Minister of Housing, Utilities, and Urban Communities Assem El Gazzar has confirmed that almost EGP 174 bn were invested in Egypt’s potable water and sanitation sector in the last six years, Invest-Gate reports.

From 2014 to date, 1,131 drinking water and sewerage treatment projects were implemented across various cities and rural areas, with a total capacity of 10,793 cubic meters of clean water per day, serving more than 45 mn people countrywide, and coming up with investments worth EGP 124 bn, El Gazzar underscored in a ministerial statement on August 29.

This is besides 5,792 replacement and renewal projects being undertaken nationwide, at a total cost of about EGP 9 bn, along with the installation of 176,424 house connections to piped water, with a combined cost of EGP 600 mn, amongst other industry-related projects, he further stated, adding that the country’s total production of potable water has reached 33.6 mn cubic meters per day.

The news came during the presidential opening of several national projects in Alexandria, where the minister also revealed that 205 sanitation plants are underway in rural areas as part of the state’s FY 2020/21 plan, with investments estimated at EGP 300 bn. Moreover, he indicated the execution of 54 bilateral and triple treatment plants in Upper Egypt, at a total cost of EGP 14 bn.

During his keynote speech, El Gazzar unveiled the Egyptian government’s 2020-2050 strategic plan, which includes the allocation of merely EGP 134.2 bn for the potable water and sanitation sector, while intending to spend nearly EGP 30.4 bn in the same industry during the next five years, as highlighted in the statement.

In early 2019, the Cabinet had ratified four agreements with preferential funding terms for water, sewerage treatment, and sanitation projects across the country, as part of the government’s efforts to upgrade the country’s infrastructure and water networks, while also enhancing the quality of life of citizens, according to a previous official statement.