By Sallieu S Kanu
An African Development Bank (AfDB) team comprised experts from the Finance, Social and Environmental Management, Procurement and Disbursemet Departments and the Sierra Leone Field Office (SLFO) have completed a five-day mission visit on the Freetown WASH and Aquatic Environment Revamping (WASHAERP) Project which is being implemented by the Guma Valley Water Company.
The mission was concluded on Friday, November 4, 2022.
According to the AfDB Project Task Manager, Janet Atim, the objective of the mission is to assess progress on the project, identify any bottlenecks that are impeding its implementation and to come up with recommendations to address them.
During the mission, the AfDB team paid a courtesy call on the Minister of Water Resources and Chairman of the Freetown WASH and Aquatic Environment Revamping Project Steering Committee, Ing. Philip K. Lansana, with whom they had discussions around the project financing, challenges and some of the recommendations the Bank was considering to address the challenges.
The WASHAERP Manager at Guma Valley Water Company, Cephas Oguah presented a progress report on the activities carried out so far under the project and the financial disbursements status of the project funders including the African Development Bank, Kuwait Fund, Islamic Development Bank, Adaption Fund, Green Climate Fund, Netherlands Enterprise Agency, Saudi Fund, OPEC Fund for International
Development, ECOWAS Bank, etc.
The AfDB Mission team made site visits to Bass Street at Brookfield and Syke Street where meter installation is ongoing and the Kongo Dam and Babadorie Reservoir at Regent.
The team also visited the Angola Town Water Supply Systems project sites to inspect ongoing pipe laying works at Lakka and construction works at Angola Town.
The AfDB Project Task Manager, Janet Atim said, “The works are impressive especially on the meter installation. The Bank is very passionate about creation of jobs through water sector projects, which is something that is being done under this project”.
Madam Atim expressed her delight to see women being employed under the project and the level of professionalism that was exhibited at the various sites the team visited.
At the Kongo Dam, Madam Atim said she was very impressed with the green scenery (forest) around the Kongo Dam catchment, stating that the Bank will sponsor the rehabilitation of the dam.
The Project Task Manager, however, raised concern about the resettlement aspects of the project and payment of contractors due to delays in the disbursement of funds.
Notwithstanding the challenges, Madam Atim said the team is satisfied with the project implementation and hoped that all project activities will have been completed by June 30, 2024.
The Freetown WASH and Aquatic Environment Revamping Project (WASHERP) covers the Greater Freetown area and is aimed at contributing 15% increase in access to safe water supply and 7% increase in access to improved sanitation in the Western Area.