AfDB commits $26m to Zim

Source: AfDB commits $26m to Zim | The Herald February 27, 2017

Business Reporter—
The African Development Bank has committed about $26,5 million towards developmental projects for Zimbabwe. The projects are consistent with Government’s priorities enshrined in its Interim Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper.

Government in the last quarter of 2016 secured three new grants from AfDB for the Youth and Women Enhancement Project, the Institutional Support for State Enterprise Reform and Delivery Project and Alaska Karoi Power Transmission Reinforcement.

AfDB officer in charge Zimbabwe country office Mary Monyau at the launch last week said the implementation of the projects will involve a number of stakeholders.

“I would like to underscore that the implementation of the projects’ activities involves a number of stakeholders from Government, civil society and the private sector. This therefore means effective leadership and co-ordination from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development as well as effective collaboration among all stakeholders,” said Ms Monyau.

“I am aware that this event will be followed by a technical launch; this will be an opportunity for all stakeholders to learn and discuss key issues that affect the implementation of the projects,” she said.

The Alaska-Karoi Power Transmission Rehabilitation project which is valued at $18,4 million involves construction of an 85km long Single Lynx 132kV transmission line from Alaska 330 /132kV substation to Karoi town.

This project further entails the extension of Alaska substation by 50 metres on the western side in order to accommodate a new line bay.

The transmission line will terminate in the proposed 132 /33kV substation to be constructed in Karoi town.

The substation will have a footprint of 1,5 hectares and will be equipped with 2 x 30MVA transformers and 5 x 33kV line bays.

“Once implemented, the project will result in increased electrification rate, improved access

to safe water supplies, better health and sanitation facilities, increased agricultural productivity, reliable power supplies, improved power quality and improvement in the social well-being of

the residents of Karoi town, Hurungwe and Makonde districts in which it is located,” said Ms Monyau.

As such, the proposed project is in line with the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation and the AfDB’s five goals.

Ms Monyau said the principal objective of the project is to strengthen and increase the country’s sub-transmission network capacity resulting in increased reliability and quality of electricity supply in and around Karoi area and to develop a national prioritised long term network master plan for the generation, transmission and distribution asset base.

Under the grant, Government also received $4,75 million to finance the Youth and Women Empowerment Project. The overall development objective of the project is to economically empower youth and women in situations of economic vulnerability through the development of technical and business skills as well as the promotion of enterprise development in artisanal mining, horticulture and other food value chains.

The Institutional Support for State Enterprise Reform and Delivery Project is specifically valued at $4,08 million and it aims at supporting Government in enhancing corporate governance compliance and delivery and performance review of selected State Enterprises, through technical assistance. The principal objectives of this project are to strengthen the result-based management system within Government and improve efficiency of the State Enterprises and Parastatals (SEPs).

The project will strengthen management for results and improve efficiency and effectiveness of the SEPs.

Selected SEPs will also benefit from the project through capacity building and strengthened corporate governance and improved performance resulting from turn around strategies.