Inauguration of water supply facilities in Mpwapwa (19/03/14)

Wednesday 19th of March, the Vice President of the United Republic of Tanzania, Mr Gharib Mohamed Bilal, has inaugurated recent water supply investments in the city of Mpwapwa, in presence of the AFD Representative in Tanzania, Mr Christophe Barat.

These facilities have been financed by the French Government, through the French Development Agency, for an amount of 2.3 million € (5 billion Tanzanian schillings).

They contribute to significantly increase and improve the access to safe water supply for the 50,000 inhabitants of Mpwapwa city.

Speach of Mr. Christophe BARAT, AFD Representative in Tanzania

Your Excellency, Mr. Vice President,
Honourable Minister of Water
Honourable Members of Parliament
Regional Commissioner,
Regional and Local Officials,
All other dignitaries here present,
And last but not least: wapendwa wananchi wa Mpwapwa

On behalf of the French Ambassador, who unfortunately could not be present here in person, I am honoured and pleased to participate in this ceremonial inauguration of the Mpwapwa Water Supply System. This system was build by the Tanzanian Government with support from French Development Agency in the period 2009-2010.

It is already some years ago that the water system has been completed and put into operation. Design studies for the project started as far back as 2004. The construction works in Mpwapwa (and Utete) started in December 2008 and the project was substantially completed in June 2010. The total contribution of AFD, both in Mpwapwa and Utete, amounted to 6 million Euros, or about 12 billion Tanzanian Shillings. About half of that would have been dedicated to Mpwapwa, for preliminary studies, investment costs, and capacity building.

This water supply project here in Mpwapwa was the first step of AFD into the urban water sector in Tanzania. Since then, AFD has also been contributing 60 billion Tanzanian Shillings to the Water Sector Basket Fund, from which for example the Utility Office here in Mpwapwa was financed.

AFD is pleased with the good results of these urban water projects, as we have seen that these projects truly contribute to raising the living standards in Small Towns. It is clear that providing proper water supply services in Small Towns like Mpwapwa is an important task of your Government, and AFD will continue to support Tanzania in achieving your goals expected for the water sector.

For instance, AFD is currently supporting Water Supply and Sanitation projects in Bukoba, Musoma and Mwanza, three Regional Centres on the shores of Lake Victoria, for a total amount of about 200 billion Tanzanian Shillings, in co-financing with the European Investment Bank.
Beyond the three main cities, Lake Victoria projects will also provide water supply and sanitation facilities to a number of Small Towns in the Mwanza area. The projects are also aimed at contributing to the protection of the important water resources of Lake Victoria, and this is approached regionally, with similar projects in your neighbour countries, Kenya and Uganda.

France will not stop here in its cooperation with Tanzania in the water sector. AFD therefore intends to contribute also to next phase of the Water Sector Development Program. As sustainable and qualified management is a core issue, we intend to pay special attention to providing Capacity Support to Water Supply Utilities - large and small. We want to help them to build the capacity they need to properly operate and maintain the water systems given into their care, and to continue to improve the services that the paying populations can expect from these Utilities.

I wish a lot of success to the management team of Mpwapwa Water Supply and Sanitation Authority, and a lot of encouragement in times where things may perhaps not go as smooth as we would wish. For the people of Mpwapwa, I hope that the water supply system will be operated and maintained in a good and sustainable manner.

I wish to congratulate the inhabitants of Mpwapwa on this occasion of official inauguration by His Excellency the Vice President of Tanzania, and I hope that the Mpwapwa Water Authority will be able to count on your support, as fair customers, to make this utility functioning effectively and efficiently, for a long time to come.

Your Excellency, honourable dignitaries, guests and citizens of Mpwapwa, I thank you for having allowed me to make this small contribution to this ceremony.

Thank you. Asanteni Sana.