Maputo — The World Bank is investing 165 million US dollars in sanitation projects for the town of Beira, in the central Mozambican province of Sofala.

This figure was recently disclosed in Beira by the Minister of Public Works, Housing and Water Resources, Carlos Mesquita.

According to the minister, other projects include the Mozambican capital Maputo and the towns of Tete, Quelimane and Nampula, and should be completed by the end of 2025.

Cited in the daily "Notícias", the minister explained that the plan envisages expansion of the project to other towns, in order to improve access to sanitation services. The projects will also play an important role for the learning process and capacity building of the staff involved.

The mentors of project believe that by including local technicians this will safeguard adequate operation and maintenance of urban sanitation systems once completed and value investments made.

According to the minister, it is urgent to realign the roles of central, provincial and local governments, and the sector's specialised agencies, according to their legal capacities and attributions.

Data from National Statistics Institute (INE) show that urban sanitation coverage stands at 59.9 percent and rural 21.5 percent, which is far below desired levels.

In this list of projects, the minister mentioned the Green Infrastructure Park, an investment of around 90 million US dollars.

The minister also said that studies are currently under way for drainage systems in Beira, as well as studies to coastal protection, as part of an investment package of around 120 million US dollars.

'Also here in Beira, a sanitation project is being prepared for the rehabilitation of the Wastewater Treatment Plant,' the minister said.