Opposition PP and MCP back water supply and sanitation project loan bill

Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and Peoples Party (PP) have authorized the OPEC Fund for International Development Nkhatabay Town Water Supply and Sanitation Project Loan Bill.

The Bill number 25 of 2018 Opec Fun for International Development (Ofid) was read for the first time by Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development, Goodall Gondwe on Tuesday during the parliamentary proceedings in Lilongwe.

It  seeks to authorize the Ministry of Finance on behalf of the government to obtain a loan of US$12 million (K8.8billion)  to contribute towards the financing of the project.

The Project will be co-financed by OFID, and Africa Development Bank by a grant of an amount not exceeding the equivalent of 10 500 000 Units of Account (UA).

But Gondwe  informed the House that he was not ready to proceed with the second reading of tje bill because he had other things to do.

The Project is to contribute to Malawi’s economic development by improving health and livelihoods of Nkhatabay town residents and its surrounding areas through habitation and expansion of the existing Nkhatabay town water supply system.

“The project will provide reliable and sustainable portable water and improved sanitation services by increasing the capacity of portable water from current 1,450m3 to 19,623m3 per day in the project area and shall consequently impact positively,” Gondwe said.

He added that sanitation and hygiene improvement is included in the project to support the promotion of open defecation free (ODF) communities and improved household sanitation through sanitation marketing, improved hygiene practices and many others.

“The water supply services for 50,503 inhabitants population of the district which is projected to 105, 00 by the year 2014 by inter alia, reducing the prevalence rate of water borne diseases from current 3.4 to 1 percent,” the Minister added.

In a separate interview, MCP spokesperson, Joseph Njobvuyalema said they support the bill because it would be beneficial for the general growth of population.

“Nkhatabay is along Lake Malawi and with the growing population in the district, let alone in other districts, it is now time that the water system is rehabilitated so that there is more water supply, to improve water capacity,” he said.

Njobvuyalema, however, said it was sad that the bill was suspended.

Finance Spokesperson for Peoples Party (PP), John Chikalimba commended the Bill saying institutional capacity building and project management would cover the operating cost of project implementation unit and the purchase of two motor vehicle, office equipment and furniture and audits.

“We support the bill because it is extremely important and it is a project which was to be done long time ago If this bill was passed way back in the house our country could be flee from water scarcity,” he said.

The project aims to improve livelihoods of residents of Nkhatabay and its surrounding areas through rehabilitation and expansion of the existing NkhataBay water supply system.

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