Volume 3 - European Commission

17
- Coherent logical frameworks 18 have been drawn and the works seem to have
been properly executed, after the drafting of appraisals, tenders and the
necessary technical specifications documents.
Level of mainstreaming and optimising of local contributions for design, construction and
O&M
- In order to avoid to limit the activities to physical works only and to take into
account the strategic questions, the programmes included a technical assistance
to the EMAP, at the time a state company (now privatised under the name of
Electra) in charge of the energy and water supplies management. This part has
lost his relevance with the privatisation of Electra and the management of the
w&S networks in 2000. The approach of the EU towards Electra (to promote the
use of the former investments by favouring the amount of private connections to
the network and ensure the maintenance and the development of the executed
investments) must be reviewed. We think that it is not to the EU to finance a
better customer's base for Electra, but to Electra to show a better commercial
strategy by reducing its present high level of costs for the private connections.
- According to the monitoring reports of the EU, the works have been implemented
without major problems, in due delay and keeping the amounts allocated. They
allow increasing significantly the water supply and the sewerage networks in the
districts of Praia and other cities. The implementation efficiency may be
considered as good and the Ministry of Infrastructures & Transport (MIT) played
an important role during the works supervision periods. The good coordination
with the programme PNEAS financed by the world bank should also be noted.
The main weakness is the low rate of private connections to the networks due to
the high level of fees charged by Electra.
- There were (and is) no monitoring of the efficiency of the systems done by
Electra and the Municipality is no more in a position to gather the necessary
information’s. Electra and the PNEAS financed by the WB only are likely to
gather some data. The information shows that the rate of use of the
infrastructures is well below what was expected by the objectives mainly in the
sanitation sector. The rate of individual connection to the water supply network
seems to be around 35% to 40% (objective was 50% in 2002). Only 2000
connections to the sewerage systems have been realised, i.e. a connection rate
of about 10%.
- The sustainability of the water supply system seems to have been improved
through the investments made by ELECTRA in the desalinisation plant of
Palmajero. The financial balance is not reached yet and additional investments
are needed if the demand, which is for now around 7,000 m3/d, follows the
expected growth. The viability of the whole system will be reached only if the
water consumption and the use of the sewers increase noticeably, which
supposes to more include the most defavourised categories of the population and
to take into account the technical, social and financial constraints that restrain
their participation.
- The EU delegation should: i) promote the set up of a monitoring system to
assess the impact of the WS & S activities ii) assess and analyse more globally
the past activities and results, and analyse the factors limiting the efficiency and
18 See annex
Evaluation of the Water and Sanitation Sector – Field Visit Cape Verde; June 2005