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afrol News, 11 October - There has arrived relief for the Chadian government, which has seen its economic activities crippled by an ever-increasing water and energy supply crisis. Fresh funding is to restructure the entire sector. Prompting to relief the current water and energy crisis, which, according to the World Bank, "is crippling economic activity and hindering the delivery of social services in Chad," the Bank thus has granted a credit of US$ 54 million to the Chadian government. The credit intends to reduce costs, and promote private participation in these sectors, and supports the extension and rehabilitation of the electricity and water supply facilities of N'djamena, Moundou, Sahr and Abéché. There are ongoing efforts to privatise principal parastatals in these sectors. Further, the credit is supposed to help to "finance the purchase of spare parts and water-purifying chemicals, and reduce technical and non-technical losses and convert power generating facilities to oil fuel," according to a statement made yesterday. The infinitesimal few benefiting from the services of Société Tchadienne d'Eau et d'Électricité (STEE), who provides the electricity and water services in Chad, amounts to no more than 7,500 - or 1.5 percent - of the population that totals 7 million. Of these recipients, 6,000 live in the capital of N'djamena. The STEE imports petroleum long-distance from Cameroon and Nigeria as they depend on thermal generation to produce electricity, which in turn is a prerequisite for the functioning of the water-supply system. The World Bank holds that substantial progress has been made in institutional reform, but as a consequence of deficient investments in the sectors, "black-outs are the rule rather than the exception," and as thermal units burn down water-borne diseases spread. - The Critical Electricity and Water Services Rehabilitation Project will attempt to prevent an immediate financial and technical collapse in the sectors, and is in time intended to lower costs and increase access to electricity and safe drinking water, the Bank is quoted by UN media. There have also been made preparations for a 5-year investment program "to expand the electricity and water-supply facilities in N'djamena and other towns; expand electricity and water-supply distribution systems; complete construction of the oil pipeline from Sedigi oil field (near Lake Chad) to N'djamena and construct a gas pipeline from Sedigi to N'djamena", the Bank reports. Chad however expects to become self-sufficient in energy within few years as oil exploitation already has started.
By Knut Henrik Gjone Sources: Based on World Bank and afrol archives
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