The Gambia and France Partner to Support the Water Public Utility in the Greater Banjul Area and the Macroeconomic Stabilization of the Country
published on 20 March 2023
On 20th March 2023, the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs and Agence française de développement (AFD) will sign two funding agreements ; one additional grant to finance the phase 2 of the ongoing project “Water Supply in the greater Banjul Area” and one budget support - the third one since 2018 - to reduce the fiscal deficit, and to support the response to the 2022 floods disaster.
Implemented by the National Water & Electricity Company (NAWEC), the WASIB project is aiming to cover the water demand of the greater Banjul area in the short and medium term by increasing the production capacity and extending the distribution network of the water utility. The project also includes the preparation of a water supply & sanitation master plan, allowing forecasting water demand for 2050. This master plan and related decision-making tools will provide the required visibility for the NAWEC to define the long-term strategy of its water utility. The WASIB phase 2 will allow conveying 7000 additional m3 of water per day, with better pressure, and enhanced continuity of the service. This will allow approximately 300 000 persons to benefit from an improved access to water by the end of the project. The project will also finance the set-up of a quality control laboratory that will help improve water quality and could play a crucial role to reduce child mortality.
According to Mr. Nani Juwara, Managing Director of the National Water & Electricity Company: “This additional funding from the AFD will go a long way in NAWEC’s quest to achieve 80% water supply coverage within the GBA by 2030”.
In addition, the other grant under signature this day is a budget support aiming to contribute to macroeconomic stabilization by reducing the fiscal deficit. Furthermore, a part of it will support the measures carried out by the National Disaster Management Agency in response to the 2022 floods disaster, which affected more than 90 000 persons and completely damaged more than 6 800 inhabitations.
According to H.E the Ambassador of France in Senegal and the Gambia :“This measure appears to be a priority in such context of high external tensions, combined with the very tangible impacts of climate change that are already affecting the country. In other words, this budget support is intending to mitigate the 2022 chocks, threatening the Gambia in its long-term perspective to reach strong and sustainable macroeconomic stability”.
The signing ceremony will take place in Banjul, in the presence of Honorable Seedy K.M Keita, Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs; Honorable Abdoulie Jobe, Minister of Petroleum and Energy; His Excellency Philippe Lalliot, Ambassador of France in Senegal and the Gambia; Mr. Nani Juwara, Managing Director of the National Water & Electricity Company; and Mr. Mihoub Mezouaghi, Director of the AFD regional agency of Dakar.
In February 2018, at the International Donors’ conference in Brussels, France committed to grant 50 million euro in support to the Gambia. With these two new funding (12.5 million euro for the phase 2 of the WASIB project and 3 million euro for the budget support), the AFD portfolio in the Gambia now totals 55.2 million euro in grants, in line with the priorities defined by the Government of the Republic of the Gambia.
Contact: Marie MOUTON, Communication Officer (AFD)
