ADB Group Supports Accra Sewerage Improvement Project

Ouagadougou, 19 May 2006 - The African Development Fund and the Government of Ghana on Wednesday 17 May, in Ouagadougou signed a loan agreement of 46 million Units of Account, (equivalent to US$ 68 million or 606 billion GHC) to finance the Accra Sewerage Improvement Project.

The agreement was signed by Zeinab El-Bakri, ADB Group Vice President of Operations (OCVP), and Mr. Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, Minister of Finance and Economic Planning of Ghana. The Accra Sewerage Improvement Project (ASIP) will provide an improved and extended sewerage and sanitation system for disposing of waste water from the city of Accra, in an environmentally and socially acceptable manner, to meet the demand up to year 2020. Populations access to sanitation facilities will increase from the present 40% to 65% in urban and peri urban areas in Accra by 2010, a. Along with this, it will reduced haulage distances from the present average of 10 km to 4 km in 2020. About 1,5 million persons (49.5% of the 2020 Accra population) in the urban and per-urban population of Accra, majority of whom are poor, will be the immediate beneficiaries. Their socio-economic conditions will improve significantly. The immediate beneficiaries will be the urban and peri-urban population in Accra of about 1,5 million persons (49.5% of the 2020 Accra population), majority of whom are poor. In spite of the availability of 20 institutional sewerage systems operated by different institutions, most of the systems are in a poor state of repair and non-operational. Only 15% of Accra is served by conventional sewerage network and sewage treatment plant. This led to an increasing use of individual on-site sanitation facilities, resulting in an increase in pollution of surface water bodies in the city. Only 15% of Accra is served by conventional sewerage network and sewage treatment plant. Outside the sewered areas, septic tanks, public toilets, pit latrines and pan latrines are used. In spite of the availability of 20 institutional sewerage systems operated by different institutions, most of the systems are in a poor state of repair and non-operational. This has led to an increased provision and use of individual sanitation facilities and consequently deterioration of environmental and health conditions in the city.

Earlier, the ADF financed the project feasibility study in 1996 and the detailed design study in 2004. The ADF has financed the project feasibility study (1996) and detailed design study (2004).

The African Development Bank Group operations in Ghana started in 1974. Its commitments in the country stand at 12,000 billion cedi in 87 operations. * UA 1 = 1.47106 USD = 13,168 GHC as at 17/05/2006

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