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Conrad Mwanawashe Business Reporter
GOVERNMENT has launched phase 2 of the power and water infrastructure rehabilitation facility that is set to improve the availability and reliability of electricity supply. The phase 2 power project has been allocated $15,42 million while the water supply and sanitation project has been allocated $19,84 million.

Funding for the rehabilitation of the projects was mobilised through the ZimFund, a multi-donor fund whose purpose is to contribute to early recovery and development efforts in Zimbabwe by mobilising donor resources and promoting donor co-ordination in Zimbabwe..

Under Phase 2, the Emergency Power Infrastructure Rehabilitation project targets Kwekwe, Gweru, Masvingo, Bulawayo, Mutare, Hwange and Harare with a combined target population of 5 million people.

The Urgent Water Supply and Sanitation Rehabilitation Project focuses on restoring water and waste-water treatment capacity by giving emphasis on improving both the water and sewerage network performance in four local authorities, Harare, Chitungwiza, Ruwa and Redcliff targeting a population of 1,9 million people.

In a speech read on his behalf by his Deputy Dr Samuel Undenge, Minister of Finance and Economic Development Patrick Chinamasa said well-developed, resilient infrastructure contributes massively to sustainable economic growth.

“This phase is thus designed to further the interventions of Phase 1 Emergency Power Infrastructure Rehabilitation Project, which was also targeted at improving the availability and reliability of electricity supply through the rehabilitation of power generation, transmission and distribution facilities,” Minister Chinamasa said.

The Emergency Power Infrastructure Rehabilitation project Phase 2 is the second energy sector project to be financed through the ZimFund.
It is designed to further the benefit of the Phase 1 interventions which involved the improvement of reliability and availability of power.
The country is currently producing about 1 300MW against demand of about 2 200MW.

The new investment in power generation will release additional capacity of 300MW while other initiatives to extend Kariba extension, which will take 45 months, will add another 300MW and Hwange 7 and 8 rehabilitation will supply an additional 600MW.

Early this year Zimbabwe and the African Development Bank signed a $53,4 million grant for six infrastructure rehabilitation projects covering energy, water and sanitation, transport and governance.