By Alfred Peter Conteh

During a recent budget presentation at the Ministry of Finance in Freetown, the Managing Director of Guma Valley Water Company (GVWC) reveals that government institutions currently owe the company outstanding sum of SLE 32 million. The monies  are debts emanating from water bills.

GVWC says the debt underscores the need for timely payment to support ongoing water services.

For the fiscal year 2024, Guma Valley reported SLE 33.6 million as revenue from January to June. Looking ahead, the company says the budget assumption for FY 2025 is set at SLE 93.025 million.

“This budget will facilitate several key projects, including the installation of 15,000 customer meters and an increase in tariffs to cover rising costs for fuel and chemicals.”

Guma Valley has made significant strides in improving water infrastructure.

Under the Freetown WASH project awarded to China Henan Int. Coop Group in October 2021, the company plans to work on enhancing water capacity and infrastructure in the country.

The progress on this  includes the completion of two raw water intake weirs, a 45 km network distribution, a 2,000 m³ treated water reservoir, and there are approximately 2,000 ongoing service connections undertaking by GVWC.

Recent achievements also include the repair of critical infrastructure such as the Kongo Dam and various pumping stations, with investments totaling $2.04 million from the African Development Bank (AfDB), the water supplier says.

The company has rehabilitated multiple pumping stations and pipelines to improve service delivery.

“Guma Valley aims to increase access to safe drinking water by 85% by 2028, address customer complaints related to billing and leakage, and reduce non-revenue water by 10%,”it says.

The company is committed to protecting water catchment areas, including the Freetown Peninsula Park, and in reclaiming lost facilities through stakeholders’ engagement.