Loan Money For Water Projects Ending At Workshops, Allowances-Kouwenhoven

Kouwenhoven

Rumphi West Legislature decries over the lack of implementation to the Water and Sanitation loans authorized by the National Assembly.


Honorable Jacqueline Kouwenhoven reaction came following observation on previous trend on loans that National Assembly authorizes Finance Minister to borrow for the purpose of Water projects. She said there is no implementation, always the borrowed funds ends in workshops and allowances.

On Tuesday, the House authorized the Finance Minister to borrow from African Development Bank (ADB) and OPEC for Mzimba Integrated Urban Water and Sanitation Project.

Kouwenhoven, observed with great concern that government continues to ask the House to authorize the borrowing of funds for Water Projects that are never implemented.

“Where is the implementation after this House has approved and received those loans? Because the very first bill we authorized in 20014 was a loan for water and sanitation infrastructures in five districts. One of the districts was Rumphi the others were Ntcheu, Phalombe including Nkhotakota.

So I happen to come from Rumphi and I see with my own eyes that there is nothing on the ground relating to this loan.” She said

Instead of implementation, the legislature pointed that “We only see and hear district officers saying they have gone to Salima for workshops.” Said Kouwenhoven

“So eight months is a long time, so if this Government cannot start even implement that project, and yet are seeking our authorization for so many loans. How is that going to work?

They are failing to implement one loan the very first one we authorized so what about all other loans, are those projects going to work?”

The loan she was referring to was meant among others to upgrade gravity water scheme in her constituency, in Hewe and drill 88 boreholes. The project also had a component of constructing a District Water Sanitation Office. However the legislature says all that were promised in the loan bill are still a mare dream.

She hinted that the result of Government failure to implement the project in her constituency, people are being forced to drink water from unprotected water sources and sometimes making people to get water from far distances.

“What I want to see is this Government starting implanting on the ground. Don’t stick to meetings, don’t stick to workshops only, where the officers go and get big allowances. But what I want to see on the ground the start of implementation” she pleaded

The parliamentarian also raised similar call during her contribution to the loan authorization bill for Mzimba water project. She maintained that she is worried if the approved loan is going to see implementation considering current trend.