JUBA – The government of South Sudan, with support from the African Development Bank and the European Union, is set to launch a 5-year power project that will see Africa’s youngest nation import a power plant from neighboring Uganda.
“This is about a five-year project. Assuming that there is peace along that corridor, and we don’t anticipate any problems that could disturb the implementation of the project, I can confirm that the bank has mobilized enough resources in partnership with the EU to implement that project.” The country manager for the Africa Development Bank, Themba Bhebhe, said this during a press conference in Juba on Monday.
“The project was approved in the first week of December by our board. It is nearly a 200 million project, which we are financing. I am happy to announce that we are financing that project with the EU, who are providing us with about 50 million US dollars,” he said.
Bhebhe stated that the power project will be implemented directly by the country’s electricity utility company, adding that some international companies will be subcontracted to help implement the project.
“In terms of supply, energy generation, distribution, and cost, it costs about $0.42 per kilowatt hour, which is the average tariff that South Sudan is paying. If you look at the region now, it costs about an average of $0.10 to $0.12 per kilowatt hour,” he said.
“Also, one of the major flagship projects that you may not be aware of is our support for the government in the establishment of the South Sudan Revenue Authority from scratch. This includes the legislation, policy, training, equipment, and all the infrastructure,” he said.
For her part, Yar Paul, the Managing Director of Urban Water Corporation, stated that the African Development Bank has managed to connect several families with water, adding that they have constructed a water reservoir to serve the growing population in Juba.
“South Sudan Urban Water Corporation is the implementing agency, and it is a privilege for us. The first project was running, and we have built infrastructure and reservoirs, increasing capacity to serve 8,100 families,” said Paul.
Deborah Akech, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Youth and Sport, said that the African Development Bank has supported South Sudan through partners in significant infrastructure projects.
“As a government, we are seeing the impact of the contributions of the African Development Bank. The partners, including UNDP and UN Women, are supporting women’s groups with loans, and this is how the Bank has supported young people in South Sudan,” Deborah said.
