Announcement of Water Supply in Rwanda to be Improved with Support of IDA Credit on April 14, 1983

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE · •World Bank 1818 H Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20433, U.S.A.•Telephone: (202) 477-1234 \\ IDA NEWS RELEASE NO. 83/ 62 Contact: Pushpa Schwartz April 14, 1983 (202) 477-3294 WATER SUPPLY IN RWANDA TO BE IMPROVED WITH SUPPORT OF IDA CREDIT Safe water will be provided for about 40,500 people in Rwanda by a project using a credit of SDR 12 million ($13 million) from the International Development A~sociation (IDA). IDA is the concessionary lending· affiliate of the World Bank. The $16.9 million water supply project will satisfy water demand up to 1988 in five rural administrative centers: Cyangugu, Kibungo, Kibuye, Ruhengeri ,. and Rwamagana. At present, there are frequent interruptions i'11- the water supplies and water is often polluted in these areas. Water treatment plants will be built in each center and a total of four small pumping stations and 10 reservoirs will also be constructed. About 100 kilometers of water • transmission and distribution pipes and 100 public standpipes will be supplied. Studies on tariffs for water, gas, and electricity will also be carried out under the project. Refresher courses in construction and other skills for 463 staff at Electrogaz, a state corporation, will be financed. The IDA credit will also help set-up a fully equipped training section within the personnel department of Electrogaz. Systems for inventory management and cost-accounting will be established. Books on hygiene for primary schools, as well as training for teachers of this subject, will also be provided. Electrogaz, the implementing organization, will provide $3.8 million toward the costs. The IDA credit is for 50 years, including 10 years of grace; it carries no interest but has a small annual service charge (0.5% on the undisbursed balances of the credit and 0.75% on the disbursed balances.) NOTE: IDA credits are denominated in SDRs (Special Drawing Rights), which are • valued on the basis of a "basket" of currencies. The U.S. dollar equivalent of the SDR amount of the IDA credit reflects the exchange rates existing at the time of the negotiation of the credit.