$37m BCC funding boost for industry

Whinsley Masara, Business Reporter
BULAWAYO Mayor Councillor Martin Moyo says the $37 million water and sewer rehabilitation fund from the African Development Bank (AfDB) will impact positively on the city’s businesses especially small scale building material suppliers.

Bulawayo on Tuesday received a $37 million boost from the regional bank to finance infrastructure development and help improve service delivery.

“Clever business minded people will hurriedly stock hardware materials such as pipes, taps, bolts and nuts, cement and other things that could be used in rehabilitating and reviving the water and sewerage infrastructure in the city of Bulawayo,” he told Business Chronicle in an interview.

“Definitely all material that will be used in the implementation of the project will be purchased in our country as a way of boosting our economic status.”

Clr Moyo said the project was intended to improve the lives of residents through enhanced service and contribution to the revival of the local economy.

“This project will definitely create employment for citizens as it will run for the next four years. We expect the city of Bulawayo to benefit in many aspects,” he added.

Work has already started on the four-year project and the AfDB has released part of the funds. Clr Moyo said the project would result in the upgrading and improvement of household access to municipal water and reduced environmental pollution from raw sewage.

“Bulawayo was affected by many years of lack of investment in maintaining its water and sewage infrastructure due to economic challenges.

“The city is also further affected by limited water resources as a result of drought and despite these factors, the revenue collected by the local authority is not 100 percent as the rest is lost through leaks and burst pipes,” he said.

The Mayor also said the project would assist the city in mitigating the challenges of water and revenue lost through leaks as well as ensuring that the sewage generated in the city was treated at the water treatment works.

“It is my hope that this contribution of $37 million will go a long way towards the achievement of set targets,” he said. — @winnie_masara