Parliament approves K75 billion Lilongwe water, sanitation loan
Parliament Thursday approved that Lilongwe Water Board (LWB) can borrow $100 million [about K75 billion] from the World Bank for implementation of a water and sanitation project in the capital.
The loan is meant to facilitate activities that are aimed at strengthening the capacity of both LWB and Lilongwe City Council (LCC) in the provision of sanitation services to the city.
All Members of Parliament (MPs) who stood to contribute to the bill supported the move and asked the government to consider other areas, more especially rural areas where water boards do not operate in.
Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development, Goodall Gondwe, said the government would continue to bring to Parliament bills of similar nature to promote socio-economic development.
But when closing debate on the International Development Association (Lilongwe Water and Sanitation Project) Loan (Authorisation) Bill, Gondwe said the country’s quest for boreholes is misplaced.
“Next time we come with the budget, please let us not emphasise the need for boreholes because these come in and after six months they dry up. A number of things happen to them. Probably that is not the way to go. The way to go would be piped water and we will make it possible that most of these should come,” Gondwe said.
He was responding to some MPs who said there was need for the government to also consider borrowing funds for the provision of water in rural areas by drilling boreholes.
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