Water Privatisation is a give-away - ISODEC

ISODEC a non-governmental organisation in collaboration with the Trades Union Congress (TUC) last Wednesday organised a public forum in Sunyani on plans to privatise the water sector in Ghana.

In the welcome address, the National Co-ordinator of ISODEC, Mr. Rudolf Amenga Elego said, for Ghana to enjoy efficient and effective water delivery, the private investor will have to raise 1.2 billion dollars but said due to pressure from investors the government has scaled down the amount to $400 million over ten years.

He added that the two investors who have shown interests so far in Ghana water have said they would contribute $70 million each and government will have to borrow the rest to make it up.

Mr. Amega said this is far below the investment capital needed for the water sector. He also said the private companies who want to run the water sector. He also said the private companies who want to run the water business are putting pressure on government to increase tariffs to ascertain level before they take over in March next year.

He stressed that countries urging Ghana to go for privatisation in the water sector are breaking away from the ideals. According to Mr. Amega, there would be an international forum in France next year against water privatisation and there is no need Ghana enters into the private sector.

He said some companies in France who have expressed interest in Ghana are having problems in renewing their licenses and urged Ghanaians to start wearing red bands if the government ignored their appeals.

He warned the government that, the national coalition against water privatisation, a group of organisation which are opposed to the government plans to include private firm in the delivery has warned that they will embark on a massive demonstration country wide if the government fails to heed to their persuasion and go ahead with plans to privatise water in March next year.

The Northern sector Co- ordinator for the National Coalition against water privatisation Patrick Aponye, indicated that Ghana is ranked second in guinea worm infection in the world and if water is privatised, the situation will be compounded especially in the volta, Northern and Brong Ahafo Region, which account for 90% of the infections.