Perhaps the end of the tunnel within five years for the populations who do not have running water and who have suffered power cuts for years. Gabon’s Energy and Water Company (SEEG), the country’s sole water and electricity distributor, signed a loan agreement worth 100 billion CFA francs on Friday to make the necessary investments.
With our correspondent in Libreville, Yves-Laurent Goma
Claude and Allan are students. Every evening, they walk the streets of their Akébé Ville district, 25-litre cans under their arms in search of water. ” There are people who have not had water in this neighborhood for years “, Launches one. “ Yeah, it’s hard, it becomes a chore », Complains the second.
Akébé Ville is not the only neighborhood that lacks water. Here we are in Alénakiri in the commune of Owendo. “ There are trucks that come to supply the neighborhood, but it’s rare “says a resident. “ We suffer a lot “continues another resident.
Investments for major cities as a priority
Water shortages coupled with power cuts… Within five years, the problems should be resolved thanks to funding resulting from the agreement signed at the end of the week between SEEG and BGFIBank. Henri Claude Oyima, CEO of the BGFIBank group. “These agreements include a loan amounting to 40 billion CFA francs [environ 61 millions d’euros] by BGFIBank Gabon and an arranger mandate granted to BGFI Bourse to raise funds by bond issue up to 60 billion CFA francs [environ 92 millions d’euros]. »
Gustave Aimé Mayi, General Manager of SEEG explains how to modernize. ” Today we have an aging work tool, a delay in the level of the water and electricity supply in the country. And we also need to strengthen our water and electricity production capacities. »
The installations being obsolete everywhere in the country, the investments will concern Libreville, Port-Gentil, Franceville and Makokou where the situation is critical.