AfricaPress-Tanzania: MOROGORO residents yesterday expressed enthusiasm as the government signed a 70 -million euro (175.6bn/- ) Credit Facility Agreement with the French Development Agency (AFD) that would finance their local Water Supply and Sanitation project.
Speaking during the signing ceremony, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance and Planning, Mr Dotto James said the project is expected to benefit about 722,010 people in Morogoro Urban to access clean and safe water.
He further said upon its completion it will increase the amount of water supplied to the locals from the current 37,000 cubic litres a day to 108,000 cubic litres.
The Permanent Secretary said the scheme will contribute in attaining the government’s requirement to supply 126,253 cubic litres per day by the year 2035, to cover 95-percent to the Morogoro residents.
“The project also will increase the sewerage services from the current five per cent to 15 percent for Morogoro Urban population,” said Mr James.
In a related development, he applauded the French government through the agency for the friendly assistance that has midwifed a number of bilateral development projects, both ongoing and some in pipeline.
“Tanzania has benefited and is expected to benefit from the AFD’s support mostly in Energy, Water, Transport (roads and infrastructure) and Agriculture sectors” he point- ed out.
The PS further noted that AFD has offered financial sup- port through grants and loans in the past years amounting to Euro 154.5 million, estimated as 387.6bn/-.
However, he listed some of the projects funded by AFD as including Water Sector Devel- opment Plan II -Basket fund (of 40 million Euro), TTGRUP- Rehabilitation of TANESCO substation (53 million Euro loan), Geita-Nyakanazi Power line and substations (14 mil- lion Euros), Water supply in Mwanza and sanitation in Bukoba-Musoma Project (45 mil- lion Euro) and the Technical Assistance for Water supply in Mwanza and sanitation in Bukoba-Musoma Project (1.5 million Euro grant).
The list also highlighted Preparation/Study and Capac- ity Building Fund-IV (0.5 mil- lion Euro grant), and FERC V (Projects Preparation/Study and Capacity Building Fund- V) (0.5 million Euro grant).
He hinted of the AFD showing an intention to pro- vide financing of 1,021.7 million Euro, (2.39 trn/-) in the near future. On her part, AFD Country Director-Tanzania Office, Stephanie Mouen Essombe, said their support to water projects was aimed at improv- ing the residents’ livelihoods.
Commenting, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Water, Prof Kitila Mkumbo commended the AFD support noting that the government in the past five years has implemented 1,423 water projects countrywide.
Of the implemented proj- ects, he said, 792 are complete and the remaining are at an ad- vanced stage consuming 3.5tr/- in more than 35 townships.
