A loan agreement worth 65 million Tunisian dinars (MTD) to finance the project for quality improvement of treated waste-water was signed, Wednesday in Tunis, by the African Development Bank (AfDB), the National Sanitation Board (ONAS) and the Investment and International Cooperation Ministry.
Repayable over 20 years with a five-year grace period and an interest rate of about 2%, this credit, guaranteed by the Tunisian State, is to fund a project of upgrading infrastructure of 30 waste-water treatment stations dating back to 15 years.
Mr. Gilbert Mbesherubusa, AfDB vice-president in charge of infrastructure, the private sector and regional integration said project with a total cost of about 74 MTD aims to guarantee irrigation of about 7,500 hectares of farming lands and the spray of 700 hectares of green spaces.
It is also meant to help boost ONAS’s management capacities of its infrastructure.
his project will benefit about 4,000 farmers in 17 governorates of the country, namely Ariana, Beja, Ben Arous, Bizerte, Gabes, Jendouba, Kairouan, Kebili, El-Kef, Medenine, Monastir, Nabeul, Sfax, Siliana, Sousse, Tataouine and Tunis.
“The project will help improve the living conditions of about 4 million inhabitants,” Said Investment and International Cooperation Minister Riadh Bettaieb.
Mr. Khalil Attia, ONAS CEO told TAP news agency that “normally, the release of the loan is due in July 2012.”
AfDB had granted Tunisia loans worth 1.3 billion dinars in 2011.
