GWCL signs MoU with Sierra Leone Water Company

The Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Guma Valley Water Company (GVWC) of Sierra Leone for learning and twinning arrangement between the two companies. The MoU signed is for a period of two years ending December 4, 2020. Both parties may have a mutual agreement for renewal after a review or evaluation of the period. The agreement is aimed at helping Ghana build its organizational capacity while learning from their counterparts in Sierra Leone and vice versa. Thus, the Ghana Water Company Limited will support the Guma Valley Water Company through the transfer of skills and knowledge through exchange of visits, short and long term placement of experts (Staff of the utilities) amongst other interventions. The two parties have established a standing Committee made up of representation from each side to oversee the successful implementation of the arrangement, and the Committee is co-chaired by the heads of both institutions. The MoU was signed by the Managing Director of GWCL and the Board Chair of GVWC as part of the 4^th National WASH Conference of Sierra Leone, where the President, Julius Maada Bio delivered the keynote address. Guma Valley Water Company (GVWC) was established in 1961 as a private entity, currently fully owned by the state, and has the primary responsibility for providing water services to Freetown and its environs in Sierra Leone with a population estimated at 1.5 million residents. The GVWC currently faces critical operational challenges including aging infrastructure, low revenues, and lack of significant investments for rehabilitation & expansion of its aged infrastructure. It also lacks resources to invest in its human capital which has posed serious drawbacks to its service delivery. On the other hand, GWCL is a fully state-owned utility company responsible for potable water supply to all urban communities in Ghana. The GWCL has over the past few years undergone tremendous improvement in its performance, based essentially on internally driven reforms. Among its several asserts, GWCL has a Technical Training School which provides both residential and non-residential Vocational and Technical Training to its permanent employees, apprentices and other interested persons, hence the agreement to help the GVWC. The expected outcomes of the arrangement include obtaining an appreciation of GWCL’s policies and strategic direction as well as GWCL’s successes and challenges. The GVWC is also expected to understand how GWCL has used technology and ICT to improve on metering, commercial and customer management, and the reduction of non-revenue-water among others. Major areas for this program include Water Utility Management, Water Resources and Catchment Protection, Planning & Development of Water and Ancillary Infrastructure and other things. Source: editors.3news.com|Ghana