Uganda: thirsty for cheaper water

Although the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) recommended price for a 20-litre jerry-can of water is UGS 14 (EUR 0.006), in reality it goes for between UGS 50?200 (EUR 0.02-0.09) depending on the location. NWSC has 66,000 active water connections in the country, far less than the desired 200,000 to achieve 100 percent connectivity by 2015. NWSC aims to encourage private participation. " NWSC hired ONDEO, a private management firm, to collect about US$ 17 million (EUR 14.4 million) revenue in Kampala annually. Mr David Ssebabi, team leader, at the Privatisation and Utility Sector Reform Project, said that under the 'Private Sector Participation' programme, "a private operator would be contracted under a lease arrangement," while local governments should be allowed to play a bigger role in their localities. This awaits cabinet approval of the Privatization Unit white paper on the privatisation of water, and seems to concur with the government plan to place all small town water systems under private sector management contracts by 2005. However, the Minister for Water, Lands and Environment, Col. Kahinda Otafiire, says there is actually nothing to privatise.

Contact: NWSC, http://www.nwsc.co.ug/contact.php; Privatization Unit, Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, fax: +256-41-342403, info@perds.go.ug or pmu@imul.com; Hon. Col. Kahinda Otafiire, Ministry of Water, Lands and Environment, fax: +256-41-230891, otafiire@mwle.go.ug

Source: The Monitor, 18 Sep 2003

Keywords

• Financing