The Ghanaian Parliament has recently issued a positive decision on the government's proposal to benefit from a €276 million credit line opened by Deutsche Bank (DBK), Germany's largest bank. It is intended for the implementation of the Tamale drinking water project in northern Ghana.
Parliament has approved the government’s request for a line of credit from the financial partner for the Tamale drinking water project in northern Ghana. 276 million from Deutsche Bank (DBK), Germany’s leading bank. The government should be ready to take advantage of this loan in the short run.
“The government intends to start the project as soon as possible and has planned to withdraw €12 million during the 2019 financial year, following all lending and project approval procedures,” explains Abena Osei-Asare, Ghana’s Deputy Finance Minister. Everything is already in place for the start of the project. The government’s schedule provides for 54 months for the project to be carried out, including 6 months for the development phase and 48 months for the construction phase.
A project carried out by Biwater
The Ghanaian government is in a hurry and is therefore accelerating the Tamale drinking water project. A few weeks ago, it issued a call for tenders, following which the British company Biwater was selected for implementation. The project involves the design, construction and commissioning of a drinking-water plant in Yapei. The treated water in the plant will be pumped into the Volta Blanche River. The plant is expected to have a daily capacity of 135,000 m3 of water. It will be accompanied by a pumping station. Biwater will also install pipelines to transport water to the Tamale and Damongo cities.
The contract signed between Biwater and the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) also includes the installation of a dedicated power line to supply the future facilities, as well as the construction of several district offices for the public company.
Biwater believes that the new infrastructure should enable the GWCL to expand the drinking water distribution network in the two cities targeted by the project, which should benefit 800,000 people. The value of the contract awarded to Biwater is $272 million. According to the report of the Finance Committee of the Ghanaian Parliament, the project will provide drinking water to 27 municipalities in northern Ghana.
Jean Marie Takouleu
