Confirmed: AVRL’s contract will not be renewed

The Government has confirmed that it will not renew or extend AVRL’s Urban Water Management contract.

Aqua Vitens Rand Limited, operators for the Ghana Water Company, started operating in Ghana in June 2006, after signing the five-year agreement in November 2005.

But the company’s performance has been widely criticized by consumers and civil society groups, who have implored Government not to extend the company’s contract.

Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing, Hon. Alban Babgin, told Citi News Government after several stakeholder consultations has decided not to renew or extend AVRL’s contract.

He said viable options are being discussed to cater for the provision of water as the operator prepares to pack out at the end of June.

According to him, facts available clearly show that AVRL’s performance has not been satisfactory as it completes the five-year urban water management contract.

Hon. Babgin said the decision is in the best interest of Ghanaians.

“The management contract was for 5 years and there were clear provisions as to what was going to happen at the end of the contract. Definitely, the possibility of a renewal could have been considered if the performance of the task had been meritorious but at the end of the contract, clearly the country has not achieved much. So the Government has no intention at all of renewing or extending the management contract” he stated.

“A number of memos have been put forward and various views have been expressed. I have gone through all that and the Ministry has taken a position and there are a number of options we will be recommending to Cabinet for consideration. At the end of the day, one of the options will be taken for an interim measure whilst we create space for the country to go through another process of restructuring the water sector to make sure that we can respond to current challenges in the water sector” he noted.

Meanwhile, the Public Utility Workers Union, which strongly opposed a possible renewal of AVRL’s contract, has applauded Government’s decision.

The General Secretary of (PUWU), Jerry Addo, urged Government to revert AVRL’s operations to the Ghana Water Company Limited, which originally managed the provision of water in the country.

Source: Citifmonline.com