The Ministry of Energy and Water Resources (MEWR) with support from the Department for International Development (DFID) is to support local councils and WASH Facility in the implementation of the National Water and Sanitation Policy (NWSP).
The main objective of NWSP is to respond to the urgent need for integrated and cross-sectoral approaches to water management and development, as it aims to improve the financing, management and delivery of sustainable water service in Sierra Leone, enable the whole rural and urban communities to adopt safe hygiene and sanitation practices and consume safe water.
This information was disclosed at the official launching of the Support to District Councils and WASH Facility at the Hill Valley Hotel, past Friday, 27th January 2012.
In his statement, the Deputy Minister and Acting Minister of Energy and Water Resources, Martin Bash-Kamara described the National Water and Sanitation Policy as a comprehensive and ambitious document with an objective to ensure the optimal, sustainable and equitable development and use of the country’s water resources.
“It is imperative that we put into action the good intentions of the policy document and do so in an effective and timely manner. With support from DFID and UNICEF, my Ministry has defined programme of interventions that will position the WASH sector to meet the intents of the Government’s Agenda for Change,” the Acting Minister said.
He disclosed that in the coming months, his Ministry will be committed to the enactment of a new legal and regulatory frame work and institutional and organizational arrangements to support water resources management and water related sanitation, the development and operation of WASH sector investment plans, increase capacity for establishing monetary and evaluation and data collection system among others.
The Acting Minister said he has great respect for the collective efforts of the WASH sector, adding that they should now utilize their collective wisdom to make real progress. He said the mission of his ministry is to ensure effective management of the country’s water resources to improve the quality of life for all Sierra Leoneans.
Will Tillett, WASH Facility Manager, disclosed that the 5M Pounds (five million Pounds) fund donated by DFID an equivalence of Le 33Billion (thirty-three billion Leones) is to finance small scale community and sanitation programmes.
He maintain that WASH fund will be administered on behalf of the government of Sierra Leone by Adam Smith International (ASI), an international consultancy firm that is already engaged in the WASH support programme by providing technical assistance to the WASH sector in Sierra Leone.
According to him, the purpose of WASH Facility is to finance projects that help to drive positive change in the WASH sector in Sierra Leone, by developing sector learning, developing capacity, undertaking key studies and testing innovative ideas and approaches for WASH service delivery.
By Alhaji M. Kamara
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