The secretary of State for Water, Luís Filipe, said Friday in Ondjiva, southern Cunene province, the Government is committed to significantly increasing the rate of national coverage of the programme of supply of drinking water to the population.

The official was speaking during the ceremony of launch of programme of reinforcement of the supply of drinking water and sanitation to the Cunene communities.

He said the governing programme of the ruling MPLA party provides for secured supply of drinking water to about 100 percent of the urban areas and 80 percent to the peri-urban and rural zones, coupled with better sanitation for the country's social and economic development.

Luís Filipe spoke of the need for concrete strategies for the resolution of the concrete water constraints affecting Cunene province, however gifted with a high potential from Cunene river.

The project whose programme was launched in Ondjiva is estimated at Usd 220 million, and includes the production and transportation of water from Xangongo to Ondjiva, the rehabilitation of the old Ondjiva system and construction of water and sanitation networks in various localities of the province.