In a bid to support development in the continent, the African Development Bank on Wednesday approved a sum of $107.5 million towards provision of clean water and improved sanitation in Uganda and financing of the Tanzania Institutional Support Project for Good Governance (ISPGG III).
The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank (AfDB) in Abidjan loaned Uganda’s Water Supply and Sanitation Program II (WSSP II) $91 million. The program targets 1.43 million people and is aimed to contributing to the country’s 2040 vision of having “a transformed society from a peasant to a modern and prosperous country within 30 years.” Once implemented, the initiative will not only reduce walking distance to the nearest water point but also the time spent fetching water at congested water points.
“Implementation of this project will help improve health and productivity of Ugandan populations and have positive social and gender payoffs, as well as more conducive work environment in the towns and rural growth centers,” said AfDB Water and Sanitation Department Director, Mohamed El-Azizi as he presented the WSSP II to the Board.
According to the Board members, the project will bring development in Uganda as the government prioritizes water security and good sanitation as a driver of change.
In Tanzania, the $16.5-million loan will be used to support the government in promoting inclusive growth and macroeconomic stability by enhancing economic and financial governance through more effective public financial management and improved business environment.
AfDB’s support for the Government of Tanzania’s public financial management (PFM) reform agenda, is aimed at contributing to efforts geared towards enhancing capacity, and improving accountability, transparency and integrity in the management of public resources.
“The project will also contribute to an improvement in the business enabling environment, by strengthening capacity to fight corruption, the streamlining of business registration and licensing processes and operationalization of the public-private partnership (PPP) framework,” AfDB stated.
During the Board presentation, Director of the Bank’s Governance, Economic and Financial Management Department, Jacob Mukete, noted that “the project builds upon Bank-supported capacity building and PFM reforms in Tanzania, and complements the ongoing Power Sector Reform and Governance Support Program and the Public Financial Management Reform Program (PFMRP IV) supported by other development partners through basket funding.”
Photo Credit: UN Photo/Logan Abassi