SHINYANGA Water Supply and Sanitation Authority (SHUWASA) is set to increase water supply over 30 per cent in the next three years thanks to 75 million euro (195bn/-) loan from France.
The fund through French Development Agency (AFD) will increase water supply capacity from the current 25,877 cubic metres (m3) to 33,944m3 per day. The loan agreement was signed between Tanzania and France yesterday and is envisaged to accelerate achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development goal six.
The Ministry of Finance and Planning, Permanent Secretary, Emmanuel Tutuba said the project after completion will increase access to clean and safe water by about 95 per cent in Shinyanga municipal and some urban centres in Shinyanga District--serving some 306,566 people.
"The AFD support in this sector is immeasurable and it contributes a lot in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal number 6 on the universal access to safely managed water and sanitation services by 2030," Mr Tutuba said.
The project will improve the existing infrastructure and enhance the operational and service delivery of SHUWASA.
Tutuba urged the implementing entities, the ministry of water and SHUWASA to use the vast experience obtained in the implementation of the second Tanzania Water Sector Support project, Sustainable Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Programme, and various urban water supply and sanitation projects financed by AFD to deliver a much better project for benefit of the people of Shinyanga.
"Tanzania has benefited from French support, mostly in three priority sectors which are water and sanitation, energy and transport. Indeed the AFD portfolio is amongst the fastest growing in Tanzania," Mr Tutuba said.
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The French Ambassador to Tanzania, Mr Nabil Hajlaoui, said the water and sanitation sector has historically been their priority of intervention in the country with the first project approved in 2002.
At the request of Tanzania AFD has committed a total amount of 861bn/- to this sector which represents about one-third of AFD's portfolio in the country over the last ten years and contributed to the water basket fund.
The Ambassador said the water sector will continue to remain a priority sector for AFD with the new projects expected in Dar es Salaam or Mwanza in preparation of Lake Victoria Water Supply and Sanitation phase II.
The SHUWASA Managing Director, Eng Yusuph Katopola, said the project will also build sewage infrastructure from scratches to 40 per cent.
The project will see the construction of clean water and sewerage infrastructure in Shinyanga municipality and the small towns of Tinde, Didia and Isalamagazi.
