Agreement for Financing of the Supervision of the Civil Works for the Rural Water Supply IV Program Signed.

On 29/10./2021, Minister of Finance and Economy Ms. Anila Denaj, the Director of Albanian Development Fund, Mr. Dritan Agolli, Mr. Dritan Leli, Mayor of Vlora, Mr. Jorgo Goro Mayor of Himara and the Director of KfW Office Tirana, Mr. Björn Thies signed the agreements for the financing of studies and civil works of the Rural Water Supply IV Program.

The total financing of the Rural Water Supply Programme IV is EUR 44 million, from which EUR 42 million are provided by the German Government through KFW, and it is implemented by the Albanian Development Fund. After the first grant further EUR 2.22 million have been extended by the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF), grant support made possible by the Bilateral Donors’ contributions to the WBIF Joint Fund and will be dedicated to the supervision of the works. The Rural Water Supply IV is in focuses on water supply and waste water treatment in the coastal region of Himara and Orikum. Its objective is to substantially improve the potable water supply and the sanitation situation in the coastal area.

Apart of the spring capture in the village of Lepusha, which will serve Himara with hygienically safe and drinkable water, the program will facilitate the construction of water supply systems, including new water reservoirs, new water distribution network as well as new water meters for the households in the villages of Kuç, Buronja, Pilur, Kudhës, Vuno, Jala, Livadh, Himara, Himara Fshat, Qeparo, Qeparo Fshat etc. The beneficiaries of this program will be ca. 50 000 residents and visitors which will enjoy 24 hours per day water supply. The design of the interventions in the framework of this programme is almost completed and the additional funds from WBIF will be dedicated to the supervision of the construction.

Focus will be given to the rehabilitation and extension of the sewerage network and the construction of a waste water treatment plant in Himara. In Orikum, there will be investments in the water supply and sewage network and the existing waste water treatment plant will be made operational.

 

In cooperation with the Federal Republic of Germany, to provide 24 hour potable water throughout the country

KFW activity and financial cooperation in Albania

KfW is one of the world’s leading promotional banks. With its decades of experience, KfW is committed to improving economic, social and ecological living conditions all around the world on behalf of the Federal Republic of Germany and the Federal States.

In Albania, KfW implements the German Financial Cooperation and provides grant aid and concessional loans for key investments and project-related consultancy services. The German development cooperation with Albania started in 1988. Since then, the German Government has committed more than one billion Euros and has become the most important bilateral donor country. The water sector is a priority area within the scope of the German Financial Cooperation with Albania, for which the German Government has committed more than € 335 million since 1988.

The Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF) is a financing facility launched in December 2009 by the European Commission, together with the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the European Investment Bank (EIB), Bilateral Donors, and Western Balkans countries with the purpose to deliver funding for strategic investment projects in beneficiary countries. The WBIF blends grants, loans, and beneficiary contributions for infrastructure development in the environment, energy, transport, social and digital sectors as well as private sector development. KfW and the World Bank subsequently joined the WBIF. In July 2017, the KfW became a partner organisation, while Agence Française de Développement (AFD) joined the WBIF in December 2018.

By the end of 2018, Bilateral Donor contributions reached EUR 85 million, including EUR 5.2 million transferred from the EBRD Western Balkan Fund at the inception of the WBIF. The largest individual cumulative pledges to date have been made by Norway, Sweden, Austria, Germany, United Kingdom, and Italy. Germany is the current WBIF Co-Chair.