes are broken down.

Aside that, “The quality of water has also been a serious case of worry not just because of illegal mining…but also our inability to treat the water coming out from our boreholes,” he noted.

The Sanitation Dream

Touching on sanitation, the minister indicated that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s dream of making Accra the cleanest city in African would only happen quickly if government continuously provides the funds needed to fight the menace of filth.

He said that the late release of funds coupled with a cumbersome procurement process denied the ministry the successes it wished to chalk.

Despite the challenges, the minister said the sanitation dream is still attainable.

According to him, the finance ministry would in no time release GH?100 million to the ministry of sanitation for proper execution of plans.

This coupled with a capital expenditure allocation of GH?59 million for the 2018 fiscal year would go a long way, the minister said with gratitude.

He further announced the launch of the Sanitation Brigade which would take place next month.

The brigade would see to it that the laws guiding sanitation are duly enforced.