-Pledges more support for MD Gaye’s efforts.
A visiting World Bank delegation has termed as impressive, the level of transformation that the Alphonso Gaye management team has brought to the Liberia Water & Sewer Corporation (LWSC) in a short period.
The delegation has therefore reaffirmed the mission’s commitment to providing support to the current LWSC administration in any ways possible.
The delegation praised Senator G. Alphonso Gaye and assured continuous support to the current management team of the LWSC under his watch.
The world Bank’s mission visit to Liberia from 4th to 8th September, 2023, was a follow-up on implementation of the actions agreed upon during the previous mission in March 2023.
Speaking recently in Monrovia, in response to the LWSC Managing Director’s comprehensive presentation on his Institution, the World Bank’s delegation, inclusive of its Practice Manager, Ms. Anna Cestari; Senior Water Supply and Sanitation Specialist, Mr. Yitbarek Tessema, commended the LWSC boss for the presentation and the significant transformation taking place at the Corporation.
During his presentation earlier, the Managing Director of the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation (LWSC), Senator G. Alphonso Gaye made a strong case on behalf of the Liberian government aimed at attracting additional funding support from the World Bank to enhance current programs and activities to boost service delivery.
MD Gaye outlined several priority areas that additional funding from the Bank would significantly impact, thus improving the country’s water and sewer profile.
He identified the completion of a new forty-eight-inch (48’’) transmission pipeline from the township of Johnsonville coming into parts of Congo Town, along the Tubman boulevard as one key area to source funding for as the government endeavors to adequately address the current challenge in Monrovia and other parts of the country.
The former Grand Gedeh County senator further to his inspired guests that the current thirty–six-inch (36’’) transmission pipeline which runs from the White Plains Water Treatment Plant (WTP) through Paynesville, has a record of repeated raptures which is mostly responsible for water outage from the city and parts adjacent.
“Our current major transmission infrastructure, which supplies a greater chunk of the city is over sixty (60) years old; additional funding directed to this new forty –eight inch (48’’) pipeline will be a massive relief not only to the LWSC but the population of the city that depends on us for safe drinking water”; the LWSC boss pointed out.
MD Gaye also named other key areas and activities that need World Bank’s funding for the rehabilitation of the Monrovia Sewer network, the Sewage treatment plant, its lift station as well as sewage conveyance to the sewage plant situated in Fiamah.
“I like to inform you our partners that we have since conducted an assessment, design and bidding documents on what we intend to do with funding provided by you in 2018; all we now seek is funding to implement” MD Gaye told the World Bank’s visiting mission.
Another priority area that the LWSC Managing Director is requesting more financing from the World Bank include the establishment and operationalization of additional districts meter areas, (DMAs) which has five (5) designed under the Liberia Urban Water Supply Project (LUWSP) but only two (2) were operationalized.
“The operationalization of the remaining three (3) already designed and the establishment of additional DMAs in areas not yet targeted will further improve the LWSC’s ability to reduce non-revenue water and improve collections”; MD Gaye further asserted.
The Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation boss also named the construction of additional reservoirs also known as elevated water storage tanks as another significant area that the LWSC seeks more financing for.
“We anticipate an improvement in our operational efficiency and we have conducted numerous assessments which prove that the construction of more reservoirs, similar to what your funding has made possible in the GSA rock Hill community, will reduce pumping time and cost of operations of our system”; MD Gaye mentioned.
According to him, the interventions of the Bank, notably at the level of the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation (LWSC) has come a long way in addressing some grave
post – war sector challenges; noting that these interventions will also go a long way into the recovery and development history of Liberia.
Senator Gaye disclosed that the funding from the World Bank has brought significant transformation to the LWSC in the areas of infrastructural improvement on the existing supply and distribution systems, the expansion of the Corporation’s network by an additional 85km of Upvc pipelines, 1.37km of Ductile cast iron pipes in the Bank’s project communities.
“Your monetary contributions to our institution’s post-war recovery are vividly seen from various spectrums to include infrastructure improvement, institutional capacity building, service availability as well as procurement and technical capacity development’’; MD Gaye told his guests.
According to the LWSC Managing Director, the LWSC is poised to resume full supply of pipe borne water to central Monrovia for the first time in over ten (10) years based on funding from the World Bank.
“I like to inform you that we have successfully cleaned, disinfected the Ducor reservoir and test supplied central Monrovia for days based on your financed newly constructed sixteen-inch express pipeline from our Fish Market booster station to our Newport Street booster station and upward to the City reservoir”; MD Gaye reported to the World Bank’ mission with emphasis.
The LWSC Managing Director assured that with continual support from Liberia’s bilateral partners including the World Bank, the Corporation has the potential to not only sustain itself but to also significantly contribute to national government’s programs and priorities.
As part of his efforts to achieve the transformation objective in keeping with the mandate given him by President George Manneh Weah, and his passion for efficient public service delivery, MD Gaye has been holding discussions and consultations with key actors in the donor and international development community.
One of such is his expected meeting with the newly assigned country manager of the World Bank to Liberia, to enhance coordination and collaboration with partners for the advancement of the Corporation’s capacity to deliver to its customers and the people of Liberia.
It can be recalled that when he took over at the LWSC barely five months ago, Senator Gaye promised to improve the working conditions of employees and bring the LWSC on par with other viable public corporations such as the LPRC, NASSCORP, and the NPA, in terms of financial viability effective and consistent service delivery and employee welfare.
Before going to the Liberia Water & Sewer Corporation, G. Alphonso Gaye served in the following capacities:
Commissioner of Customs & Excise, Minister of Transport, Director General of the General Services Agency (GSA), and Senator of his native Grand Gedeh County for nine years.
He took over the LWSC with a wealth of experience, serving in various positions with distinction at several institutions in the private sector also, including the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Oxfam Great Britain (Oxfam-GB), among other, as Tax Analyst, Tax Auditor, Finance Officer, Accountant, Financial/Administrative Specialist, and Financial Consultant, among others.
