Accra, Jan. 11, GNA - Government is to receive a loan of 200 million dollars from EC4 Petrochem Limited, a United Kingdom-based Engineering and Consultancy firm, to further improve water provision and protection of the country's coastal zones.

Mr Faisal Kasim, a Saudi businessman and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, on Wednesday told the Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, Mr Hackman Owusu-Agyemang that his company was prepared to provide such assistance to Ghana.

Details of the terms of the loan would be discussed later. Mr Owusu-Agyemang gave a brief overview of the water situation in the country and said several initiatives were currently being taken to increase both rural and urban water supply.

He said about 1.5 billion dollars was needed to the meet the Millennium Development Gaol target of meeting about 75 per cent of demand for water from the current 50 per cent coverage.

Mr Owusu-Agyemang said the Government was committed to improving the lives of its people as far as the provision of potable was concerned and would, therefore, do everything possible to make that happen. 11 Jan. 06