World Bank, Ghana Government spend $13m on water projects in Western Region
The World Bank and the Government of Ghana (GoG) have jointly financed the rehabilitation of a number of water supply systems in five urban communities in the Western Region at a cost of $13 million under the Urban Water Investment Project being executed by the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL).
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The beneficiary towns are Aboso, Axim, Bogoso, Prestea and Elubo, where new pumps, filtration plants and distribution lines, among other works, have been completed to serve several populations in those communities.
Between 2008 and 2009, the WB and the GoG committed funds to improve deteriorated water equipment in the Ashanti and Greater Accra regions and from 2010 to 2016, the government embarked on a project dubbed, ‘‘Subsequent Year Investment Project’’ for the Central and Western regions.
The Minister of Water Resources Works and Housing, Dr Kwaku Agyemang-Mensah, inspected the completed projects ahead of their official symbolic inauguration, which comes off soon.
Accompanied by the Deputy Managing Director (DMD) of the GWCL in charge of operations, Mr Buule Irenious, and other officials of the ministry, they were conducted round the projects by the Western Regional Chief Manager of the GWCL, Mr Mark Teiko Cudjoe.
Briefing the press at the end of the tour, the minister expressed satisfaction at the completion of the projects which would provide potable water for the people in the five communities.
President Mahama’s administration
He indicated that within the first term of President Mahama’s administration, there had been unprecedented improvement in rural and urban water supply, with 74 per cent delivery in urban communities and about 78 per cent in the rural areas.
Mr Agyemang-Mensah also expressed the hope that by 2025, the government’s target of 100 per cent coverage of the provision of clean water for Ghanaians wherever they lived would have been achieved, saying that, ‘‘Water is life for the people.’’
He stressed that the people had an obligation to pay some money for the maintenance of the equipment to enable them to continue to enjoy water for their daily house chores.
Dr Agyemang-Mensah also inspected the Esiama water supply system in the Ellembelle District in the Western Region. It was undertaken by the Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA) under the Small Town Mechanised Borehole Water System to serve only the Esiama population of 10, 421.
Tarkwa-Nsuaem/Wassa East projects
The 250 cubic metre capacity project, which is about 97 per cent complete, is to cost GH¢2,120,000, financed by the government with the assembly committing five per cent of the total cost, while a private operator will manage the system on behalf of the assembly, subject to a two-year review.