Saudi Fund allocates USD 30 mln to Kyrgyzstan to improve water supply in Batken and Talas

Bishkek, Sept. 11, 2019. / Kabar /. Kyrgyzstan received a loan of USD 30 million to improve rural water supply in Batken and Talas Oblasts, the press service of the Ministry of Finance of the Kyrgyz Republic reported.
Signing of a loan agreement was held on Tuesday at the Ministry of Finance of the Kyrgyz Republic between Kyrgyzstan and the Saudi Development Fund for a project to improve rural water supply and sanitation in Batken and Talas Oblasts in the amount of USD 30 million.
On behalf of the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic, the agreement was signed by Minister of Finance of the Kyrgyz Republic Baktygul Jeenbaeva, on behalf of the SDF, the agreement was signed by the head of the delegation, Yusuf bin Ibrahim Al-Bassam.
Donor organizations are the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) and the Saudi Development Fund (SDF). The amount of IDB financing is USD 20 million, the loan term is 30 years, of which 10 years are preferential.
The amount of financing of the SDF is $ 30 million, the loan term is 25 years, of which 5 years are preferential.
Co-financing from the government of the Kyrgyz Republic is provided in the amount of USD 10 million. The total project cost is estimated at USD 60 million.
Within 4.5 years, it is planned to improve and expand people's access to reliable water supply services, to strengthen the potential of water supply enterprises in 61 villages of Talas and Batken Oblasts. It is estimated that more than 146 thousand residents of the above regions will benefit from the project.
Issues of ensuring access to clean drinking water are priority for the country, as President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sooronbay Jeenbekov has repeatedly emphasized.