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Aqua Vitens hopes for contract extension

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Officials of Aqua Vitens Rand, operators of the Ghana Water Company Ltd say they are committed to improving service delivery in the country. The commitment follows rumours that the management contract of the South African Company will not be renewed when it expires next month. Aqua Vitens have been tasked to operate the water sector on behalf of the Ghana Water Company Ltd but its performance over the years has been abysmal. Sector Minister Alban Babgin said the company has failed to meet targets set by government. The operator was tasked to reduce unaccountable water from 48 per cent to 24 per cent but the phenomenon has rather increased to 51 per cent. The Minister however did not say whether the company’s contract will be extended. The National Coalition against Water Privatization is not impressed with the performance of Aqua Vitens Rand and has not hidden their desire to have the contract come to an end without any extension. At a just ended national forum on water delivery, the coalition members in unison signed for a non-extension of the management contract. A member of the coalition, Shun Quartey told Joy News government has two other options- revert to the status quo in which the GWCL were managers and operators of the company or make Aqua Vitens Rand a department under the GWCL. But the stakeholders, he said, were unanimous in their decision not for government to extend the contract. Shun Quartey said government must rather put an institutional and financing framework in place to improve the water service delivery in the country. He was convinced that Ghanaian experts could still manage the water sector under the appropriate supervision. But the Country Director of Aqua Vitens Rand says his company needs more time and the adequate investment to improve upon the service. Martin Nice told Joy News the fundamental problem facing the sector is the lack of investment which has led to demand outstripping supply hence the shortage which continually besets the sector. He said there has to be enough supply to meet growing demand and hopes government will extend the contract for the company to complete the modest progress made over the last five years. Story by Nathan Gadugah/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana

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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.