Accra, June 20, GNA - The Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA) has appealed to the Government to release adequate funds to complement donor support in order to enable it to effectively carry out its operations.

Mr Robert Kweku Dadson Van-Ess, Acting Chief Executive of the Agency, who made the appeal urged the Government to make adequate funds available as early as possible before the development partners carried out their threat to withdraw their support in the operations of the Agency.

Mr Van-Ess made the appeal in Accra when the Parliamentary Select Committee on Water Resources, Works and Housing paid a visit to the Head Office of the Agency in Accra, to acquaint itself with the performance of the Agency.

The Act of Parliament that established the Agency placed a thrust on it to sustain water and sanitation services to communities. Mr Van-Ess said the Agency had covered about 52 per cent of water supply countrywide, but inadequate funding from Government was affecting its operations and as a result development partners, who provided 90 per cent of funding, had threatened to withdraw if Government did not make adequate financial commitments to the operations of the Agency. He stated that for instance about 10.2 billion cedis was needed from the Government in the year 2004, but only 4.8 billion cedis budgetary allocation was made available. The picture for the other years was not different.

On the operations of the Agency, Mr Van-Ess said the Agency had improved the rural water supply and part of its mandate was to promote sanitation to avoid the use of contaminated water. He said the Agency had provided 48,000 demonstration latrines since it began operations and drilled more than 200 boreholes in guinea worm infested areas in the Volta, Brong Ahafo and Northern Regions to reduce the incidence of disease.

The Acting Executive Director said the Agency, in partnership with the British Department for International Development (DfID), was currently implementing a major programme to move water through the piping system in areas where it had been difficult to get good underground water.

He complained of the lack of a Board for the Agency since last February, adding that the Agency also had inadequate staff. Mr Samuel Johnfiah, Chairman of the Select Committee, gave the assurance that members would meet the Minister of Finance and Minister of Local Government and Rural Development for a discussion on increasing the budgetary allocation for the Agency.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency he suggested that the district assemblies should prioritize water supply and use part of their District Assemblies=92 Common Fund to repair broken down boreholes. Members of Parliament could also make an undertaking with contractors and use part of their share of the Fund for similar purpose where funds were not readily available from the District Assembly. Mr Charles Adjei, a consultant on water, on behalf of German Water and Energy donated one complete system of solar powered hand pump to the CWSA.

The pump estimated at 5,000 euros was mounted on the premises of the Agency at its Okponglo Headquarters, near Legon, in Accra. 20 June 06