France commits over €1.2 billion to Uganda
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on UG Diplomat
France has committed more than €1.2 billion to development projects in Uganda over nearly three decades. The French Development Agency is notably considering extending rural electrification to 50 districts and supporting the coffee sector, according to UG Diplomat.
Nearly half of the commitments by the French Development Agency (AFD) in Uganda, or more than €600 million of its portfolio of over €1.2 billion, have been devoted to water and sanitation over nearly 30 years, Arivao Fanomezantsoa, AFD country director in Uganda, said at a press briefing in Kampala on 11 November.
The other funding has notably supported electricity generation, rural electrification, urban development in the Greater Kampala region and access to financing through partnerships with public and private financial institutions, according to the AFD. The agency is also studying new investment opportunities, including extending rural electrification to 50 districts and supporting the coffee value chain.
Sandra Kassab, director of the AFD’s Africa department, described French-Ugandan cooperation as based on mutual interests and said African industrialisation, job creation and the development of economic opportunities also contribute to European prosperity, according to UG Diplomat.
The partnership with the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC), the Ugandan public company responsible for water distribution and sanitation, is among the historic areas of AFD activity in the country, Arivao Fanomezantsoa said.
