K223 million loan to fix water supply, sanitation

THE Government, through the Department of Treasury, has signed to obtain a US$70 million (K223m) loan from World Bank for a water supply and sanitation development project.
The project is aimed to deliver access to clean water and sanitation to nine provincial towns and 10 rural districts from this year until 2023.
Water PNG with the Department of National Planning and Monitoring will work together to implement the project.
Treasurer Patrick Pruaitch said these aims were captured in the Government’s vision 2050, the development strategic plan covering two decades as well as the 2013 national strategy for responsible sustainable development (StaRs).
“As part of these longer term strategic policies, the recently launched medium term development strategy aims to provide increasing access to reliable and affordable water and sanitation services as part of the government’s plan to improve living standards,” Pruaitch said.
He said this would effectively be done through implementation of the national water, sanitation and hygiene behaviour (Wash) policy covering from 2015 to 2030.
“To effectively develop key priority areas requires careful planning, knowledge, financial backing and expertise,” Pruaitch said.
Pruaitch later told the media that the loan was adding to what the Government was doing for the rural population.
World Bank acting country manager Anne Tully said her bank was working alongside the government in the Wash policy over the last couple of years to improve access to clean water and hygiene.