Accra, Oct. 5, GNA - The Board of Aqua Vitens Rand Ltd. (AVRL), operators of Ghana Water Company Ltd. (GWCL), has announced changes at the top management level of the company effective mid-October that will see more Ghanaians replacing expatriate staff.

A statement issued in Accra on Monday by AVRL said Mr. Andrew Barber, Managing Director of AVRL for the past two years, will be replaced by Mr. Martin Nijsse, currently Director of Technical Services. The Board of AVRL also considers it is time to prepare for the effective handover of Utility Operations at the end of its five-year Management Contract with GWCL in June 2011.

"In that regard AVRL, in consultation with GWCL, intends to seek a Ghanaian national to be appointed as Deputy Managing Director for AVRL. This position will shortly be advertised," the statement said. Director positions currently held by some of the remaining expatriates will be handed over to Ghanaian nationals during the remainder of the contract.

Mr. Barber introduced a radical restructuring of the organization with the objective of making it more efficient, modern and responsive to customer care, without sacrificing GWCL's engineering tradition. The statement quoted Mr. Barber as saying that the task of restructuring AVRL was now nearly completed, and it was time to hand over the baton for the next lap of the urban water project.

"I believe the new structure will stand AVRL and GWCL in good stead in the coming years as a much more efficient and productive company," he said.

Mr Nijsse said: "Throughout this process, to the end of the contract, Vitens and Rand Water, our Dutch and South Africa shareholders, will continue to provide appropriate technical support and resources to ensure ongoing delivery of our activities. "I believe that this sets out a natural and progressive way of moving our work forward, in full agreement and collaboration with all of our stakeholders and in the interest of the Ghana Urban Water Development programme."

AVRL employs 3,000 staff seconded from GWCL. There are six expatriates, including four directors. AVRL'S services, including the fees of expatriate staff, are funded from a World Bank Grant. 5 Oct. 09