$84m for education and water
Jan 06, 2006
UGANDA is to get $84m grant budget support from the African Development Bank (ADB) to finance the education and water sectors, finance minister Dr Ezra Suruma said yesterday.
By Sylvia Juuko
UGANDA is to get $84m grant budget support from the African Development Bank (ADB) to finance the education and water sectors, finance minister Dr Ezra Suruma said yesterday.
Addressing journalists at the Uganda Media Centre in Kampala, Suruma said the ADB board on December 19 approved a grant of $56m under the rural water supply and sanitation programme, in the ministry of water.
The bank also approved a $28m grant for post-primary education and training.
He said the ADB grant to the water sector was in line with the Government’s plan to have 75% of the population access clean water.
“Provision of social services, especially clean water, is one of the Government measures to fight poverty and improve living statndards.
Over the next five years, the Government plans to increase access to clean water to over 75%. The grant is an important development in this plan,†he said.
Suruma said over 65% of Ugandans have access to clean water, up from 15% in 1986.
He said the economy would achieve the projected 6% growth despite donor cuts in budget support.
“There has been concerns that cuts from some of our development partners may adversely affect the economy. The economy is growing and will achieve the planned rate of 6% per year,†he said.
He said ADB grants and the recent IMF debt relief of $126m reflected good relations with multilateral donors.
Benedict Kanu, ADB operations officer in Kampala, said the grant made the bank the largest donor in the water sector in Uganda.
He said the programme would be implemented countrywide to provide communities with sanitation facilities in public places, schools and health centers.
Kanu said the $28m grant under the Education III Project would increase access to secondary school education and improve science teaching, support business and technical training and strengthen the education ministry.
UGANDA is to get $84m grant budget support from the African Development Bank (ADB) to finance the education and water sectors, finance minister Dr Ezra Suruma said yesterday.
Addressing journalists at the Uganda Media Centre in Kampala, Suruma said the ADB board on December 19 approved a grant of $56m under the rural water supply and sanitation programme, in the ministry of water.
The bank also approved a $28m grant for post-primary education and training.
He said the ADB grant to the water sector was in line with the Government’s plan to have 75% of the population access clean water.
“Provision of social services, especially clean water, is one of the Government measures to fight poverty and improve living statndards.
Over the next five years, the Government plans to increase access to clean water to over 75%. The grant is an important development in this plan,†he said.
Suruma said over 65% of Ugandans have access to clean water, up from 15% in 1986.
He said the economy would achieve the projected 6% growth despite donor cuts in budget support.
“There has been concerns that cuts from some of our development partners may adversely affect the economy. The economy is growing and will achieve the planned rate of 6% per year,†he said.
He said ADB grants and the recent IMF debt relief of $126m reflected good relations with multilateral donors.
Benedict Kanu, ADB operations officer in Kampala, said the grant made the bank the largest donor in the water sector in Uganda.
He said the programme would be implemented countrywide to provide communities with sanitation facilities in public places, schools and health centers.
Kanu said the $28m grant under the Education III Project would increase access to secondary school education and improve science teaching, support business and technical training and strengthen the education ministry.