Water investment sparks interest in Ghana exhibition

ACE Event Management is organizing the Water Africa 2006 Exhibition to be held in Accra, Ghana on 25-27 January 2006, which will be accompanied by the West Africa Building & Construction 2006 Exhibition. The water and wastewater exhibition was last held in Ghana five years ago, but a surge in available investment funds for the African water sector makes this an opportune time for suppliers, according to the organizers.

In January 2005, the Government of Ghana signed the agreement for the Ghana Urban Water Project, ensuring a non-repayable credit of US$ 103 million from the World Bank towards a project estimated to cost US$ 120 million, including US$ 5 million from the Nordic Development Fund. The project will improve access to safe, reliable and affordable water services to thousands of households.

The urban water project provides a significant amount of investment urgently needed to finance the rehabilitation and expansion of water production, transmission and distribution infrastructure required to make more piped water available for distribution to consumers. About 100 local and foreign firms are competing to be selected to undertake the works in seven regions of the country. Phase 1 is expected to take off later this year.

Ghana has also been selected as one of five countries ready to participate in the implementation of Phase I of the African Development Bank Group's new Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Initiative (RWSSI). A grant of US$ 18.7 million, approved by African Development Fund (ADF) last September will help Ghana take advantage of this program aimed at supporting the country to meet the Millennium Development Goal of accelerated coverage of water supply and sanitation services.

The International Development Agency and the Agence Francaise de Developpement are also funding projects in the rural areas, which are coordinated by the Community Water & Sanitation Agency. For more information, contact Ace Event Management by email: [email protected].