Accra, March 20, GNA - The Ghana Water Company on Tuesday signed an agreement with Taylor Woodrow Limited, a construction firm, for the expansion and the rehabilitation of the Barekese Water Project in the Ashanti Region.

The 37.8 million-euro project would boost water supply by additional 60 million gallons daily to the Kumasi Township and its surrounding areas.

Over one million people, including an additional population of 270,000 people, would be served with potable water on completion of the project in the next two years.

The project involves the construction of booster stations, desilting of the Barekese Dam as well as design and engineering works. Mr Cobbie Kessie, Managing Director of the Ghana Water Company Limited, signed the agreement on behalf of the company while Jose Nicco Annang, a representative from Taylor Woodrow Construction, initialled for the company.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, Mr. Hackman Owusu-Agyemang, said the project was a short-term measure to meet the water supply needs of the people in Kumasi and its environs.

Mr Owusu-Agyemang said when completed, the project would provide an additional 60 million gallons of water every day to people in Kumasi and its environs.

"It is my hope that by the time the project is completed, the perennial water problem being experienced by the people of Kumasi and its environs would be over."

The Minister said the government was working on a comprehensive master plan that would meet the needs of inhabitants of the 10 regions by the year 2030.

"Eventually there is the need for major works to expand the facility to meet the Millennium Development Goal target of 75 per cent access to water by 2015."

The Minister said the government was doing all it could to ensure that remote areas in the country also had access to potable water. He expressed gratitude to the Dutch government for a grant covering 50 per cent of the cost of the project.

Government is providing the other half through a loan facility to be granted by Fortes Bank of the Netherlands.

Mr Nicco Annang, a representative from Taylor Woodrow Construction, expressed his gratitude to government for the confidence reposed in them to carry out the contract.

Mr Annang said the company would work hand-in-hand with the Ghana Water Company to ensure speedy completion of the project.