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afrol News, 14 November - German aid to a prestigious electrification and water supply project on the Cape Verdean islands of Fogo and Brava is coming to nothing after two years of unsuccessful negotiations. Germans blame on lack of local know-how. Two of Cape Verde's main islands, Fogo and Brava, are awaiting clean water and electricity supply. A German-Cape Verdean project was supposed to be given them these basic services by 1 November this year. But the project still has not even started. The financial arm (FZ) of the German international cooperation (GTZ) is not satisfied with the local authorities' efforts. Dr. Bernhard May, the GTZ Project Coordinator for Decentralization and Local Governance, told afrol News in a telephone interview that "the Cape Verdean authorities have not been able to meet the legal and administrative conditions agreed upon." The GTZ two years ago signed a contract with the Cape Verdean government within a framework of aiding local governance and decentralisation to aid local authorities to construct a privatised water and electricity supply on Fogo and Brava. The Germans were to supply finances; the Cape Verdeans were to supply more local finances and to build a legal and administrative framework for private water and electricity operators. Deadline after deadline has passed since then, including the Cape Verdean Minister of Foreign Affairs visiting GTZ some months ago, bidding for more time. The Cape Verdean part of the deal still is unfulfilled, and GTZ is loosing patience, according to Mr. May. - The last agreed deadline is running out this month, but we expect it to be re-negotiated, says May. "To know more details about the project, you should contact us in February. Then we'll know whether it is going to proceed or if we will skip it altogether." Mr. May confirms that the project depends on whether Cape Verdean authorities have prepared the infrastructure for private water and electricity operators. A communal service, though common in Germany, would not be of interest, Mr. May confirms. The GTZ thus follows current IMF policies of prescribing privatised water and communal services for African countries. Asked whether a private water supply system would be affordable to the poor majority on Fogo and Brava, Mr. May said "the details of the financing contract have not been elaborated yet. We are awaiting Cape Verdean adjustments according to our contract." Water privatisation projects in other African countries however have shown that high prices severely limit the general access to this supposedly common good. The GTZ spokesman points out the need for "developing private enterprise providers" before any FZ financing can be materialised. This, however, seemed "internally impossible" within the state of Cape Verde, making the Germans "loosing our courage". According to the original project description, the GTZ project "Communal development of Brava and Fogo" was to give "an important contribution to the strengthening of communal institutions" on the islands. One was to build up "regional development offices". However, "central to all efforts is the use of and strengthening of local know-how." Somehow, however, know-how seems to have got lost on the way, as German know-how was unable to find local know-how on Brava and Fogo, concluding - nobody knows how - no know-how at all existed locally.
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