The viability of rural water supply and sanitation (WSS) programs depend on the partnership between Water PNG and District Development Authorities (DDA’s).
Water PNG Managing Director, Raka Taviri, said this when asked following the signing of a K223 million loan between the PNG Government and the World Bank for the roll our of water supply and sanitation program.
Taviri said the operation costs to provide clean an safe water is very high and though they operated in 21 centres around the country, only a few centres were profitable.
He said in order to sustain their operations they have developed a concept to enter into agreements with DDA’s.
Taviri highlighted the pilot project which was signed with Yangoru-Saussia District at the end of last year, saying the concept will make the district take ownership of water services.
It is hoped that this will create job opportunities and economic activity in the District.
“And the pilot agreement to work together, train their operators how to operate and maintain the systems, and after five years, we will then hand over the system to Yangorru and then hopefully they will take it on,” he said.
The K223 million loan from the World Bank will fund the implementation of the National Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WaSH) Program through three approaches. They include:
- Supporting the development of the WaSH Project Management Unit (PMU), sector strategies, plans, management and financing instruments;
- Supporting the development of District wide WaSH Development Plans, and carry our systematic rural water supply and sanitation (WSS) in the districts; and
- Support the expansion of WSS services to urban areas through a rolling program of design and investment support for new provincial and district town water schemes.
Water PNG will be the implementing agency for the programs and Managing Director, Raka Taviri, says they have already unidentified four sites to begin with a further 10 during the project.
The first four sites include Bialla, Bulolo, Mendi and Vanimo.