NEWS in brief
Around Africa
Uganda
Water Prices to Drop By 50 Per Cent, Says Minister Cheptoris
President Magufuli with the Indian High Commissioner to Tanzania, Sandeep Arya( third left) launching the Upper Ruvu Water Treatment Plant in Kibaha District, Coast Region. Photo: F. Akida / Daily News
In the same vein, the President directed Dawasco to seal loopholes that result in loss of water, denying availability of the precious liquid to people, revenue loss, and insisted on equal performance between Dawasco and the Dar es Salaam Water and Sewerage Authority( Dawasa).
Addressing a well-attended rally in Mlandizi on his second leg of a three-day working tour of the Coast Region, Dr Magufuli remarked:“ I am always very open, all long-term defaulters should no longer be tolerated, even if it is my office- State House, disconnect them.”
He spoke few minutes before inaugurating a multi-billion project for expansion of the Upper Ruvu Water Treatment Plant.
The visibly annoyed Head of State insisted that there was no time for business as usual, hinting that all government institutions had enough budget as well as votes for other charges( OCs), meaning, they were capable of settling their outstanding debts that according to the Minister for Water and Irrigation, Engineer Gerson Lwenge, had ballooned to 40bn /-.
“ Some will challenge me if we should even cut water from hospitals and my answer is yes, because I know that they have money for that,” he said.
He warned Regional Commissioners, District Commissioners and District Executive Directors that should electricity be cut in their duty stations, they risk losing their jobs for negligence.
In his report to the President, the Minister said the accumulated debt had derailed various operations and projects in the ministry, adding that due to that it had even failed to clear its debt with TANESCO amounting to Tsh. 8.7billion.
However, in his response, the President warned that those who will fail to settle their dues with Dawasco will have their money allocated for recurrent and development expenditure in the next fiscal year chopped by the treasury and paid directly to the water body.
By Justus Lyatuu
Water rates might soon show a substantial drop, if hints of a looming drop in tariffs by the supplier, National Water and Sewerage Corporation, are anything to go by. Sam Cheptoris, the minister of Water and Environment, said the ministry has started working on ways that will ensure the price of water is reduced to enable more people, especially the poor, to afford.
“ The government has realized that many people are not using clean water, especially those in Kampala suburbs and in the villages, because the prices are very high. So, in the next few months, we will see water prices lowered,” he said. Cheptoris made these remarks during the launch of Uganda Water, Sanitation and Hygiene( WASH) media awards at the ministry headquarters recently. The awards are an initiative to recognize and encourage informative reporting across the media, especially the kind that raises awareness on the importance of water, sanitation and hygiene( WASH).
Cheptoris said that later this month, a 20-litre jerrycan will cost UShs 50, from the current recommended price of UShs 100, while water vendors will buy water from NWSC at a price of UShs 25 and will be required to sell it at UShs 50.
The development come days after Wakiso district officials said that about 1.14 million residents draw water from unprotected sources because there is less coverage of piped water. Residents said they trek long distances to fetch water. The WASH awards will be commemorated at an award dinner on September 29 at Sheraton hotel Kampala.
“ We are calling for submissions on June 5, and the closing of submission date will be August 25; in between, there will be media campaigns, reviews and nomination of winners,” Cheptoris said.
USAID
Ethiopia achieved its Millennium Development Goal target of 57 percent access to safe drinking water, halving the number of people without access to safe water since 1990. Yet access to improved sanitation remains stubbornly low at only 28 percent nationwide up from three percent in 1990. Despite these strides, safe water, sanitation and hygiene( WASH) coverage remains insufficient. Inadequate access to safe water and sanitation services and poor hygiene practices negatively impact health and nutrition; diarrheal disease is one of the leading causes of under-five mortality in Ethiopia.
6 Africa Water, Sanitation & Hygiene • July- August 2017