September 25, 2019: The Government of Rwanda and the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) today signed a financing agreement for an additional financing water supply and sanitation program worth US$20 million.                                             

The Minister of State in charge of Economic Planning Dr. Claudine Uwera and the Director-General of OFID.  Dr. Abdulhamid Al-Khalifa signed on behalf of their institutions.

The financing will cover water supply infrastructure mostly in areas having low access. It will contribute to the construction of Kagaga and Busogwe Water Supply systems in Muhanga, Kamonyi and Ruhango districts.

This will build 9,000 m3/day and 12 000 m3/day water treatment plant and distribution network to provide water supply services to 350,000 people of which 150,000 are in pre urban and rural areas.

Speaking after the signing, the Minister of State in charge of Economic Planning Dr. Claudine Uwera said: “This financing is coming to support and complement Government of Rwanda efforts and commitment to achieve universal access to the water and sanitation services by 2024 as stipulated in our National Strategy for Transformation (NST). By the completion of this program (phase I and II), it is expected that the water and sanitation access will reach 81% of national coverage."

OFID The Director General Dr. Abdulhamid Al-Khalifa said “The project is consistent with OFID’s commitment of supporting Rwanda’s National Strategy for Transformation which places a strong emphasis on scaling-up investments in reliable, affordable and environmentally sustainable infrastructure,”.
 
The Rwanda Sustainable Water Supply and Sanitation Program aims to improve water and sanitation infrastructure in Kigali and six satellite cities. Benefits include reducing waterborne diseases and related healthcare costs, improving living standards for nearly 1.6 million people.

The OFID has in the past approved more than US$182 million in public sector lending to Rwanda across a wide range of sectors and initiatives including energy, transport and agriculture. Private sector funding of US$25 million was also extended to the Bank of Kigali to expand lending to small and medium-sized businesses. Rwanda has also benefited from OFID’s regional and national grants for emergency assistance, agricultural research, HIV/AIDS programs and polio eradication.