Egypt gives $5m for water hyacinth
Nov 08, 2006
EGYPT has given another grant of $4.5m (about sh8.3b) for removal of the water hyacinth and maintenance of fish landing sites for the next three years.
By David Muwanga
EGYPT has given another grant of $4.5m (about sh8.3b) for removal of the water hyacinth and maintenance of fish landing sites for the next three years.
“The Egyptian minister for water resources and irrigation, Dr. Mahmoud Abu Zeid, presented Uganda’s request to our cabinet for extension of the weed control project. $4.5m has been approved for 2007-2009,†the Egyptian ambassador, Reda Bebars, said at a dinner at his residence in Kololo, Kampala.
Present were water minister Maria Mutagamba, fisheries state minister Fred Mukisa, and MPs on the agriculture and budget committee.
He said the two countries needed to strengthen trade to enable people develop through creation of employment and introduction of new products.
“Our government has also trained people from all the Nile Basin countries that include Burundi, DR Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, Egypt and Uganda from Egypt or using technicians from Egypt to help them acquire skills,†Zeid said.
The Uganda-Egypt Aquatic Weed Control Project’s executive director, Dr. Ahmed Ragab, said the project that has removed 70,000 tonnes of the hyacinth started in 1999 with a grant of $13.9m (sh25.4b) from Egypt.
The project included training of Ugandan engineers and technicians in the two countries.
EGYPT has given another grant of $4.5m (about sh8.3b) for removal of the water hyacinth and maintenance of fish landing sites for the next three years.
“The Egyptian minister for water resources and irrigation, Dr. Mahmoud Abu Zeid, presented Uganda’s request to our cabinet for extension of the weed control project. $4.5m has been approved for 2007-2009,†the Egyptian ambassador, Reda Bebars, said at a dinner at his residence in Kololo, Kampala.
Present were water minister Maria Mutagamba, fisheries state minister Fred Mukisa, and MPs on the agriculture and budget committee.
He said the two countries needed to strengthen trade to enable people develop through creation of employment and introduction of new products.
“Our government has also trained people from all the Nile Basin countries that include Burundi, DR Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, Egypt and Uganda from Egypt or using technicians from Egypt to help them acquire skills,†Zeid said.
The Uganda-Egypt Aquatic Weed Control Project’s executive director, Dr. Ahmed Ragab, said the project that has removed 70,000 tonnes of the hyacinth started in 1999 with a grant of $13.9m (sh25.4b) from Egypt.
The project included training of Ugandan engineers and technicians in the two countries.