May 24, 2017 By Jariatu S. Bangura
Members of Parliament yesterday enacted the Sierra Leone Water Company (SALWACO) Act of 2017 after deliberation.
The Act seeks to provide efficient and effective management of community and rural water supply systems in specific areas and facilitation of water and sanitation delivery in Sierra Leone.
The bill has been in parliament and has gone through its first and second reading for long time now with some amendments being made, and also goes through rigorous screening through the Pre-Legislative Committee and Committee stage of the house.
Speaking after the enactment of the bill, Minister of Water Resources, Momodu Maligi said the bill has been in parliament but was delayed because the Pre-Legislative Committee was busy doing some inclusion of important things that were left out during its draft stage.
“The enactment of the bill is to streamline SALWACO as a modern company in order to have more power and to change the organizational structure in doing its work. It will help capacitate and equip the institution in carrying out its work by enhancing provincial water supply and sustaining it,” he said.
Chairman of Water Resources Committee in Parliament, Hon. Sualiho M. Koroma commended his colleagues for enacting the bill. He noted that since 2013, they have been working for the enactment of the bill and that a lot has been done including the inclusion of other things.
He recalled that the old Act limited SALWACO only to supply water to three towns which include Bo, Kenema and Makeni.
He added that the new act will ensure that water is provided for the whole provincial areas.
“With the new water mapping that is going on, this Act will help locate where water is available and where it is needed. The desire of the bill is for water to be sustainable in order to maximize benefits for the people because the interest of the people will be represented,” Hon. Koroma added.