Pan African Visions

Tanzania: IFF-OBA Refunds 50 % As Grant To MORUWASA Water Project Worth 2.4bn/-

September 05, 2022

By Michael Sikapundwa, Morogoro

Target of the project was an improvement of water supply services within Morogoro municipality, implemented by MORUWASA with the collaboration of the German Development Bank ( KFW) through the IFF-OBA program. IFF-OBA’s consultant team agreed to refund after verification of the project’s output targets, which were conducted over the weekend at project areas just over 5 kilometers away from the town center and then visited new customers. Consultant teams included IFF-OBA project coordinator, Eng. Joshua Lawrence, deputy group leader, Grace Massawe, AuditorPeter Barongo, member of the steering committee, Sepo Seni. Others were MOROWASA CEO.Eng Tamimu Katakweba , bigwa and kilakala ward councilors. Deputy group leader, Grace Massawe, said IFF- OBA will refund 50% after a project succeeded to construct two intakes at Bigwa and Bomela, construction of two sedimentation tanks, one storage tank, transmission, and distribution mains, and two water kiosks. ‘’ Besides, a project has succeeded to add over 700 new customers out of 600 targets of the project and maintained at least 90% collection efficiency within the entire service area ‘’ she revealed. Consultants from Investment Financing Facility – Output-Based Aid ( IFF-OBA) have agreed to refund 50 percent of 2.4bn/- to MORUWASA after verifying the output target in Bigwa and kilakala water project, which started in June 2021 and was completed in May 2022. A project has been implemented by MORUWASA’s force account with the collaboration of the German Development Bank ( KFW ) through IFF-OBA program. For his part, Chief Executive Official( CEO ),Tamim Katakweba, congratulated IFF-OBA, then promised 50 percent will purchase water flow meters to increase the revenue from new customers after the installation of water services. ‘’ Bigwa andBomola project is among 17 short term water projects which are expected to increase 71 percent of daily water consumption after its completion in 2023, current the water demand per day is 48 million liters ‘’ he explained. While the long-term water project worth 185 million/- Tanzanian shilling funded by the Agency France de Development ( AFD ) is expected to end water problems because will produce 89 million liters which are over 73 million liters of daily consumption. Katakweba, said, over 50 thousand residents from two wards particularly from Misongeni,Vituli, lukuyu,Mgolole, Kingolwila streets currently access clean and safe water. For his part, Bigwa ward councilor, Milikion Mwamnyanyi said since the community started access to water from the project, cases of chlorella and typhoid have disappeared. ‘’ Thanks, MORUWASA and IFF- OBA, apart from community accessing clean and safe water, women have forgotten to walk long distances fetching for water ‘’ he thanked. Tryphina Burchard, from Holistic Education Center, located a few kilometers from the water project, said the center has access to clean and safe water 24 hours compared to the time before. '' We access soft water which encouraged us to protect the environment through planting trees, gardening, the situation was an impossible time before because due hard water '' she explained Ramadhan Issa , Bomela resident calls for the youth to protect the environment of the water project because the youth commits a number of cases related to environmental destruction. The report of the project from the Ministry of water shows other regions benefited from the project by increasing new customers since 2015 as Songea municipal council increased 522 new customers, Tabora approximately 20,000 customers, Mwanza 3530 new customers, and Iringa 900 new customers.