House approves K12 billion Mangochi water project loan
Parliament has authorised the government to access a concession loan of K12 billion from Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development for implementation of the Mangochi Potable Water Supply Project.
Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development, Goodall Gondwe, said the project is responding to the rising demand for piped water.
“In Mangochi, the number of beneficiaries of piped water has risen from 23,000 in 2008 to 54,000 in 2017. Once concluded, the water supply system will be able to meet the demand of 893 inhabitants,” he said.
He said the project would lead to improved health among beneficiaries, considering that the prevalence of water-borne diseases is at 18 percent in Mangochi.
Commenting on the matter, Malawi Congress Party spokesperson on agriculture and water development, Evance Makowa Mwale, commended the government for seeing to it that the project is implemented.
“We recognise that most peri-urban and urban water supply systems throughout the country are too old and limited in capacity to cater for the present needs of targeted areas. There is, therefore, need to systematically modernise and expand the water supply system one by one,” he said
Chairperson of the parliamentary Committee of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development, Joseph Chidanti Malunga, said the project would help the country to move towards achieving goals of the Malawi Growth Development Strategy.
“It looks like, all of a sudden, water boards across the country have realised that there is Malawi Growth and Development Strategy pillar number three, which promotes the provision of potable water to all by the year 2030,” he said
The project will be concluded within 18 months.
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