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24 October 2016, 19:41

EBRD to lend €21m for water supply infrastructure reconstruction in Lida, Polotsk, Orsha

MINSK, 24 October (BelTA) – The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) will lend a total of €21 million for reconstructing the water supply and wastewater disposal infrastructure in three Belarusian cities, which total population exceeds 400,000 people, the EBRD press service told BelTA.

Plans have been made to provide assistance with modernizing water supply and water disposal facilities, for reconstructing the relevant engineering networks, modernizing the pump stations, and financing the purchase of repair and diagnostics equipment for the cities of Lida, Polotsk, and Orsha. The loans will be provided as part of the €40 million program on financing the water supply and water disposal sector of Belarus. The program provides for implementing projects in other cities and towns of the country, too.

The projects in Lida and Polotsk to the tune of €6 million and €9 million will help the local utility providers to meet the European Union's standards on treating sewage waters and recommendations of the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission. As a result, the local population will enjoy higher living standards while pollution in the Baltic Sea basin will be reduced. The project in Polotsk also provides for building a new water treatment plant. These projects will be co-financed with investment grants to the tune of €3 million and €4.21 million. The money will be provided by the Northern Dimension Environmental Partnership (NDEP). Pre-investment feasibility studies have been carried out using technical aid funds provided by the Swedish government.

The €6 million loan for Orsha is also supposed to ensure compliance with the European Union's standards on treating sewage water and reducing pollution in the Baltic Sea basin. Co-financing to the tune of €3 million will be provided by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDE) and other international donors. Investment feasibility studies for this project have been carried out using technical aid funds provided by the Swedish government.

Alain Pilloux, the EBRD's Acting Vice President for Policy and Partnerships, underlined that the program is a good example of the opportunities the EBRD's new strategy for Belarus opens up before companies in the public sector. “By improving water supply and water disposal in the three cities we will provide the local population with better drinking water and will make the relevant enterprises more stable and environmentally friendly,” he stated.

Since the EBRD began working in Belarus, the bank has invested nearly €1.8 billion within the framework of about 70 projects in various branches of the economy.

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