The National Water Supply and Sanitation Council says it has heightened surveillance on adherence to license conditions in line with its mandate to regulate the provision of water supply and sanitation services that ensure safe, adequate, efficient and sustainable service delivery for all.
NWASCO Director Mr. Kelvin Chitumbo says the regulator has completed the annual In-depth Inspections for 9 out of the 11 Commercial Utilities for this year and has since suspended the operating licenses for Luapula and Western Water Supply and Sanitation Companies following non-compliance to license conditions and failure to provide Water Supply and Sanitation services according to the Service Level Guarantees and failure to comply with directives.
Mr. Chitumbo says NWASCO undertook steps to redeem the situation ranging from placing the utilities under Special Regulatory Supervision, Regulation by Incentive (RBI), Capacity-building, directives based on findings from scheduled inspections, issuance of a notice of intention to suspend the operating licenses and finally the suspension of the operating licenses.
He says the Statutory Managers are expected to assist the CUs to improve performance through enhancing governance, improving financial management and operational efficiency and institute performance reporting.
Mr. Chitumbo further has urged all the 11 Utilities in the Water Sector to ensure that they thrive towards attaining Sustainable Development Goal Number 6, Vision 2030 for Zambia and the 8th National Development Plan which focuses on increasing access to clean and safe drinking water and adequate sanitation for all.
The National Water Supply and Sanitation Council were established under the Water Supply and Sanitation Act No. 28 of 1997 to regulate the provision of Water Supply and Sanitation Services in the country.
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